Umang Agarwal got his name included in the list of CAT 2022 toppers with an overall score of 99.79 percentile. In an exclusive interview he shares his CAT preparation strategy.
CAT 2022 Topper Interview with Umang Agarwal
CAT 2022 Topper Interview: IIM Bangalore released CAT 2022 results on December 21. Umang Agarwal, who lives in Bareilly, scored 99.79 percentile to get his name included in the CAT 2022 toppers list. He passed out from MIT Manipal, post which he joined Capgemini to work as a Software Developer. He aims to convert calls from BLACKI IIMs and FMS, Delhi. His hobbies include travelling and exploring new places. Additionally, he loves to sing and play guitar. In an exclusive chat with Shiksha.com, Umang opened up on his CAT preparation strategy, with tips for future aspirants.
CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Highlights
| Name of CAT Topper |
Umang Agarwal |
|---|---|
| College |
|
| Overall |
99.79 |
| VARC |
99.07 |
| DILR |
96.67 |
| QA |
99.78 |
CAT 2022 Topper Interview with Umang Agarwal
Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? What was your expected CAT score?
Umang: I think I could have done better. I attempted the toughest RC in verbal first which wasted a lot of time. Apart from that everything went fine. In some mocks I was getting around 99.99 percentile so I was expecting something around 99.9+, but after that RC, I realised that I would not be able to score that high. Therefore, I am satisfied with 99.79.
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Shiksha: Was this your first CAT attempt?
Umang: No, this was not my first attempt. I have given it a couple of times before this as well.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
Commonly asked questions
Yes CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion.
CAT is a speed-based test of analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or Commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advanced-level problems.
However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.
Hope it was helpful!!!
Yes, IIM Bangalore is one of the toughest business schools to get admission to, and every year, even CAT 99+ percentilers miss out on a call from the institute. IIM Bangalore uses multiple parameters, namely academic performance as well as candidates' scores in CAT/GMAT to select candidates for the PGP programme. IIMB adopts a two-phase selection process and accordingly, these selection criteria are applied in two phases. The first phase of the process is applied to all eligible candidates who appear for CAT to determine candidates to be called for a personal interview (PI). Candidates selected for the PI process will be additionally required to take a Writing Ability Test (WAT).
No, one can't join IIM without CAT. Candidates seeking admission to the IIM Ahmedabad MBA course must appear for CAT and secure 90 percentile. The Institute considers Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds for final admission to IIM Ahmedabad along with CAT results. Students must meet both, the overall CAT cutoff percentile and the sectional cutoffs.The Institute does not release CAT cutoffs in the public domain and are exclusively accessible only via account login to candidates who have appeared for the exam.
Umang: I started preparing in the first week of November. I just gave 15 mock tests. Analysing those mocks was very important to find out the mistakes. Since this was not my first attempt, I just had to revise the topics.
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Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
Umang: My overall preparation strategy for all three sections of CAT 2022 was as follows:
- For VARC, my strategy was to do all the RCs in 32 mins and then the remaining eight questions of VA in eight minutes. I decided that I will allot eight minutes to each RC.
- For DILR, I thought to complete at least 2-3 sets depending on the difficulty level. As it was more difficult than last year I could attempt 2 sets.
- For QA, my strategy was to first attempt all the easier questions, which can be done within a minute. After that, I moved to questions of medium and high difficulty-level.
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Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Umang: I did not refer to any books this year. I believe it is more important to give mocks and analyse them. Those aspiring to take CAT for the first time can refer to books if they face difficulty in any topic.
Also Read: Best Books to Prepare for CAT
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
Umang: I just took the test series of a renowned coaching centre. It had 15 mock tests.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
Umang: I attempted 15 mocks. Mock tests are very important as they helps us to gauge the real time test scenario. It makes us more comfortable while giving the actual test.
Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?
Umang: My exam day strategy was to not think much about the exam. I had to remain calm and composed. Also if one of the sections goes bad, it should not affect the next section.
Also Read: CAT Exam Day Tips
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Umang: I would say that despite the preparation, it is very important how you attempt the test on the day of the examination. If you have practised a good number of mocks, just be confident and give the exam. Don't take stress during the exam or on the day before the exam.
Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
Umang: I'm targeting the following colleges:
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Abhishek Dhawan is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He holds a BA degree from the University of Delhi. At Shiksha, Abhishek primarily covers MBA and BBA entrance
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