Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Exam On - 30 Nov '25
In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Arka Saha shares his preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants. Read further to know more about CAT 2022 topper Arka Saha
CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore announced CAT results 2022 on December 21. Hailing from Kolkata, West Bengal, Arka Saha scored 98.76 percentile in India's biggest MBA entrance exam, CAT 2022. Saha has completed Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering (BTech) from KIIT with a CGPA of 8.01. With a strong work profile, Arka is targeting IIM Bangalore along with NITIE, FMS and IITs. In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Arka Saha shares his preparation strategy and tips for future CAT aspirants. Read further to know more about CAT 2022 topper Arka Saha.
CAT 2022 result was declared two weeks earlier than usual. CAT 2022 exam was held on November 27.
Also Read:
CAT 2022 score
Overall Percentile: 98.76
Sectional:
Arka: To be honest, a percentile more would have made me more elated but I’m satisfied with the score. Since I’m a data scientist by profession, work pressure has been my ally. Hence, I had to make out extraneous time to focus on CAT. Having said that, I was expecting a 95%ile and above score.
Arka: No. However, my first attempt was just after my graduation i.e. 2019 but again honestly, I gave that without proper preparation just to test my mettle and as expected, I scored bleakly. But I have realized that efforts do payback and here I’m.
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.
Arka: I started preparing for CAT exam back in September 2018. I had joined Edushastra which was suggested by my peers and also I used to follow the Youtube channel of Rodha by Ravi Prakash Sir. My strategy was to divide the 5 days of the week across all sections i.e. QA, VARC and LRDI to study the concepts after my day ended around 9-10 pm and give continuous (around 1-2) mocks on the weekends to know my stand.
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Arka: For QA, I loved Maths as always and thus, I used to practice the problems provided by Edushastra i.e. the practice-papers end-to-end as well as the previous year CAT papers under a timed environment. Whenever I faltered in a problem, I used to look at the solution and learn the concept and practice it again. The concept would stay etched in my mind.
Since LRDI used to take a lot of time, I did not keep time limitations initially given I wanted to make sure I could understand the problem and solve the same. But gradually, I started timing the same and solving LRDI problems used to boost my confidence because you earn more marks if you can solve a LRDI problem given they have set-based questions.
For VARC, English was my forte as well but I used to learn how to read passages given the width of the same. The problem here is to not involve yourself in the passage but think from the passage-point of view for which I used to solve RC, Paras and Jumbled Sentences atleast one-two everyday
Arka: I did not use any books. I used online Edushastra online materials and Rodha concept videos for CAT preparation.
Arka: I had attempted around 50-60 mock tests (Sectional mocks + SIMCATs) from Edushastra itself and none-other.
I feel if you don’t simulate the scenario for yourself, it would be difficult to perform on the D-day. So you would need a taste of the same and also, we need to identify the weak areas in all the sections. Additionally, the mock scores can be demotivating but the truth from my perspective is, the questions are tougher, and you will do better when you face the inevitable.
Arka: I had joined Edushastra and it was worth the investment which is extremely inexpensive and highly qualitative.
To be honest, it teaches in small cohorts (10-12 folks) in a batch which helps in personalized teaching strategy. The teachers are very kind and approachable 24*7. I want to especially mention Arun Sir who personally helped in a lot of Quant and LRDI specific concepts and areas of weakness.
They share concept pdfs, practice exam papers as well as weekend mocks (on request) for your continuous performance monitoring. They have merit-based batches as well that helps students to be competitive, inspired and grow up the ladder till the D-day which is decided on the basis of your mock-CAT performances.
Arka: I considered CAT like a mock CAT exam which helped me think positively. Once the bell rang, I scouted all the questions w.r.t. all the questions. I did not spend more than 5 minutes if I couldn’t solve a question. I answered most of the TITAs given they don’t have a negative marking and was careful with my attempts for the option-based ones which were mostly accurate.
Arka: I’m targeting BLACKI IIMs out of which IIM-A and IIM-C seem far-fetched. IIM Bangalore stands a probability given I have work-experience. Amidst non-IIMs, I missed MDI Gurgaon and SPJIMR forms as well but I’m targeting NITIE, FMS and IITs.
Arka: I did my schooling in Don-Bosco Liluah, Kolkata (X) and then The Future Foundation School, Kolkata (XII). I scored 92% (ICSE) in X and then 90% (ISC) in XII. I did my Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering (BTech) from KIIT with a CGPA of 8.01. I was a data-scientist-turned-Analytics Manager with Mu-Sigma, the world’s largest pure-play Data Analytics company having worked across FMCG/CPG, then Retail and then Pharmaceutical verticals for a period of 3.3 years and currently working with AB-InBev, the World’s largest Beer Company and a Fortune-500 as a Data Scientist
My family constitutes my father, being my inspiration as always is an IRS officer with Indian Railways (BTech in Mech from Jadavpur and then MBA in Finance from IISWBM). My mother is a PhD grad in Zoology and is currently a homemaker. My grandmother is the healthiest amongst us all at the age of 79 and my most beloved one.
My hobbies include reading books (both fiction especially rational mythology and non-fiction), researching on AI and ML models, hitting the gym and sketching my heart out (occasionally painting as well)
Arka: Work hard and the world is yours. Don’t give up. That is the key. Everyone can crack CAT. All the best.
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