Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Exam On - 30 Nov '25
In his exclusive interview with Shiksha, CAT 2023 topper Kartik Bhageria, one of the 99.99 percentilers of CAT 2023 shares his CAT preparation journey with some important tips and tricks that helped him crack India’s largest management entrance exam, CAT. Read further to know how CAT topper 2023 Kartik Bhageria aced CAT 2023.
CAT Topper 2023 Interview: Kartik Bhageria 99.99%iler
CAT Topper 2023 Interview: Kartik Bhageria, a 99.99 percentiler secured an overall scored 118.57 in his first attempt. Bhageria commenced his CAT 2023 preparation in July. As a tip to score well in CAT exam, he advises aspirants to maintain consistency in their preparation. Kartik is aiming for all the three top IIMs in India. After cracking CAT 2023, Kartik wants to pave his way in the management field by targeting top b-schools in India.
Also Read:
In his exclusive interview with Shiksha, CAT 2023 topper Kartik Bhageria, one of the 99.99 percentilers of CAT 2023 shares his CAT preparation journey with some important tips and tricks that helped him crack India’s largest management entrance exam, CAT. Read further to know how CAT topper 2023 Kartik Bhageria aced CAT 2023 with 99.99 percentile. CAT 2023 result was declared on December 21. CAT 2023 exam was held on November 26.
Qualifying CAT cut off percentiles of Iims for Written Ability Test (What) and Personal Interview PI are listed below. Candidates who MET the qualifying CAT cut off, were eligible for What-PI round. These qualifying CAT cut offs are for General Category. The cut offs for Reserved category students are lower:
For complete details of IIM selection and admission process read this article: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/articles/iim-shortlist-selection-admission-criteria-blogId-18787.
Check out the table below to get an overview of the Kartik Bhageria CAT percentile 2023:
| CAT Sections |
CAT Percentile |
|---|---|
| Overall |
99.99 |
| 92.35 |
|
| 100.00 |
|
| 99.91 |
Also Read:
Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
Kartik: Thank you! I am thrilled with my CAT result, and it exceeded my expectations. I had aimed for a high percentile, but achieving 99.99 percentile is beyond what I had initially anticipated.
17 Oct '25 - 18 Nov '25
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25
30 Sep '25 - 20 Nov '25
19 Nov '25 - 20 Nov '25
23 Oct '25 - 7 Dec '25
30 Sep '25 - 10 Dec '25
1 Aug '25 - 16 Dec '25
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25
21 Dec '25
31 Dec '25
Shiksha: Was this your first attempt at CAT?
Kartik: Yes, this was my first attempt at CAT.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall prep strategy?
Kartik: I began my CAT preparation around July 2023. Being an engineering student, I did not spend a lot of time learning new concepts in the Quant and DILR sections. I spent most of my time giving mocks to practice and try to increase my attempted questions with better accuracy in each attempt.
Shiksha: Please share with us your section-wise strategy.
Kartik: For the DILR section, persistence is a key but it could get a bit tricky. Sometimes, if you just think about a question for another minute the whole question might get solved but in doing that, you might waste time which can be spent on other questions. So, with practice in CAT mocks, you can get a better idea on how to give time to each question set.
CAT cut-offs are not announced along with the CAT result. The cut-offs are also not released publicly. They are known after a few days of the result announcement when the IIMs and other colleges start their shortlisting process. The IIMs will open the shortlist window based on the CAT cut-offs two to three days after the result announcement. The CAT percentile of candidates shortlisted for the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) can be considered the cut-off for that IIM. For example, if a candidate with a CAT percentile of 99 belonging to the General category is selected for the WAT/GD-PI of IIM Calcutta, then the CAT cut-off for IIM Calcutta is 99 percentile. Only those candidates who make it to the WAT/GD-PI round of IIMs will get to know the cut-offs.
For the Quant section, try to attempt the easier questions first and leave the difficult ones. If you are left with time, you can re-attempt those questions but it is mandatory to at least get the easy questions right.
Also Read: CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Mock Tests are game changers, says Dixit Bhageria, 99.55%iler
Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Kartik: I did not refer to any books for my CAT preparation, I’ve solely relied on Mock papers and section-wise tests.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt and how important is a mock test series?
Kartik: I attempted 35-40 CAT Mocks tests. Mock tests are incredibly crucial as they simulate exam conditions, help manage time effectively, and identify areas of improvement. Analysing mock tests played a pivotal role in refining my strategy.
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How does the coaching institute help in CAT preparation?
Kartik: Yes, I joined TIME and IMS for their Mock test series, I also took a VARC1000 course to help me with my VARC scores.
Shiksha: What was your exam day strategy?
Kartik: On the exam day, I ensured a good night's sleep, had a healthy breakfast, and reached the exam center well in advance. Also, before entering the exam hall, I had a chocolate to put me in a good mood. Remaining calm is the key, the paper may turn out to be difficult but it shall be difficult for everyone so one should simply focus on giving their best.
Shiksha: Which IIMs /Institutes are you targeting?
Kartik: I am considering applying to IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta
Shiksha: Tell us something about your educational background, family and hobbies.
Kartik: I have a background in Applied Mathematics. My family has been incredibly supportive throughout my preparation. Outside academics, I enjoy playing various sports and Valorant to unwind and relax.
Also Read: CAT 2022 Topper Interview: Know how Parul Garg cracked CAT with 99.93%
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Kartik: My advice for future CAT aspirants would be to start early, maintain consistency in preparation, focus on weak areas, and take mock tests seriously. Additionally, staying calm and confident during the exam is key to performing well.
CAT Topper 2023 Kartik Bhageria 99.99%iler Scorecard
Read More:
10 Jul '25 - 5 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 Exam registration |
19 Nov '25 - 20 Nov '25 | XAT 2026 mock test 3 |
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25 | SNAP 2025 Registration Process |
28 Nov '25 - 6 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 admit card session 1... |
28 Oct '25 - 16 Dec '25 | NMAT 2025 Admit Card Issuance |
1 Aug '25 - 16 Dec '25 | NMAT 2025 Rescheduling Window |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
23 Oct '25 - 7 Dec '25 | MAT PBT Registration 2025 (Dec... |
23 Oct '25 - 15 Dec '25 | MAT CBT Registration 2025 (Dec... |
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Registration |
5 Nov '25 - 27 Dec '25 | IBSAT Slot Booking 2025 |
17 Oct '25 - 18 Nov '25 | CMAT 2026 registration and app... |
Dec '25 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration ... |
2 Sep '25 - 4 Sep '25 | MAH MBA CAP 2025: Reporting to... |
Jan '26 | Publication of TANCET notifica... |
Jan '26 | TANCET registration window |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 21 hours ago
At GIBS, they keep the entrance exam part really simple. For PGDM or MBA, they accept almost all the common exams like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT. Even state-level or institute-level scores are considered.
Honestly, GIBS doesn't stress too much about “only one specific exam.” As long as you
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
At GIBS, the faculty-to-student ratio is around 1:15, which honestly makes learning a lot easier. Since the classes aren't overcrowded, the faculty actually get time to focus on each student.
You can easily ask your doubts, get personal guidance, and have open discussions. It feels more like a mentor
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
The online application for GIBS Business School is very well-organized and student-friendly for its MBA, PGDM, and BBA programs.
Application Procedure Step 1: Access the Admissions Portal
Go to the official website of GIBS Business School, and click on "Apply Online", which can be found under the sect
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 3 days ago
GIBS Business School considers the overall CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT scores for the admission of candidates in the PGDM and MBA programs. Rather than using solely high cut-offs, the entrance test scores are used to judge the aptitude of a candidate in terms of analysis, quant, and verbal f
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
GIBS Business School, Bangalore, has a strong and dynamic Placement Cell that helps in securing excellent career opportunities for the students. Every year, more than 260 reputed companies have visited the campus for recruitment, offering versatile jobs in sectors like BFSI, IT, consulting, manufact
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 weeks ago
Getting into the MBA programme of NIT Trichy with a 300 SC CAT rank is somewhat uncertain. As the recent data sets suggest, NIT Trichy's CAT cutoff for SC category admission stands around 65th percentile. A 300 SC rank could be borderline depending on how many SC candidates apply and the quality of
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Candidates who did not appear for the CAT entrance exam can apply St. Xavier's College, Kolkata admissions as it is not a mandatory entrance exam. The candidates who wish to gain admissions into the MBA course of the institute have to appear for the Kolkata University entrance test for St. Xavier's
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, you can get admission to Jaypee Business School (JBS), Noida for MBA even if you don't have CAT. JBS accepts scores from several other exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, ATMA, and also CUET-PG. Just make sure you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, then apply with any of those va
Contributor-Level 9
Sectional cut-off in the CAT exam refers to the section-wise percentiles required by the candidate to make it to the Personal Interview round of the IIMs or other top MBA colleges. The sectional cut-offs are lower than the overall cut-offs of any institute. To understand better, check the table below for sectional CAT cut-offs for IIM Ahmedabad:
Category
VARC percentile
DILR percentile
QA percentile
Overall percentile
General
70
70
70
80
NC-OBC-Transgender
65
65
65
75
SC
60
60
60
70
ST
50
50
50
60
PwD (General, NC-OBC-cum-transgender, SC)
60
60
60
70
PwD (ST)
50
50
50
60
For sectional cut-offs of all IIMs, check this article – IIM shortlist and selection criteria