CAT 2024 Topper Interview: How Dhruv Mittal Transitioned from CA Topper to CAT Success of 99.69 Percentile
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Exam On - 30 Nov '25
CAT 2024 Topper, Dhruv Mittal scored an amazing score of 99.67 percentile in the CAT exam. In this interview, Dhruv shared how he transitioned from being a CA Topper to making a mark in the 99 percentilers club. Read the article below to know more.
CAT 2024 Topper, Dhruv Mittal, secured an impressive 99.67 percentile in the CAT 2024 exam, making him one of the standout achievers this year. Hailing from Gwalior, Dhruv has successfully completed the intermediate level of the Chartered Accountancy (CA) exam, showcasing his diverse academic capabilities. IIM Calcutta declared the CAT result 2024 on December 19, 2024.
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A 2024 graduate from Maharani Laxmibai College of Excellence, Gwalior, Dhruv has consistently excelled in academics while balancing his passion for extracurricular activities. Alongside his academic achievements, he is an avid volleyball player and believes in maintaining a well-rounded personality. Dhruv’s outstanding performance in CAT 2024 has set an inspiring benchmark for future aspirants. In his exclusive interview, Dhruv revealed his CAT preparation strategy, the resources he used, and practical tips for future CAT aspirants. His journey from CA to achieving one of the highest CAT scores is inspiring for MBA aspirants.
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
CAT cutoffs are usually not announced with the CAT result. The CAT cutoffs are also not released to the public.
They are published after a few days of the result announcement when the IIMs and other colleges start their shortlisting process. The IIMs opens their shortlisting 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.
Overall CAT Percentile: 99.67 percentile
VARC: 95.23
DILR: 99.51
QA: 99.67
CAT Topper Interview with Dhruv Mittal
Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT score? How much score were you expecting?
Dhruv: Yes, I am very much satisfied with my score. I was expecting a lesser score because I did not think I would score well in the VARC section but when the CAT exam results were out I sighed with relief.
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Shiksha: Was this your first CAT attempt?
Dhruv: Yes, this was my first CAT attempt.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam?
Dhruv: I started my CAT exam preparation in March 2024, which is eight months before the CAT exam. I also was in the final year of my graduation which I completed in August 2024.
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Shiksha: What was your overall CAT preparation strategy?
Dhruv: I started my CAT preparation with the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section, as I found it more approachable. Since I was apprehensive about the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section, I kept postponing its preparation. Initially, I focused heavily on QA and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), dedicating the first 1-2 months to building a strong foundation in these sections. Once I was confident with the basics, I moved on to practicing questions for these two sections extensively. Over the next 2-3 months, I revisited preparation videos and solved numerous questions to strengthen my understanding.
On an average, about 10-15 CAT aspirants score 100 percentile. Given below is the data of CAT 100 percentilers of last 3 years:
Exam year | CAT 100 percentilers | State wise numbers |
|---|---|---|
CAT 2024 | 14 | 1- Andhra Pradesh |
CAT 2023 | 14 | 1 – Andhra Pradesh |
CAT 2022 | 11 | 2 - Delhi 1 - Gujarat 1 - Haryana 1 - Kerala 1 - Madhya Pradesh 2 - Maharashtra 2 - Telangana 1 - Uttar Pradesh |
Eventually, I began preparing for VARC and started solving questions across all three sections of the CAT exam. In the final month, my focus shifted entirely to taking CAT mock tests and practice papers. I ensured I attempted a mock test daily to refine my preparation and strengthen my grip on the concepts.
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Shiksha: Which were the books that you referred to during the CAT preparation?
Dhruv: I did not really refer to any CAT books expect the study material provided by the coaching institute. I also viewed various YouTube videos for the preparation.
Also Read: Best Books to Prepare for CAT
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute?
Dhruv: Yes, I joined iQuanta. I believe that self-study was not very helpful for me and the coaching institute very much helped in the preparation.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you take? How helpful are the CAT mock tests?
Dhruv: I attempted about 25 full CAT mock tests and about 60-70 sectional mock tests. The mock tests are the most important part of the CAT preparation journey. I would suggest that even if an aspirant decides to skip one topic or chapter of the CAT exam they must prepare through the mock test. The more the mock tests one attempts the better it will be. Mock tests are the holy grail.
Shiksha: Did you have any CAT exam day strategy?
Dhruv: I did not visit the centre before the exam. As usual the exam day anxiety did kick in like many of the other CAT aspirants and to overcome that I started socializing with the other candidates. I tried to focus on the exam and five minutes before the exam started I closed my eyes meditated and started on with my exam.
I decided not to panic even if I did not get answers to the first few questions. For instance, I was unable to answer the first three questions of the Quant section on the D-day so I moved on to the rest and decided to revisit those questions if there was time left.
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Dhruv: I would say attempt as many mock tests as you can and try to cover the complete CAT syllabus.
Also I believe that if you use the calculator much it may bring down the speed. So try to solve the questions manually.
Shiksha: Which other MBA entrance exams are you appearing for?
Dhruv: I am appearing for SNAP, XAT, NMAT and MAT as well.
Also Read: Top MBA entrance exams you can take
Shiksha: Which IIMs/institutes are you targeting?
Dhruv: I am targeting IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Indore. I am also expecting calls from FMS, Delhi, IIM Kohzikode and IIM Calcutta.
| GD Preparation | PI Preparation |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 11 hours ago
Hi...
- CAT 2024 Cutoff: The overall cutoff for all categories (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS) was 50 percentile.
- Other Exams: The university also accepts scores from MH-CET (Maharashtra Common Entrance Test), MAT, C
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Scholar-Level 17
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The Vishwakarma University CAT Cutoff 2024 for the General AI students was 50 for admission to various MBA programmes. The CAT exam is the accepting exam for MBA courses and various other PG courses. Students can click here for a more detailed cutoff information about Vishwakarma University 2024.
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Contributor-Level 8
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Fore School of Management Cutoff 2025 has been released for admission to PGDM course on the basis of CAT and XAT Cutoff 2025. For the General AI category, the overall CAT Cutoff 2025 was 85, same as the XAT Cutoff 2025. For more details about cutoffs for the General AI quota, see the table below:
| CAT Cutoff 2025 | XAT Cutoff 2025 | Course/ Specialisation Name |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | 85 | PGDM |
| 75 | 75 | PGDM in International Business |
| 75 | 75 | PGDM in Financial Management |
| 65 | 65 | PGDM in Big Data Analysis |
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Contributor-Level 8
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Contributor-Level 8
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Hi...
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Scholar-Level 17
Answered 3 days ago
Hi.
- Per
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Scholar-Level 17
Answered 3 days ago
Hi.
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Scholar-Level 17
Answered 4 days ago
GIBS Business School, therefore, accepts 'all national-level entrance examination' scores that include the major management exams like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT, and in some cases State CET exams for admissions to PGDM and MBA programs. These scores will determine a candidate's eligibility for
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A
Contributor-Level 8
14 candidates have scored 100 percentile in CAT 2024, out of a total of 2.93 Lacs candidates. Out of 14 toppers, 1 is a woman candidate. Check below CAT 2024 result data:
Check the below table for data and statistics of CAT 2024 test takers and toppers.
Discipline
percentiles 14 - Nos
Male - 13
Engg – 13
Non-Engg – 1
Delhi 2
Haryana 1
Kerala 1
Maharashtra 5
Odisha 1
Rajasthan 1
Telangana 2
percentiles 29 -Nos.
Male - 27
Engg – 25
Non-Engg - 4
Delhi 4
Gujarat 2
Haryana 1
Karnataka 3
Kerala 1
Madhya Pradesh 1
Maharashtra 5
Odisha 1
Punjab 1
Rajasthan 3
Tamil Nadu 1
Telangana 1
Uttar Pradesh1
Uttarakhand 1
West Bengal 2
percentiles 30-Nos
Male - 29
Engg – 20
Non-Engg -10
Delhi 2
Gujarat 2
Haryana 4
Karnataka 4
Madhya Pradesh 3
Maharashtra 3
Tamil Nadu 2
Telangana 3
Uttar Pradesh 2
West Bengal 4