Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
CAT 2024 Topper, Vedant Chandewar scored an impressive 99.98 percentile in CAT exam. In his exclusive interview with Shiksha, Vedant shares his CAT preparation journey and strategy to take the exam. Read on to know Vedant's CAT sectional and overall score and strategy to appear for the exam.
CAT 2024 Topper Vedant Chandewar
Cracking the Common Admission Test (CAT) is no small feat, especially on the first attempt. Vedant Chandewar, an IIT Bombay student, secured an outstanding 99.98 percentile in CAT 2024. In this exclusive interview, CAT 2024 Topper, Vedant shares his journey, strategies, and insights that helped him excel in one of the toughest MBA entrance exams. Read Vedant Chandewar’s exclusive interview with Shiksha.com to know his preparation strategy and CAT score here.
Also Read:
Yes, it is possible to score 99.99 percentile in CAT in first attempt. Many toppers of previous years' are such candidates. One must study in a focussed manner and do a lot of mock test practice. Exam day strategy is also crucial for better performance.
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
Shiksha: Congratulations! Are you satisfied with your CAT result? How much score were you expecting?
Vedant: Initially, I was a bit disappointed because, in previous years, a score of 132 often meant a 100 percentile, and I was aiming for a 99.99 percentile. However, I am happy with my result, especially since it was my first attempt.
CAT 2024 Score
Shiksha: Please tell us about yourself — your educational background, family, hobbies, and achievements.
Vedant: I am in my final year of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Bombay. My father is an engineer, and my mother is a homemaker. I’m from Nagpur and enjoy playing cricket and listening to music. Some of my academic achievements include being an NTSE scholar, qualifying for KVPY, and topping Maharashtra’s MHT CET 2021 with a 100 percentile. I was also selected for the Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO).
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Shiksha: Was this your first CAT attempt?
Vedant: Yes, this was my first attempt.
Also Read: CAT College Predictor
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for the CAT exam? What was your overall preparation strategy?
Vedant: I began my preparation in August 2024. Being good at mathematics, I found Quantitative Aptitude (QA) and Logical Reasoning (DILR) relatively easy to prepare for. I joined a coaching institute that provided daily practice questions for these sections, which I diligently solved. My overall strategy was to focus on mock tests and consistent practice. I did not rely on classroom coaching or concept videos but focused entirely on self-study and mock tests.
Shiksha: Could you share your section-wise strategy?
Vedant:
IIM Trichy accepts minimum CAT percentile for shortlisting candidates for the Personal Interview round. For IIM Trichy MBA admission 2024, the estimated overall CAT cutoff for the General category students is 92 percentile. Candidates can refer to the table given below to check out the section-wise minimum CAT percentile required for various categories:
Category | PVRC | PDILR | PQA | Overall percentile rank (PT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General | 70 | 70 | 70 | 92 |
NC-OBC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 74 |
EWS | 40 | 40 | 40 | 70 |
SC | 35 | 35 | 35 | 54 |
ST | 25 | 25 | 32.5 | 40 |
DAP | 25 | 25 | 32.5 | 40 |
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.
Shiksha: Which books did you refer to for CAT preparation?
Vedant: I did not use any books. My preparation was entirely based on solving mock tests, and I completed around 40 of them.
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute? How did it help in your CAT preparation?
Vedant: I joined a coaching institute primarily for mock tests. Conceptually, I prepared on my own.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt, and how important are they in CAT preparation?
Vedant: I attempted around 40 CAT mock tests. Mock tests are crucial as they help you understand the exam pattern, identify weak areas, and develop effective time management skills.
Shiksha: What was your exam-day strategy?
Vedant: I ensured I got a good night’s sleep before the exam and had a light breakfast. I reached the CAT exam centre on time and stayed calm throughout. Before the exam started, I meditated for five minutes to focus my mind. I prioritized attempting questions I was confident about and avoided the ones I was unsure of. Despite the last-minute changes in the exam pattern, like having 22 questions in the DILR section, I found the exam relatively manageable.
Shiksha: Who is your role model, and which IIMs or institutes are you targeting?
Vedant: My role model is MS Dhoni. I am targeting the top IIMs, particularly IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta.
Also Read: CAT Counselling
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Vedant: Believe in yourself. Plenty of resources, including YouTube videos, help you prepare. Don’t get demotivated by low scores in CAT mock tests; they are just part of the learning process. Stay calm during the exam and focus on your strengths.
Read More: CAT Cut Off
Read More CAT 2024 Tooper Interviews:
CAT 2024 Topper Interview: Swaraj's Inspiring Journey to a 99.95 Percentile Without Coaching
CAT 2024 Topper Interview: Know How Shaivi Goyal Bagged 99.54 Percentile in CAT Exam
CAT 2024 Topper Interview: 100 Percentiler in CAT, Vagish Nangia, Shares his Preparation Journey
CAT 2024 Topper Interview: From 93 to 99.89 Percentile: Know Aniruddh K Singh's CAT Success Story
Shruti Garg is a graduate in English and Education with over 7 years of experience in content writing/editing and education journalism. At Shiksha.com, Shruti covers UG and PG entrance exams like MBA entrance exams,
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Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 days ago
CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission to MBA at ISMR Pune. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants with a score in CMAT, MAT, XAT, MAH MBA CET, etc. can also get admission. Candidates selected based on their entrance exam scores also need to pass the personal interview round for admission
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered 4 days ago
No, CAT scores are not compulsory for admissions into MBA course at Chhatrapati Shahu Institute of Business Education and Research. The institute accepts other national/ state level management entrance exams too. The names of the accepted entrance examinations are: XAT/ MAT/ ATMA/ MAH MBA CET.
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
No, CAT scores are not compulsory for admissions into MBA course at GLA University, Mathura. The university also considers scores from other management entrance exam and one university level entrance exam too. The names of the other accepted entrance exams are: MAT/ XAT/ UPSEE.
C
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
No, CAT scores are not important for enrollment into Masters of Business Administration course at Chitkara University. Because CAT is not the only scores which are considered by the university, it also accepts the scores of MAT/ XAT/ NMAT/ CMAT.
K
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Minimum qualifying cut off for IIM Ahmedabad is 95 percentile whereas for IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, it is 85. However final cut offs for these three top IIMs are between 99 to 100 percentile.
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
GIBS is pretty flexible when it comes to entrance exams. They accept almost all the common management tests — CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, State CET, and even GMAT. In my batch itself, we had students who came through different exams, not just CAT.
Honestly, that's one thing I liked about GIBS — they d
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can join Adarsh Institute of Management and Information Technology without appearing for CAT. This is because, the institute also accepts other tests. The accepted exams include CAT/ XAT/ MAT/ CMAT/ KMAT/ PGCET/ GMAT. Hence, if you have appeared for any of these, you can still apply.
M
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, Myra School of Business does offer CAT scores based Scholarships upto INR 1.5 lakh. In recognition of outstanding performance in CAT, MSB awards special scholarships as follows:
h
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
LISAA School of Design, Bangalore BDes admission is done based on performance in the in-house entrance test. LISAA CAT is conducted at the LISAA centres. Candidates need to connect with the admission team to set up a time slot. Besides, it is important that the eligibility criteria is fulfilled.
M
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 weeks ago
No, CAT is not mandatory for School of Business and Management, Christ University MBA admissions. Students can alternatively submit scores of other national-level management exams. These include MAT/ XAT/ CMAT/ ATMA and GMAT/ GRE are also accepted.
S
Contributor-Level 10
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