CAT 2025 Topper Interview: How Harsh Khudania Scored 99.93 Percentile with Consistent Practice
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Harsh Khudania secured 99.93 percentile in CAT 2025 exam. Shiksha got to talking with him, and he shared how consistency and regular practice helped him make it to the CAT toppers list. Read the article below to know Harsh's CAT success mantra and more.
CAT 2025 Toper Interview: Harsh Khudania, who secured 99.93 percentile in CAT 2025, shared his CAT success mantra and how he made it to the CAT toppers list. IIM CAT result 2025 was released by IIM Kozhikode on December 24, 2025. Harsh hails from Rajasthan and is a BTech graduate from NIT Surat. The electrical engineer, Harsh, has worked with Deloitte Consulting as a Software Developer. He wishes to pursue an MBA and wants to work at MBB consulting firms (McKinsey, BCG and Bain). He is a massive Virat Kohli fan and loves watching and playing cricket. He is also a trekking junkie and has completed a few Himalayan treks.
In an interview with Shiksha.com, Harsh shared his CAT success mantra and how consistency helped him make a mark. Read the article below to know his CAT journey from 98.83 percentile to 99.93 percentile.
- CAT 2025 Student Profile
- CAT 2026 Topper Interview with Harsh Khudania
- Other CAT 2025 Topper Interviews
CAT 2025 Student Profile
Check the table below to know the student's profile of CAT Topper Harsh Khudania:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Harsh Khudania |
| College | NIT Surat |
| CAT 2025 Percentile | |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | 96.82 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 99.93 |
| DILR | 99.86 |
| Overall | 99.93 |
CAT cut offs do not flutuate much. For the past few years, the CAT exam cut offs for IIMs or other top colleges have not seen much change. If there is any change at all, it is in decimals. However, that decimal point too can make or mar admission chances. CAT cut offs for 2026 admission will largely remain the same as the CAT 2025 exam difficulty level was same as last year and number of takers dipped from last year.
CAT 2026 Topper Interview with Harsh Khudania
Shiksha: Congratulations on the CAT score! Are you satisfied with your score? How much were you expecting?
Harsh: Yes, I am happy to get this score. Before appearing for CAT, I was targetting 99.9+ percentile as that was required for me to get calls from top IIMs and other BSchools. Though I feel I left 10 to 12 marks which could have gotten me 99.96 percentile or above.
Shiksha: Was this your first attempt?
Harsh: No, this was my second attempt. I appeared for CAT 2024 as well where I scored 98.83 percentile.
Shiksha: When did you start preparing for CAT?
Harsh: I started my full-fledged CAT preparations in mid August.
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.
| CAT Toppers | Gender and Discipline | State |
|---|---|---|
| 100 percentiles 14 - Nos | Female - 1 Male - 13 Engg – 13 Non-Engg – 1 | Andhra Pradesh 1 Delhi 2 Haryana 1 Kerala 1 Maharashtra 5 Odisha 1 Rajasthan 1 Telangana 2 |
| 99.99 percentiles 29 -Nos. | Female - 2 Male - 27 Engg – 25 Non-Engg - 4 | Chandigarh 1 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 |
| 99.98 percentiles 30-Nos | Female - 1 Male - 29 Engg – 20 Non-Engg -10 | Bihar 1 Delhi 2 Gujarat 2 Haryana 4 Karnataka 4 Madhya Pradesh 3 Maharashtra 3 Tamil Nadu 2 Telangana 3 Uttar Pradesh 2 West Bengal 4 |
CAT cut offs for non-IIMs is usually lower than IIMs.
Top MBA College | CAT Cut Offs (percentile) |
|---|---|
FMS, Delhi | 98-99 |
IIFT Delhi | 95-99 |
SPJIMR, Mumbai | 95-99 |
IMT, Ghaziabad | 95-97 |
JBIMS, Mumbai | 96 |
MDI, Gurgaon | 97-99 |
IMI, New Delhi | 90 |
XIM, Bhubaneshwar | 91 |
GIM Goa | 85 |
K J Somaiya, Mumbai | 86 |
TAPMI, Manipal | 80 |
FORE, New Delhi | 85 |
IFMR, Chennai | 80 |
IRMA, Anand | 80 |
MICA, Ahmedabad | 80 |
LIBA, Chennai | 70 |
XIME, Bangalore | 70 |
Shiksha: What was your CAT preparation strategy?
Harsh: My preparation strategy was to practice and nothing more. I practiced till I started getting the desired scores. I also analysed the topics where I was making mistakes and gave extra hours to that topic to eradicate the errors. Talking about tackling difficulty levels, the only way to score well is through practice. It is not that complicated. Another thing to be added here is last minute revisions. These are very important.
Also Read:
| Best time to prepare for CAT exam |
Shiksha: Any specific books you referred to for CAT exam preparation?
Harsh: Yes, I used Arun Sharma's books for Quantitative Aptitude and DILR sections. I also took CAT mocks from iQuanta.
Also Read: Best Books to Prepare for CAT
Shiksha: Did you join any coaching institute?
Harsh: Yes, I attended the ABC batch from iQuanta and used mock tests from Cracku.
Shiksha: How many mock tests did you attempt? How important do you think they are?
Harsh: I took around 40 full length CAT mock tests and 20 mock tests in the last month of CAT exam preparation. Mock tests are the most important part of preparation if one wishes to score well in the exam.
Also Read:
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
10 Feb '26 - 13 Feb '26
15 Feb '26
18 Feb '26
23 Feb '26
28 Feb '26
3 Mar '26
13 Feb '26
15 Feb '26
22 Mar '26
Shiksha: Any tips for future CAT aspirants?
Harsh: Try to complete the CAT syllabus two months before the CAT exam date. Keep the last two months for taking mocks and revision. Keep attempting mock tests regularly and consistently practice. Aspirants should focus on one goal and trust the process. One may get low scores sometimes, which can demotivate them, but keep the focus intact. Analyze the weaknesses and work on them. Eventually, the marks will start getting better.
Shiksha: Which IIMs/institutes are you targeting?
Harsh: I am targeting the following B-Schools:
Explore colleges based on CAT
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
Other CAT 2025 Topper Interviews
Check the table below to know other CAT topper interviews:
| Name | Interview link |
|---|---|
| Anmol Gupta, 99.96 percentile | Click here to read full interview |
| Aishiki Sen, 99.18 percentile | Click here to read full interview |
| Aman Hussain, 99.47 percentile | Click here to read full interview |
| Pranshav Shah, 99.80 percentile | Click here to read full interview |
Read More:
- IIM Admission Process
- What is IIM CAP? Know Process, Criteria and Participating IIMs
- IIM SAP: Process, Cut Offs, WAT-PI Slot Booking
- IIM JAP 2026: Four IIMs exit CAP
- IIM Waitlist Movement: Meaning and Past Years Trends
- IIM Shortlist for MBA: Know Institute-wise Deadline, Process, Cut Offs
Saumya Jain is an English Literature graduate from the University of Delhi. She has over 8 years of editorial and content writing experience. At Shiksha.com, she has spent more than six years creating research, stud
Read Full BioNews & Updates
Explore Other Exams
29 Jan '26 | XAT 2026 Cut Offs Release |
16 Jan '26 | XAT 2026 result |
9 Jan '26 | SNAP 2025 result announcement |
20 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 session 3 |
13 Jan '26 - 17 Jan '26 | NMAT 2025 Exam Date (Additiona... |
5 Jan '26 - 10 Jan '26 | NMAT 2025 Scheduling (Addition... |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
23 Feb '26 | MAT Feb 2026 PBT Registration ... |
26 Feb '26 | MAT Feb 2026 PBT admit card |
14 Feb '26 - 22 Feb '26 | IBSAT 2025 Selection Process |
30 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Result |
31 Jan '26 - 2 Feb '26 | CMAT 2026 exam answer key obje... |
25 Jan '26 | CMAT 2026 exam |
10 Jan '26 - 20 Feb '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration |
7 Apr '26 - 8 Apr '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 exam |
Feb '26 | TANCET registration window |
Mar '26 | TANCET admit card download |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 4 days ago
Yes, CAT is a compulsory entrance exam for all candidates who are a resident of India to qualify for PGPM admissions at IIM Shillong. For NRI candidates, the GMAT is the mandatory entrance exam to qualify for IIM Shillong PGPM admissions. Candidates also need to fulfill the eligibilty criteria for P
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
The CAT cutoff for IIM Shillong PGPM admissions 2026 ranges from 50 - 75%. The general and EWS category candidates are required to score at least 75% in CAT exam to qualify for the PI round for IIM Shillong admissions.
The SC category is required to score 60% while the remaining categories are only r
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Yes, students can get into IIM Ahmedabad without appearing for CAT. However, this is applicable for courses other than flagship PGP/ MBA programme. Students seeking to join programmes, such as the BPGP or executive programmes. For those courses, students need valid scores of other accepted exams.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
LIBA Chennai does accept CAT scores for admission to PGDM courses. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also apply for PGDM with XAT scores. Candidates applying for PGDM (Gulf/ FN/ OCI) programme can also appear for LIBA Admission Test. Selected candidates also need to pass WAT followed by G
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered 4 days ago
N.L. Dalmia offers scholarships based on entrance exam scores of the candidates. Below is the criteria for scholarship based on CAT scores:
| Category | Scholarship |
|---|---|
| >90 percentile | INR 6.50 lakh |
| 85 to 89.99 percentile | INR 4.06 lakh |
| 80 to 84.99 percentile | INR 3.25 lakh |
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered a week ago
One should keep 9 months for CAT preparation, but it is possible to prepare in six months too provided the plan is focussed and exhaustive. For a six month preparation plan, one will need to dedicate 8 to 10 hours daily.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 2 weeks 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 3 weeks 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
The CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore hovers between 97-100 percentile. The qualifying CAT cut off required for being eligible for IIM Bangalore's Written Ability test (What) and Personal Interview PI is 85 percentile for General category students, whereas for SC candidates, it is 70 percentile. For ST candidates, it is 65 percentile and for PwD candidates it is 60 percentile. Given below are the sectional and overall qualifying CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore.