CMAT 2021 Topper Interview: Know How Onkar Machindra Kawale Scored 99.68 Percentile
Common Management Admission Test 2026 ( CMAT )
Registration - 17 Oct '25 - 18 Nov '25
Shiksha had an exclusive interview with Onkar Machindra Kawale, CMAT 2021 topper. Read the interview to know how he scored 99.68 percentile in CMAT.
Name - Onkar Machindra Kawale
CMAT 2021 Score - 99.68
Sectional Score -
- Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation - 95.47
- Logical Reasoning - 99.93
- Language Comprehension - 86.81
- General Awareness - 99.74
Onkar Machindra Kawale is based in Osmanabad, Maharashtra. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) from Sinhgad College of Engineering, Pune. He was an IAS aspirant with MBA as a Plan-B. Onkar has a good base in General Knowledge. Shiksha.com spoke to Onkar, a CMAT 2021 topper with a 99.68 percentile. He shared his strengths and weaknesses along with the preparation tips and tricks for future CMAT aspirants.
Explore colleges based on CMAT
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
Read the complete interview to know how Onkar Machindra Kawale scored 99+ percentile in CMAT 2021 exam.
Also Read: CMAT toppers' list
Q: Was this your first attempt? Were you expecting to score so well?
A: Yes. This was my first attempt at CMAT 2021. Due to the pandemic, I had more time to prepare for CMAT 2021; therefore, I was expecting to score better.
Q: Tell us about your preparation strategy.
A: I had been preparing for other competitive exams including civil services and MAH CET. Therefore, I had a hold on the General Knowledge section. I primarily focused on my weak subjects including English and Quantitative Ability. The quantitative Ability section is the most time consuming among all the other sections while preparing. Thus, I started with Quant.
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
29 Oct '25 - 1 Nov '25
4 Nov '25
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25
30 Sep '25 - 20 Nov '25
5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25
23 Oct '25 - 7 Dec '25
1 Aug '25 - 16 Dec '25
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25
21 Dec '25
31 Dec '25
Q: What was your exam day strategy?
A: I was calm on exam day and focused on taking adequate rest before the exam. I appeared in the second shift of the exam; I completed the revision one day before the exam. I left the exam day to relax to perform to the fullest.
Q: What was your weak area(s) and what did you do to improve the same?
A: Language Comprehension and Quantitative Ability were my weak areas. I started the CMAT preparation with both sections to get the maximum time for my weak areas. I practised previous years question papers to improve the Language Comprehension and focused on concepts rather than a formula-based approach for the Quantitative Ability section.
Q: Is it important to join a coaching institute for CMAT preparation?
A: No. There is no need for a coaching institute for CMAT preparation. One can watch YouTube videos for better preparation and getting familiar with the concepts.
Q: Which books did you study for CMAT preparation?
A: I had the primary focus on General Awareness. I studied yearly current affairs from Focus Magazine by Arihant. Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by RS Agarwal was my pick. For other sections, I primarily relied on the CMAT question papers from previous years.
Q: The CMAT exam was delayed this year, so did that affect your preparation/performance?
A: I focused on Language and General Awareness sections during the extended period. Surely the extended period was helpful for the preparation, on the other hand, it also made me anxiously waiting for the exam.
Q: What is your plan after completing MBA?
A: I am planning to pursue MBA in Finance. I would consider a work experience after MBA. After my MBA I am planning to pursue higher education in the specified field.
Q: Any tips for future CMAT aspirants?
A: Unlike other management entrance exams, CMAT has more focus on General Awareness. All the other sections have a basic syllabus. You can prepare for all the sections using the previous year’s question papers and CMAT mock tests; however, General Awareness will be left behind. In my opinion, aspirants must start with the current affairs and static GK followed by clearing the concepts for Quantitative Ability. Further, other sections can be covered by practising previous year’s question papers.
Read More:
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
10 Jul '25 - 5 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 Exam registration |
20 Dec '25 | XAT 2026 admit card download s... |
1 Aug '25 - 20 Nov '25 | SNAP 2025 Registration Process |
28 Nov '25 - 6 Dec '25 | SNAP 2025 admit card session 1... |
23 Oct '25 - 7 Dec '25 | MAT PBT Registration 2025 (Dec... |
23 Oct '25 - 15 Dec '25 | MAT CBT Registration 2025 (Dec... |
5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25 | CAT 2025 admit card download |
30 Nov '25 | CAT 2025 exam |
28 Oct '25 - 16 Dec '25 | NMAT 2025 Admit Card Issuance |
1 Aug '25 - 16 Dec '25 | NMAT 2025 Rescheduling Window |
1 Jul '25 - 19 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Registration |
27 Dec '25 - 28 Dec '25 | IBSAT 2025 Exam Date |
Dec '25 | MAH MBA CET 2026 registration ... |
2 Sep '25 - 4 Sep '25 | MAH MBA CAP 2025: Reporting to... |
4 Sep '25 | ATMA 2025 Result Declaration (... |
30 Aug '25 | ATMA 2025 (August) |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month ago
CMAT is one of the top accepted exams for admission to MBA-offering universities, including AURO University. As per official sources, the CMAT exam has already been conducted for the 2025 session. The exam was conducted on Jan 25, 2025 by the National Testing Agency. The exam for the 2026 session i
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The admissions into MBA courses at Marwadi University have been concluded in the year 2025. Hence, candidates can no longer apply for admissions into the MBA course at Marwadi University in the year 2025. The CMAT exam for the year 2025 has also been concluded for this year. Candidates must now wait
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
No, candidates do not have to mandatorily appear for the CMAT entrance exam for MBA in Business Analytics at Marwadi University. Candidates can apply for MBA admissions through any of the national level entrance exam such as CAT, XAT, ATMA and more. However, during admissions into the MBA in Busines
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, it is possible to get an MBA seat at CET Trivandrum with a valid CMAT score. The institute accepts CAT, CMAT, and KMAT scores for MBA admissions. Thus, students who did not appear for CMAT or did not score well can apply via KMAT or CAT scores. Students are selected for the programme after eval
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
No, CMAT scores are not compulsory for admissions to the MBA course at Sabarmati University. Because the university accepts CMAT/ CAT or any other entrance exam accepted by the counselling body. Thus, applicants with CMAT scores can get admission to the MBA course. However, it is not compulsory. App
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
No, getting admission into SGSITS MBA courses is not possible without taking CUET. For admission to its MBA courses, the institute only accepts valid CMAT scores. Other than this, it is also essential that students aspiring to enrol into the programme meet the eligibility criteria prescribed by the
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
CMAT is one of the top accepted exams for admission to MBA-offering colleges in Indore, including SGSITS. As per official sources, the CMAT exam has already been conducted for the 2025 session. The exam was conducted on Jan 25, 2025 by the National Testing Agency. The exam for the 2026 session is e
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
GK is memory based, so all that you need to do is memorise important events and occurrences. So, candidates may not need a lot of time to prepare for CMAT GK. They can devote one or two months for it. On daily basis, they can read Year Books for one hour to memorise events. Apart from that they can
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
CMAT RC passages are easy. Candidates need not worry about RCs in CMAT because they are short and pretty much straight forward. Questions are fact based and generally require candidates to identify the main argument/theme/idea of the passage. Sometimes, there are a few vocabulary and idiom based que
J
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, it is necessary to attempt GK section in CMAT as unlike other MBA entrance exams, scores of GK are included in percentile calculation in CMAT. Total number of GK questions in 20 and attempting 8-10 questions correctly, can get the candidate desired sectional cut off in CMAT. So, while preparing
A
Contributor-Level 6