How I scored 99.89%ile in CAT; Ananya Mishra shares tips & tricks
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
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Ananya Mishra
With CAT 2017 likely to be conducted in the month of November/December, it is high time that MBA aspirants start preparing for the exam with utmost dedication. However, only sitting for hours and preparing for the exam does not assure a good percentile. The candidate must ensure that he/she is following the right preparation strategy. Without this, all efforts might go waste. Shiksha spoke to Ananya Mishra, CAT 2016, 99.89%iler about how one should prepare for the exam, and here is what she told us:
Q. Does coaching play an important role in CAT 2017 preparation or is self-study sufficient?
Self- study is a must for the preparation. In addition to that, one might opt for coaching if he/she feels the need of an extra support.
Q. When is the right time to start preparing for CAT 2017?
This is something which depends entirely on the student. For instance, I started seriously preparing roughly 6 months prior to the examination.
Q. What should be the routine study strategy of CAT 2017 aspirants?
Regular practice is something which helps a lot. I would suggest aspirants to practice problems from all three sections regularly. Excessive focus on one often leads to negligence of the other sections which does more harm than good.
Q. Which books/study material should CAT 2017 aspirants use?
There is no such restriction on books. Any book which has content similar to what appears in the examination is good enough. However, aspirants must go through past question papers to get a good overview of the question pattern and difficulty level that is expected.
Q. What should be the sectional preparation strategy?
The key is to identify the section that is bringing down the performance of the student. That section will require special attention. Apart from that, each section will have different topics and the candidate will have to find out which of them needs more practice and allot time accordingly.
Q. When appearing for CAT 2017, how should the aspirants decide which questions to attempt from different sections: Quantitative Ability & DI, Verbal Ability & LR?
This is a highly subjective matter. It depends on the skill of the student. It is for the student to decide which questions fall in his/her comfort zone and which do not.
Q. Time management plays an important role. Any tips for CAT 2017 aspirants on time management?
I would suggest aspirants to monitor the time they are taking for solving the problems and successively try to reduce that.
Q. How can an aspirant judge his/her weak areas, and how should one work towards improving the same?
From my personal experience, appearing for mock tests and analysing the results help a lot in finding out the topics which need improvement.
Q. Should candidates also appear for other management exams? If yes, which exams?
Q. Share some do’s and don’ts that CAT 2017 aspirants might find useful.
Do practice as much as you can. Don’t over exert yourselves. Stay confident.
 CAT scores are used for admission to 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and various other top B-Schools. Are you eligible for the IIMs? To know more, click on the image beside. |
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“Got a question about top MBA exams? Ask students who have already made it to top B-Schools.” |
Also Read:
This CAT preparation strategy is the golden ticket to success
Ajay Kaushik shares his CAT journey: From 70.7%ile to 99.7%ile
CAT 99.87 percentiler's step-by-step guide to crack the exam
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission to MBA programme at Nirmala College of Management Studies. The college also considers scores in CMAT or KMAT. Aspirants with scores in any of the accepted entrance exams can get admission provided they also meet the eligibility criteria.
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Guide-Level 15
Answered 2 days ago
Yes, FIIB Delhi accepts admissions to its FPM courses through CAT. Students having a valid score in CAT can apply for admission. After applying, they have to appear for an interview before final selection. The college also accepts the scores of JRF/ NET XAT, CMAT, GMAT and ATMA. Students who does n
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
EIILM-Kolkata Centre for Leadership and Ethics accepts CAT scores for admission to MBA programme. Candidates can also get into MBA via MAT, ATMA or VUMAT scores. Aspirants must also meet eligibility to apply for MBA programme.
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Guide-Level 15
Answered 2 days ago
CAT is one of the accepting exams for admission to MBA programme at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology. Aspirants can also get into MBA via their scores in MAT, CMAT, etc. Candidates can also appear for KIITEE Management conducted by KIIT.
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Guide-Level 15
Answered 6 days ago
Yes, IIRM Hyderabad does consider CAT marks for admissions. Students can submit national or state-level entrance tests for selection. CAT is one of the accepted tests. The other exams are MAT/ CMAT/ ATMA/ XAT/ GMAT/ IIRMCET.
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
At GIBS Business School Bangalore, students are trained for interviews and corporate readiness through:
Regular mock interviews and group discussions to practice real-life scenarios.
Focus on developing soft skills, like communication and leadership.
Exposure to the corporate world through guest lectur
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
There isn't a fixed official cutoff number for PGDM admission at GIBS Business School Bangalore, but generally they consider your entrance exam score (CAT/MAT/XAT/CMAT) along with academics and interview performance. GIBS is one of the business schools with admission open in Bangalore, and they look
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The following steps are involved in filling CAT application form:
· Registration and creating a login
· Filling basic details
· Filling academic details
· Filling work experience
· Uploading image and signature
· Selecting IIMs and courses
· Selecting test cities
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
There is no option to pay the fee of CAT 2026 application form in cash. The only mode of fee payment is online which includes debit card, credit card, net banking, UPI.
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Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
CAT 2026 registration and application link will be available at iimcat.ac.in website. Candidates will have to apply for the exam by visiting the exam website.
Contributor-Level 10