CAT 2015

Topper Interviews

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Contents
An Introduction

CAT 2015: 100 percentiler Pranit Arora

Early start and practice led Sanuj Mittal

100 Percentiler Sabyasachi Mishra

11

CAT 2015 Topper Chirag Jha scores

100 percentile

15

How Nishchay Budhiraja scored a

perfect 100 percentile

18

Rajiv Reddy says CAT is not as

tough as it is made out to be

21

CAT 2015 Topper Interview: Rohan Gupta

24

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Introduction

ith the announcement of CAT 2015 Results on January 8, 2016,

the IIMs also announced that a total of 17 candidates have obtained a perfect 100 percentile. Incidentally, all 17 toppers are

from engineering background and there is one female test taker who has secured 100 percentile.
The MBA aspirants who are planning to appear for CAT 2016 must be wondering who these toppers are, what are their backgrounds, interests, aspirations and preparation strategy. In our quest to bring 360 degree perspective
information, that supports you in your preparations for a national level management test, we bring you CAT 2015 Topper Interview E-book.
This E-book is a collection of those interviews, which will not only help you
in getting the success mantras of these talented students, but also inspire
you to perform exceptionally. The toppers share their insights on preparation
strategy and success tips on how to ace some of the toughest entrance exams
in the country. Who knows, next year you may be the one featuring in this
book.

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

CAT 2015: 100 percentiler Pranit

Arora says, you need exposure in
subjects not expertise to crack CAT

ranit Arora secured 100 percentile in CAT 2015. Pranit achieved this
distinction in his very first attempt. Son of a doctor couple, Pranit
opted for engineering to pursue his interest in science and industrial

functions. An IT enthusiast, the CAT topper now wishes to pursue an MBA

from any of the old IIM to pursue his career in Information Technology domain. In this interview with Careers360, Pranit says that cracking CAT was
not very tough for him as he already had a good hold on Quant and Reasoning
happened to his interest area.

Below are the edited excerpts from the interview:

Careers360: Congratulations for being a 100 percentiler in CAT 2015.

Were you expecting this high percentile?

Pranit:

Thank you so much! Well, this came as great news to me and my

family. I started preparing for CAT a few months back and my hard work paid
well. This is just a step closer towards my career goals.

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Careers360:

Tell us your sectional scores, your educational back-

ground and why you want to do an MBA?

Pranit: My overall percentile in CAT 2015 is 100. My sectional percentile

are, Section 1- VA and Comprehension- 99.6; Section 2-DI and LR- 100; and
Section 3-QA- 99.96. I am currently pursuing B.Tech in Production and Industrial engineering from IIT Delhi. Prior to joining IIT Delhi, I was a DPS R.K
Puram student. I come from a Doctor family, but medicine never attracted. I
have always been interested in Science, so I wanted to do engineering first.
Now I want to do an MBA to take my level of interest in Science to a next level.
I think a management degree will strongly help my career in IT industry.

Careers360: What was your overall preparation strategy for CAT?

Pranit: CAT was an easy test for me. I started preparing for the test a few
months back mainly via online sample papers, mock test and through materials available on the internet. I had always been interested in solving Logical
Reasoning questions, so this section of CAT was already done for me. The
Data Interpretation was a section I had to prepare, so I practiced as much as
I could. Now the key to crack this section is speed, so I practiced with a sharp
eye on my speed. Last was Quantitative Ability, which again was easy, not
because of my engineering background, but because of my sharp basics in
mathematics. You need exposure in subjects and not expertise in the topics
to crack CAT.

Careers360: How was your overall experience of appearing CAT?

Pranit: The experience was great. I liked how the paper was designed. I was
confident about my preparation and that lead to my success reflected in my
scores.

Careers360: Do you think the new pattern was helpful? In terms of

Non-MCQs, the time limit etc.?

Pranit: I found the pattern easier as compared to last year. Speed was the

key to crack this test as it has a sectional time limit. Especially in the DI&LR
section, which was the lengthiest, the candidates had to be fast while attempting this section. The addition of Non-MCQs was made it a little difficult
as the options seemed to be tricky. The new pattern, according to me, is same,
the type of questions remain same, its just the layout is enhanced. Overall,
the changed pattern was advantageous.

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Careers360:

How did you prepare for CAT during your engineering

classes? And what were your re-creational activities?

Pranit: I used to prepare from the material available online. I attended my

regular classes, completed the assignments and gave at least 1 hour for CAT
preparation. But on weekends, I used to give most of my time towards preparations for CAT. I am not a bookworm. I managed my time well between relaxation and studies. I used to play, participate in college cultural activities
and followed a normal routine. Taking stress can never get you success.

Careers360: What are your plans now?

Pranit: I have an offer from an IT company right now, but at this moment
its not the priority for me. I am taking a break for a while and will start my
preparations for GD-PI-WAT next.

Careers360: How are you going to prepare for the GD/PI-WAT?

Pranit: I have my plans for preparations for the GD/PI-WAT stage, but it will
start after a few days of break. I will start by gathering last years GD and WAT
topics, prepare myself on current topics, and improve my resume for PI stage.

Careers360: Any advice for the CAT 2016 aspirants?

Pranit: It is important to stay relaxed and not get nervous

for the test.

Stress leads to failure which must be avoided. So do not overthink, stay calm
and confident.

Click here to Read...

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Early start and practice led

Sanuj Mittal towards 100 percentile

anuj Mittal of Delhi Technological University is among the 17 toppers

of CAT 2015 securing 100 percentile. The final year Electrical and Electronics Engineering student had planned to pursue MBA right after

completing his Xth board exams and nurtured the aim during his college days.
He believes that starting off with the preparation early had been the most
advantageous step towards cracking CAT with a whopping 100 percentile. The
Sachin Tendulkar fan who loves playing cricket and basketball also enjoys
reading gripping thriller novels by Dan Brown. The topper with an interview
call from his dream B-School, IIM Ahmedabad has already started preparing
for the Written Ability Test, Personal Interview and Group Discussion rounds.
In this interview with Careers360, Sanuj shares his success strategies, future
plans, and advice for aspirants.
Excerpts of the interview:

Careers360: Congrats on securing a perfect 100 percentile! Were you

expecting it?

Sanuj:

Thank you so much! Based on my performance I was expecting

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

above 99 percentile but never expected a 100 percentile. After receiving the
SMS, I did not believe it to be true. I was frantically trying to login to the CAT
website and download my score-card but was not able to. Finally, when I did
my happiness knew no bound! It was truly a dream come true moment for me.

Careers360: Please share your sectional percentiles with us.

Sanuj: My section wise percentiles are:
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) 99.16 percentile
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) 100 percentile
Quantitative Ability (QA) 99.84 percentile

Careers360: Tell us something about your family and how did they
support you during this journey to crack CAT?

Sanuj: My family is my ultimate source of inspiration and pillar of strength.

My parents and elder sister have supported me in every aspect, be it preparation or anything else. My father is a banker and my mother is a teacher. My
sister is also an engineer who is currently working for an MNC.

Careers360: Why and when did you decide about going for MBA?
Sanuj: I had decided to take up management education in the school itself,
after completing 10thstandard. During college, I thought about it seriously
and started planning for CAT during the final year. Management studies offer
you a vast exposure and open a lot of opportunities which is why I am interested to pursue an MBA.

Careers360: What was your approach towards CAT when you started
the preparation?

Sanuj: I started my preparation in January 2015 by joining a coaching insti-

tute. I began my preparation by brushing up the concepts. After completing

the theoretical aspect, I started taking mock tests. I took a lot of mock tests
from various websites and got them analyzed by my mentors to get a better
understanding on how to change my preparation strategy. Regular practice

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

and mock tests were my strategies to crack the test.

Careers360: Which were your strong and weak sections in CAT?

Sanuj: My strengths were Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation and
Logical Reasoning sections. I was weak in the Verbal and Reading Comprehension section. I tackled this section with a lot of reading and practice.

Careers360: How did the new exam pattern of CAT 2015 impact your
performance?

Sanuj: To be honest, the new exam pattern did not make any difference to

me. The sections were time bound, which was not a problem for me. I would
not prefer switching sections anyway and would allot certain duration while
attempting a particular section. The on-screen calculator was of no use to
me. Being an engineering student whose strength is QA, I preferred calculating on my own using short tricks rather than using the calculator. I felt it
was wastage of time hence did not use it. As far as Non-MCQ type questions
were concerned, that did appear to be confusing initially but ultimately it was
manageable.

Careers360: How are you preparing for the next step of admission?
Sanuj: I have started the basic preparation for WAT/GD and PI rounds. I am
reading newspapers and magazines regularly and gathering all relevant information and facts/figures of the current affairs. I have also started appearing
for mock GD and PI sessions in my coaching institute and with my friends.

Careers360: Which B-School are you aiming to take admission in?

Sanuj: My preferred B-schools are IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta. I have been already shortlisted by IIM Ahmedabad with AWT-PI scheduled
in March and waiting for calls from the other top IIMs. I am working hard
towards converting the call.

Careers360: Have you thought about your specializations?

Sanuj: I have not decided about specializations yet, but I am interested in
Finance, Operations or Marketing.

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Careers360: Amidst the hectic preparation schedule, did you indulge

yourself in any hobby or recreational activity?

Sanuj: I love watching sports. I am a fan of cricket and basketball. I also love

reading thrillers, especially works of Dan Brown. I have been part of various
clubs in my college which involved organizing events, festivals, and competitions. Apart from my CAT preparation, I did take out some time for my hobbies and interests.

Careers360: What is your message for the CAT 2016 aspirants?

Sanuj: Practice is the main mantra for cracking CAT. Start your preparation
at least 2 to 3 months in advance. Do not delay till last moment as along with
conceptual clarity you need ample practice as well.

Click here to Read...

10

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

100 Percentiler Sabyasachi Mishra

credits mock tests to his success

abyasachi Mishra of IIT Kharagpur has secured a perfect 100 percentile

in CAT 2015. The final year Mechanical Engineering student wishes to
be an entrepreneur. He has bagged a job at EXL Analytics and plans to

work for a couple of years before joining the MBA bandwagon to enhance his
learning and placement chances.
An avid Squash player, bookworm and an active member of Entrepreneur-

ship Cell at IIT Kharagpur, Sabyasachis dream B-schools are IIM Ahmedabad
and Calcutta. He has Interned in several start-ups and organizing fests at the
campus along with his preparation for CAT 2015. In this exclusive interview
with Careers360, Sabyasachi shares his preparation strategy, aspirations and
tips for aspirants.
Excerpts of the interview:

Careers360: Congrats on securing a perfect 100 percentile! Were you

expecting it?

Sabyasachi:

Thank you! Frankly speaking, based on my performance in

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

mock test I was sure of getting above 99 percentile but I did not know that I
could get an absolute 100 percentile. I am really happy with my results.

Careers360: What are your sectional percentiles in CAT 2015?

Sabyasachi: My section wise percentiles are:
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) 99.62 percentile
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) 99.88 percentile
Quantitative Ability (QA) 100 percentile

Careers360: Tell us something about yourself and your family.

Sabyasachi: I hail from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. I have done my schooling
from Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun. I had taken a year off to
prepare for engineering entrance exams and took admission in IIT Kharagpur
thereafter. I am currently in the final year of IIT Kharagpur Mechanical Engineering department.
My father is an engineer working for Odisha State Government and my
mother is a teacher. My mother is my pillar of strength and motivated me a
lot throughout.

Careers360: What motivated you to pursue MBA?

Sabyasachi: I am an entrepreneurship enthusiast and would like to start
my own venture in future. An MBA from a reputed B-School will give me the
right exposure and guidance to move towards my goal. Hence pursuing MBA
after engineering seemed the right plan for me.

Careers360:

What was your overall preparation strategy to crack

CAT?

Sabyasachi: I had started my preparation few months prior to CAT. I start-

ed with mock tests and prepared the areas and topics where I faltered. My
focus was on VARC and DI & LR. Since Quant was my strength, I did not have
to spend much time on this section. Taking mock tests and getting them analyzed by experts was my preparation strategy.

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Careers360:

This year the exam pattern had undergone several

changes and introduced features like calculator and non-MCQs. How

was your exam day experience in this new pattern?

Sabyasachi: The overall exam taking experience was smooth. I had finished my sections earlier than the schedule. As far as the overall navigation
was concerned, it was fine. The new features did not make much difference to
me. Since Quant is my strong area, I did not require the help of calculator. The
descriptive questions also did not pose any difference in the overall pattern or
my performance. I was not happy with the sectional time limits and particular
order of appearance of the sections. I had completed the Quant section much
earlier. If I had the scope, I would have started the exam with Quant section
and ended with VARC section.

Careers360: What is your dream B-School?

Sabyasachi: I am aspiring to get admission in IIM Ahmedabad or IIM Calcutta. In case I get shortlisted by IIM A and convert the call, I will opt for the
deferred admission and join after 2 years. Since I have been placed in EXL
Analytics, I would like to get a couple of years work experience first since it
will enhance my profile during the placement process. However, if I convert
IIM Calcutta call, I will weigh my options and decide accordingly.

Careers360: Have you thought about your career path?

Sabyasachi: I want to be a venture capitalist after gaining work experience in Consulting domain. As mentioned before, I would like to start my own
venture in future. Before that, I want to gain quality industry experience and
exposure to know the nitty gritties of how things work in the market.

Careers360:

You underwent a hectic preparation schedule. How did

you unwind?

Sabyasachi: My hobbies include sports and programming. I am an avid

squash player. Whenever I felt stressed, I played Squash with my friends. I
also like reading novels. And at the cost of sounding boring, I have to admit
that I love programming. Apart from that, I am a part of the Entrepreneurship
Cell at IIM Kharagpur and other clubs as well which used to keep me on my
toes.

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Careers360: So what is your plan now? Have you started your preparation for the interview rounds?
Sabyasachi: I have not started my interview preparation yet but I would
start with it shortly. Currently I am preparing for my final semester exam.

Careers360: What is your message for the CAT 2016 aspirants?

Sabyasachi: Target for a high percentile. Do not get worked up with the
toughness level of the questions as these are basic Standard VIII to X level
questions. Anyone can crack CAT with regular practice.

Click here to Read...

14

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

CAT 2015 Topper Chirag Jha

scores 100 percentile

hirag Jha belled CAT 2015 with a perfect 100 percentile. An avid foot-

ball player, Chirag outnumbered over 1.7 lakh candidates to figure in

the elite club of 100 percentilers in CAT 2015. In this interview with

Careers360, the IIT Bombay student shared that he was assured about his
good performance in CAT and had already started preparing for Personal Interview and Writing Ability Test (PI-WAT) rounds.
Chirag comes from a middle class family with both his parents working full
time. His father is currently posted as a Manager in Shipping Corporation and
mother is Vice-Principal of a school. Though Chirag shared that he prepared
very seriously for CAT, he never got stressed and attended music concerts
frequently to relax his mind.
Edited Excerpts of CAT 2015 Topper Interview

Careers360:

Congratulations Chirag on belling the CAT 2015 with

100 percentile! Were you expecting this score?

Chirag Jha: Thank you so much. I am overjoyed as I was expecting to score

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

a 100 percentile. I dont have any party plans as I want to relax now and start
planning I have to prepare for PI-WAT.

Careers360: Who would you like to credit your success to?

Chirag Jha: Well, all the people close to me have been very supportive,
especially, my family and my teachers who guided me at every step during my
preparation.

Careers360: How was your experience with Common Admission Test

(CAT) 2015?

Chirag Jha: CAT was pretty easy and honestly I expected that. VARC was

the easiest and Quant was an easy play for me.

Careers360: Can you share your overall vis--vis the sectional scores?
Chirag Jha: Sure. My overall score is 100 percentile and I have scored
99.98 in VA, 99.84 in DILR and 99.97 in QA.

Careers360: You secured a 100 percentile in CAT 2015. Did your engineering background help you?

Chirag Jha:

Being from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B)

has definitely helped me in cracking CAT. It is the rigorous training in the

institute that has taught me how to keep calm and meet the targets despite
pressures. An engineering background has helped me in clearing my concepts
in QA which is considered one of the most important sections.

Careers360:

If you are not with books, where would someone find

you?

Chirag Jha: I love playing football and doing work outs. I also love Indipop music. I actually attended Slash Concert a week before appearing for the
CAT!

Careers360: What was your preparation strategy to bell CAT?

Chirag Jha: Honestly speaking it was just 4 months of focused

prepa-

ration. In the first two months, I went through all the basic stuff including
working on DI and LR as well as QA sections. In the next two months, I was all
ready for taking as many mock tests as I could. I must have taken as many as

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

40 mock tests by the time CAT approached. There was absolutely no shortcut
in my preparation as I devoted the entire four months on focused study.

Careers360: How are you preparing for your PI-WAT rounds?

Chirag Jha: I have already begun my preparation for PI-WAT. These days,
I follow with a simple strategy of just going through the last years PI-WAT
topics. Currently, am referring to The Hindu Newspaper. Moreover, I practice
for WAT by brushing up my vocabulary and GK. I also follow a number of TV
channels including Al-Jazeera. I know the task will be incomplete till I crack
this as well.

Careers360: Have you got any placement offers through IIT Bombay?
Chirag Jha: I was the lucky one in my team who got offered a pre-placement from Hindustan Unilever after I had done my internship from the organization.

Careers360: Where will the world see you in the next 5 years?
Chirag Jha: After completing my MBA, I would be certainly joining any
corporate office (MNC). Some of my friends and relatives have also motivated
me regarding entrepreneurship and maybe I look forward to the same.

Click here to Read...

17

CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

How Nishchay Budhiraja scored a

perfect 100 percentile

ishchay Buddhiraja, fourth- year Chemical engineering student of

IIT Roorkee has secured a perfect 100 percentile in CAT 2015. In an
interaction with Careers360, the ardent follower of cricket reveals

how his smart preparation plan devised through a SWOT analysis helped him
crack one of the most sought after MBA entrance tests in the country.
The Delhi based CAT 2015 topper also talks about his future plans which includes putting his entrepreneurial ideas in action and how a stint at IIM will
ensure the right kind exposure to take his plans forward.

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Read below the edited excerpts:

Careers360: Congratulations Nischay! You got a perfect 100 percentile. What are your thoughts?

Nischay: Thank you so much. I am very happy with my score. I was expect-

ing somewhere above 99, so 100 is definitely good news for me as well as my
family who have been very supportive.

Careers360: What is your sectional percentile?

Nischay: I have secured 99.79 percentile in VARC, 99.97

in Quant and

99.91 in DI & LR.

Careers360: Thats great! Tell us how did you prepare for the exam?
Nischay: I took lots of mock tests. I joined coaching in January 2015 to get an
idea of how the exam would be and took one mock test every week. So, by the
time of the exam I was confident of getting a good score. There is no hard and
fast rule to prepare for CAT. You should be smart in your approach. There is
no point studying for 10-11 hours. You can easily get a good score through a
less hectic but smart preparation. More importantly, you should do a SWOT
analysis. Find your strengths and weaknesses and focus on the areas where
you lack instead of scattering your energy.

Careers360: Thats great! You are pursuing Chemical engineering IIT

Roorkee. Do you think having an engineering background help in any
way?

Nischay: Yes, it did, at least for me. I had most of my concepts cleared in DI
and Quants. So, I did not have to fret over that.

Careers360: So, how is your preparation for the next round?

Nischay: will only start preparing now. I have been reading newspapers
and keeping myself updated with the current affairs. Forming your own opinion is most important. I hope to sit for mock tests to take my preparation to
the next level.

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Careers360: Tell us about your future plans. Which Business school

do you want to join? Do you have any specific specialization in your
mind?

Nischay: I am, of course, aiming for all the three big IIMs- Ahmedabad,
Bangalore and Calcutta. But my personal preference is IIM A. Besides that I
want to take up Finance as my specialization as that falls in my area of interest. In terms of future plans, I see myself working in an MNC for at least a
couple of years before working on my own entrepreneurial ideas.

Careers360: That is fantastic. But tell us what else do you enjoy besides studies?

Nischay: I am a lot into sports, especially outdoor sports. My favorite is

Badminton though I enjoy cricket, too. I am a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar!

Click here to Read...

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Rajiv Reddy says CAT is not as

tough as it is made out to be

e is not your average MBA aspirant lured by the IIM fantasy. He is

definitely not in the race for the next big thing for engineers. No,
in fact, he is not even an MBA aspirant, at least for now. But he is

definitely a CAT topper. With 99. 99 percentile, Rajiv Reddy has risen above
1.76 lakh CAT aspirants to become one of the toppers of CAT 2015. However,
an incredible 99.99 percentile is not enough for the Messi fan. When congratulated over his score, he says, I am not planning to do an MBA right now.
I have other plans. But I wanted to sit for CAT to find whether I could crack it
or not. I was expecting 100 percentile. Though 99 is just fine for me.
The IIT Bombay student, who has also been placed at Goldman Sachs, has one
thing clear in his mind- that he wants to make an impact. I want to make a

change. Leave an impact. I might opt for an MBA. But now is not the time,
he says.

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Read below the edited excerpts:

Careers360: Congratulations Rajiv! You got a brilliant 99.99 percentile. What are your thoughts?

Rajiv: Thank you. I am happy but, yes, I was expecting more than this. I

thought I would get 100 percentile.

Careers360: What is your sectional percentile?

Rajiv: I have secured 99.81 percentile in VARC, 99.98 in Quant and 99.73 in
DI & LR. In total, my percentile is 99.99.

Careers360: Thats great! Tell us how was the exam according to you?
Rajiv: Honestly, CAT is not as tough as it is made out to be. That is the
reason I thought I would score 100. The paper needs a smart approach. Especially, DI and Quants and that is where I put my efforts on. Besides, it was my
first attempt. So, I went for the exam with a fresh mind.

Careers360: You are pursuing B.Tech from IIT, Bombay. Do you think
having an engineering background help in any way?

Rajiv: See, the advantage of coming from an engineering background is that

your concepts are clear in sections like Quants and Data interpretation. I had
less trouble in these two sections. Also, engineers are already taught about a
lot of topics coming in CAT in 12 Standard when they are actually preparing
for JEE. However, at the end of the day what matters is your ability to understand how to approach the test.

Careers360: How did you prepare for CAT? Did you opt for mock tests?
Rajiv: Again, honestly, I did not prepare much for CAT. I just went for it.
I did not have any specific preparation strategy. I wanted to know if I could
crack CAT. So, I sat for it. I did not even take mock tests or go for coaching.

Careers360: So, how is your preparation for the next round?

Rajiv: I am not preparing for the next rounds because I have decided not to
pursue MBA right now. This was a test. I might think about it 2 years down
the line.

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Careers360: So, what are your plans for the future? If not MBA what
do you want to do?

Rajiv: Actually, I have already been placed at Goldman Sachs as through

campus placement. So, I plan to join to join the company after I graduate
from IIT, Bombay. In the future, I might even go for research. I am keeping
my options open.

Careers360: That is fantastic. You have been a topper almost all your
life. JEE in 2012, CAT this year. Academics are definitely your strong
point. But what else do you enjoy?

Rajiv: I am a huge fan of outdoor sports. I like cricket, football and basket-

ball among others. I used to be a fan of Sachin Tendulkar but after he retired
I turned my attention more towards football. These days I follow Messi religiously. Messi plays with class!

Careers360: Tell us Rajiv. With so many achievements where do you

see your life in the future?

Rajiv: I see myself making an impact. I want to make a change in the society. I hope I can do that. I will consider myself to be successful only then.

Click here to Read...

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

CAT 2015 Topper Interview: Rohan

Gupta wants MBA degree to pursue
his entrepreneurial dreams in
Gaming

ohan Gupta cracked CAT 2015 with 99.69 percentile. A passionate

online gamer, Rohan appeared for CAT to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams where he wished to run his own e-commerce company in

sports domain. In this interview with Careers360, he says that it took him 6
months to prepare for CAT 2015. But for that, he had to leave his high paying
job at Accenture.
A B.Tech- CS degree holder from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology,
CAT 2015 Topper Roshan shares his exam taking strategy and his preparation
plans for GD/PI-WAT towards getting a coveted seat at one of the top Indian
Institutes of Management.

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Below are the edited excerpts from the interview:

Careers360:

Congratulations for securing 99.7 percentile in CAT

2015. Were you expecting this high percentile?

Rohan Gupta: Thank you so much! Well, I was not expecting such a good
score because of non-MCQ questions. They were confusing for me, but I went
with my gut feeling and the results are great. This definitely came as news for
me also.

Careers360: What is your sectional and overall percentile?

Rohan Gupta: My overall percentile in CAT 2015 is 99.69. My sectional
percentile are, Section 1- VA and Comprehension- 95.55; Section 2-DI and
LR- 99.27; and Section 3-QA- 99.6.

Careers360: What is your vision behind pursuing an MBA degree?

Rohan Gupta: I am a hardcore online gamer. This is my passion and
wanted to do something in the same field, so I decided to pursue B.Tech in
CS. The reason why I want to pursue an MBA is to take my passion to the next
level. I want to start my e-sports company, and MBA would surely add an edge
to my dream. MBA would teach me the nitty-gritty of management and entrepreneurship and later would help me in following my passion for gaming.

Careers360: How did you prepare for CAT despite your commitments
towards your job?

Rohan Gupta:

Yes. It was quite a difficult job to manage both job and

CAT preparations simultaneously. I was working with Accenture, Hyderabad.

Since taking admission in a top IIM, especially IIM- A,B,C,K,L,I, and pursuing
an MBA was my dream to pursue my career goals, I wanted to crack CAT and
therefore I left my job 6 months before CAT exam. It brought me good preparation window and I really utilized this time in well-planned manner. I took
as many mock tests as possible, read preparation articles, and kept myself

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

abreast with the kind of competition that I was expected to get into. All I had
to do was to schedule my time smartly in order to improve my speed and accuracy as well as work on the factors where I am not very confident. I believe
my hard-work and passion paid well for my results.

Careers360:

Tell us something about your family? How supportive

are they about your MBA dream?

Rohan Gupta:

My father is a professor of surgery while my mother is a

General Physician. Fortunately, being a son of doctor parents, I was never

forced to join the family profession and was always supported and motivated
in all my endeavors including my MBA dreams.

Careers360: What were your strong and weak sections for CAT exam?
Rohan Gupta: Being an engineer student QA was the easiest section for
me followed by Verbal Ability. I had to work hard for English comprehension,
which was my weak point. But ultimately I managed well and also scored well
in all the sections.

Careers360:

Preparation might lead to stress at times. What were

your stress buster activities during preparations?

Rohan Gupta: I love cycling and used to cycle a lot to channel my positive energy. This kept my mind fresh and kept me going during preparations.
I think outdoor activities are really effective and recreational too!

Careers360: How was your experience of appearing in CAT 2015?

Rohan Gupta: This was my second attempt for CAT. I appeared for the
test a few years back without preparation and felt that I can crack the test. So,
I prepared and appeared in the test after a gap of some years. The experience
was great. During the exam, I kept calm and relaxed and focused completely
on the task at hand.

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

Careers360: As the next step is GD/PI-WAT, how are you going to prepare for the same?

Rohan Gupta:

The hard work does not stop at just cracking the CAT

exam. I have my plans for preparations for the GD/PI-WAT stage. I will start
by gathering last years GD and WAT topics, prepare myself on current topics,
and improve my resume for PI stage.

Careers360: Any advice for the CAT 2016 aspirants?

Rohan Gupta: All I can say is work hard on building

concepts and do

practice a lot. CAT aspirants should categorize the topics as strong, medium,
weak and plan accordingly. They should not try to leave any topic during their
preparation. Also, focus on time management will help you in the long run
and you wont have to struggle on the exam day.

Click here to Read...

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CAT 2015 Topper Interviews

What Next After

CAT 2015- Prepare for GD-PI-WAT

Click here to Read...

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