AP ICET 2023 Topper Interview: Thapala Jagadish Kumar Reddy (Rank 1) shares strategies for success

Andhra Pradesh Integrated Common Entrance Test (AP ICET) is a state-level MBA and MCA entrance test conducted every year for admission to colleges in Andhra Pradesh. A big congratulations to Jagadish who has performed exceptionally well in this entrance test and wants to bag a seat at Andhra University for his further higher studies.

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Jagadish has done electrical and electronic engineering with an 80 percent score whereafter, he developed an interest in banking and finance and now wants to pursue MBA in Banking and finance only. Apart from AP ICET, Jagadish also appeared for CAT 2022 and secured 90 percentile. By joining the MBA course, Jagadish wants to inculcate the qualities of a chairman or CEO of PSUs Or SCB bank. In this interview with Careers360, Jagadish shares his journey, right from preparation to securing Rank 1 in the AP ICET entrance test.

Careers360: Congratulations on achieving such an outstanding score and rank in AP ICET! Could you please share your preparation strategy and techniques that helped you secure this remarkable result?

Jagadish: My strategy: I first familiarise myself with the AP ICET syllabus after that I have gone through the previous year's AP ICET question papers. Doing all the syllabus-related problems and memorizing English vocabulary such as antonyms, idioms and phrases etc, helped me to score good marks.

Careers360: Tell us about your academic background. What were your grades? What motivated you to pursue MBA?

Jagadish: I did Electrical and Electronic engineering.I have scored > 95 percent in school and intermediate. I have scored > 80 percent in my engineering. While preparing for IBPS PO I gained interest in Banking and finance. To achieve more knowledge in it I decided to pursue MBA in banking and finance.

Careers360: What other MBA entrance exams did you take? Your percentile or score in these exams?

Jagadish: Last year I secured 90 percentile in CAT. This year I am going to reappear it.

Careers360: How and when did you start, and for how much time you used to study in a day? Can you share your preparation timetable, study plan, and strategies

Jagadish: I start my day at 6 and end at 9 pm. 8 hours time I have given for my preparation. In the morning I read formulas and practice shortcuts. In the evening before ending the reading I read the vocabulary of English.

Careers360: What do you say are the important topics and books for AP ICET preparation? (If possible list the topics from every section that cannot be skipped)

Jagadish: Important topics for scoring in Icet are doing good in Maths and English. In reasoning, decision-making questions cannot be skipped.

Careers360: Did you join any coaching classes? What other resources did you find most helpful during your preparation? (e.g., books, online platforms, mock tests)

Jagadish: For APICET I haven’t joined any coaching center. Previous years' papers and maths formula books are a must for preparation.

Careers360: What's your take on mock tests? What kind of mock tests did you take, and how helpful were they? When did you start taking mock tests?

Jagadish: I haven’t taken any mocks.

Careers360: What challenges did you face during your preparation for AP ICET, and how did you overcome them?

Jagadish: Since the paper of Icet becomes easier year by year, I haven’t encountered any hurdles in preparation.

Careers360: Are there any specific subjects or sections of the MBA entrance exam that you found particularly challenging? How did you approach them during your preparation, and what advice would you give to other students struggling with those areas?

Jagadish: Reasoning of the CAT exam is particularly difficult one should practice more thoroughly to get logic correct. More practice and mocks are necessary to overcome it.

Careers360: What was your exam-taking strategy? How much time did you take to complete a section? Were there any specific topics or sections that you found challenging during the exam? Any tips for managing time in the exam, like how much time to be given to which section?

Jagadish: My first go-to section in AP ICET was maths then reasoning after that English. I have given less time to English as it is easy to give answers to those questions. At least you need to give 1 minute to reasoning and maths, and complete English in the remaining time.

Careers360: The AP ICET exam is known for its speed and time management requirements. How did you develop your speed and accuracy in answering questions within the given time limit?

Jagadish: Due to the short tricks I learned for maths and reasoning, memorizing the vocabulary of English made me feel less pressurized in exams. Due to this, I am able to utilize my time limit effectively.

Careers360: With such an impressive score, you must have various options available for pursuing an MBA. Which colleges or institutes are you considering for your MBA, and what factors are you considering while making your decision?

Jagadish: My dream is to achieve MBA in banking and finance from an IIM. If I need to join AP ICET I would prefer Andhra University.

Careers360: How are you preparing for AP ICET counselling? Are there any specific traits or skills one should focus on showcasing during the selection rounds?

Jagadish: There are no other selection rounds in ICET. Only examination scores and ranks are used to allocate seats.

Careers360: With such an impressive score, you must have various options available for pursuing an MBA. Which colleges or institutes are you considering for your MBA, and what factors are you taking into account while making your decision?

Jagadish: My dream is to achieve MBA in banking and finance from an IIM. If I need to join in ICET I would prefer Andhra University.

Careers360: Many MBA aspirants dream of cracking exams like AP ICET, CAT, XAT, etc., and getting into top b-schools. What advice would you give to them?

Jagadish: Preparation is the first step to all those exams. Next is proper guidance and logical tricks used to solve questions. If these two are followed properly then you will succeed in any exam.

Careers360: Which MBA specialization are you planning to take up and why?

Jagadish: Banking and Finance.

Careers360: What are your expectations from the MBA course and the college you are planning to join?

Jagadish: My expectation is I should get the qualities and concepts that can make a chairman/CEO of any PSU or SCB bank.