CAT 2023 Topper Interview: "Relaxation Not an Option' for Aspirants" says Suvam Debnath, 99.52 percentile

CAT 2023 Topper Interview: "Relaxation Not an Option' for Aspirants" says Suvam Debnath, 99.52 percentile

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Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 27 Dec 2023, 02:27 PM IST

Acing any competitive entrance exam is not an issue for those who are diligent and have a strong will towards their aim. It is a piece of pie for those who are clear about their basics from the very starting of their academic career. Suvam Debnath, CAT 2023 topper who secured 99.52 percentile in CAT 2023 is also of the them who believes “Consistency is the key”. In an exclusive talk with Careers360 Suvam shares valuable insights into the strategies, dedication, and experiences which lead him to exceptional CAT score. This story of CAT topper will inspire and guide other aspiring students to excel in this highly competitive exam.

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The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode will conduct the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 on November 30 across 170 test cities. The exam will be held in computer-based mode with three sections—VARC, DILR and QA. CAT 2025 will serve as the qualifying test for MBA and PGDM admissions to IIMs and top B-schools across India.

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CAT 2023 Topper Interview:
cat 2023 topper suvam debnath

Careers360- Congratulations on being one of the CAT 2023 toppers! What was your reaction? Were you expecting this?

Suvam- Thanks a lot! Honestly, while preparing I was aiming for 99.9+ but after horrible DILR on the day of CAT 2023 I was not sure I would even cross 99. Even though I couldn't get my desired results, I am grateful.

Careers360- Tell us something about your background.

Suvam- I am an engineer who was working with tc for about a year then cracked SBI PO and currently working in SBI.

Careers360- How was your exam day experience? Which slot did you appear in?

Suvam- I was given slot 3. Before entering the exam hall I knew Quants was definitely going to be tough. Even knowing so i don't think i did that great in that section. LRDI was really horrible, 25 mins I was stuck on one set and still couldnt figure out the way. Finally 5 more mins and I cracked the set only to realise I had missed out on one clue. After finishing, I realised the set was actually easy and I thought I had messed up. 33 minutes had already gone by then. Somehow I managed to solve,with lots of guesswork, another set in the last 7 minutes. After coming out of the exam hall i thought i had screwed up my CAT

Careers360- What was your last minute preparation strategy for CAT?

Suvam- Honestly competitive exams like this dont need any last minute prep. Nothing drastic is going to happen. 2 days before, i would advise, avoid taking mocks, read something light or watch a movie.

Careers360- What according to you were the toughest and easiest sections?

Suvam- I had always found VARC to be interesting and really relatable,(RC passages). LRDI is something thats very unpredictable. Quant looks annoying when there are unnecessary calculations involved.

Careers360- How did you tackle your strong and weak areas?

Suvam- I didnt solve as many LRDI sets as I should have. So it remained volatile. For VARC and QUANT I never solved anything else other than sectionals and mocks. Analysis is key.

Careers360- What was your time management strategy for preparation and exam day?

Suvam- I relied only on mocks and being a working professional I couldnt give more time to studies. In Varc My mantra was to attempt everything and leave questions only if i dont know the answers and not because i have less time. Dilr i knew i had to attempt only two sets and this is what i was following in my mocks as well. In quants my aim was to attempt all and leave only the tough or lengthy questions. In quants i never followed any strategy as such it was more like first cum first served.

Careers360- Did you take coaching? How helpful was your coaching institute for you? Is it possible to succeed through self-study?

Suvam- I had enrolled inIquanta ABC Practice batch. It doesnt have any lecture videos, only questions from all the topics. If someone is new to this, definitely enrolling in a coaching institute makes sense and saves time. Self study is sufficient when you know the syllabus and structure of the exam really well.

Careers360- What are the factors behind your success?

Suvam- I think consistency.

Careers360- Have you started preparing for GD/PI/WAT?

Suvam- I have started to go through basic interview questions and brush up current affairs.

Careers360- Which other MBA entrance exam have you appeared/appearing for?

Suvam- I have been preparing for other competitive exams as well such as, CGL, NIACL AO. I will be appearing for XAT and CUCET.

Careers360- Which is your dream B-School? From which colleges are you expecting a call?

Suvam- Being a gem it gets quite difficult to accurately predict calls. IIM A,B,C ,FMS, IIT D,IITB, IIFT, MDI, XLRI, TISS are my dream colleges

Careers360- What are your hobbies?

Suvam- I have quite a few. I play basketball. IAm into music production. I love graphic design. I sometimes write poetry.

Careers360- What were the relaxation and recreation methods you followed amidst CAT preparation?

Suvam- Honestly as a working professional and preparing for CAT i didnt have the luxury to spare time for relaxation. But I meditate which helps a lot and take a break from studies or work when i think its getting out of control.

Careers360- What is your message for next year's CAT takers?

Suvam- I would like to say to focus on consistency. Doesn't matter how poor or well you score in mocks. Make sure you wake up the next day with the same enthusiasm and work ethics till the Dday. And dont stuck up on mock scores too much. There's a beautiful quote from bollywood on this. "Raat gayi, Baat gayi".

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

To get admitted to the Institute of Management Studies (IMS), BHU, for an MBA in 2026, you must clear the CAT entrance exam. For that you need to fill out the application form of the CAT in August 2026, which you can get on the Official CAT website

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello

You can get all the papers on the Careers360 website. To access the paper and download it for practice, just visit here:

https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-cat-2024-question-paper-with-solutions

Hope it will help you!!

Hello dear candidate,

Yes, you have a very good chance of getting a BPT seat with 488 out of 600 and TS EAMCET rank of 14,000 under the ST category.

As the cut off of BPT for ST category students are generally between 25,000 to 45,000 ranks, depending upon the college and you have TS EAMCET rank of 14,000.

Thank you.

If you got 802 marks in Telangana Intermediate and belong to the ST category, you have a fair chance to get admission in a BPT course in 2025, but it depends on the college and cut-off. Most BPT colleges in Telangana ask for 12th marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and some also use the TS EAMCET rank for admission. The cut-off for ST students is usually lower than for general students, but it changes every year. It is better to check the previous year’s cut-offs of the colleges you want to apply to.

Hello, Getting shortlisted for IIM Lucknow or IIT Bombay (SJMSOM) with your profile is challenging, primarily due to your 58% in Class 10th, which significantly impacts the composite score calculation for both institutes. While your 98 percentile CAT score is excellent, and your 24 months of work experience, B.Com (Hons) background (providing academic diversity, especially for IIM-L), and KVS National player status are valuable additions, top IIMs and IITs heavily weigh consistent academic performance. Your 74% in 12th is also on the lower side. IIM Lucknow places substantial weight on 10th and 12th marks, making a call quite difficult despite your strengths. You likely have a relatively better, though still uncertain, chance at IIT Bombay, as their weighting might be slightly less penalizing for past academics compared to IIM-L, and your high CAT score is a major factor. However, the low 10th score remains a significant hurdle for both prestigious institutions.

I hope you found this information helpful and for study related queries you can ask in careers360 app, Have a great day and!