Aniruddh Singh's Journey to CAT 2024 Success: Scoring 99.89 Percentile with Strategic Preparation

CAT 2024 Topper Interview: Aniruddh Singh has etched his name among the elite performers of CAT 2024, achieving an impressive 99.89 percentile. His success story is a testament to determination, strategic preparation, and unwavering focus. In an exclusive interview, Aniruddh shares his CAT preparation journey, shedding light on his challenges, the strategies that worked, and the mindset that kept him motivated throughout the rigorous process. His insights offer invaluable inspiration for aspiring CAT candidates aiming for excellence.

Careers360 - Congratulations on being one of the CAT 2024 toppers! What was your reaction? Were you expecting this?

Aniruddh - Thank you! After the exam, I knew it had gone well. I remember coming out of the exam center with my fist up and telling my brother it went well. Once the marks were released, I realized I had scored high enough to secure a great percentile. That being said when the results came, I screamed “YES” at the top of my lungs, got teary-eyed, and immediately hugged my parents. Moments like these are unforgettable and truly overwhelming.

Careers360 - Tell us something about your background.

Aniruddh - My family hails from Lucknow, but I was born and brought up in Mathura. Later, I moved to Gandhinagar for higher schooling. I pursued Mechanical Engineering from BIT Mesra and graduated in 2023. I interned with PwC in 2022 and secured a PPO during my college years.

In 2023, I interned with Flipkart before joining PwC in August. However, I took a risk and left my job two months before the CAT exam to focus on preparation. By God’s grace, everything turned out well in the end.

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

Aniruddh - I appeared in Slot 3. The night before the exam, I couldn’t sleep much and felt anxious. My parents and brother helped calm me down. On the morning of the exam, I took a cold shower to feel focused and refreshed. Despite all the preparation and strategies, the key on exam day is to stay confident in yourself.

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

Aniruddh - A tip I’d highly recommend is creating visual aids. I had almost the entire Quant syllabus written out on chart paper and stuck them on my room walls, which made revision very efficient. At the last minute, it’s essential to trust your preparation, stay motivated, and avoid overthinking. I also listened to anime music on the way to the exam center to hype myself up.

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

Aniruddh - I was quite nervous about LRDI since I had messed up a few mocks toward the end of my preparation. However, with the pattern change, I focused on the four-question sets, which I found relatively easier, and attempted all three. VARC, on the other hand, has always been my strength, and I managed to attempt 23 questions in that section.

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

Aniruddh - When I started, my biggest challenges were improving my reading speed in VARC and avoiding getting stuck on individual questions in QA. Around mid-August, I began solving 3- 4 RCs daily while timing my speed. A special shoutout to iQuanta’s material—it mirrored the actual CAT exam and was incredibly helpful. For QA, I started giving sectional tests as soon as I finished the syllabus around June. This helped me develop the instinct to decide which questions to attempt and which to leave.

I was particularly strong in Arithmetic and DI sets, but I didn’t neglect them. I made sure to give equal importance to my strong areas and kept practicing consistently.

Careers360 - What was your time management strategy for preparation and exam day? There are countless strategies available on YouTube, but you must experiment during mocks and find what suits you best. Here was my strategy:

• VARC: Spend 8 minutes on VA, attempting as many questions as possible except Para jumbles. Use 25-30 minutes for RCs and attempt Parajumbles if time permits. ∙

• LRDI: I prioritized table-filling and DI sets as I was particularly good at them. I spent the first 5 minutes scanning all the sets to decide on my priorities. If I got stuck on a set for over 3-5 minutes, I moved to the next.

• QA: Instead of the two-wave strategy many recommend, I solved questions as they came if I found them doable. However, I avoided spending too much time on any single question.

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

Aniruddh - I am incredibly grateful to the iQuanta team. I was enrolled in their full-time 2024 batch. Their dual-pedagogy approach, where theory classes are immediately followed by practice sessions, really helped solidify my concepts, especially in Quant. Their material and iCAT mock series were very close to the actual CAT exam. I’d recommend their iCAT series to anyone preparing, even if they’re enrolled elsewhere.

Self-study is certainly possible, but if finances permit, I’d recommend joining a coaching institute like Qantas. Even for self-study aspirants, taking mock tests and analyzing them is essential. I relied heavily on Career Launcher mocks and iCAT mocks for this.

Careers360 - What are the factors behind your success?

Aniruddh - My parents and elder brother have been my pillars of support throughout this journey. My coaching institute, iQuanta, also played a significant role in my success. Hard work, consistent practice, and believing in yourself are the ultimate keys to achieving your goals.

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

Aniruddh - Yes, I started preparing immediately after the results. Currently, I’m focusing on HR questions to build a strong foundation for the GDPI-WAT cycle.

Careers360 - Which other MBA entrance exams have you appeared in or are planning to?

Aniruddh - I appeared for NMAT and scored 264. I attempted all three SNAP exams, with attempting 55 questions in my best attempt in SNAP 3. I’ll also be appearing for XAT soon. Best of luck to everyone preparing for XAT!

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

Aniruddh - India has so many legendary B-Schools—old IIMs (A, B, C, M, L, K, I, S), FMS, SP Jain, XLRI, MDI, IIFT, IITs, NMIMS, SIBM Pune, and others. I’d consider myself fortunate to receive a call from any of them. Based on my performance, I’m expecting calls from most of these colleges, except perhaps some old IIMs.

Careers360 - What are your hobbies?

Aniruddh - I’m a huge FC Barcelona fan, and Lionel Messi has been my idol since childhood. I also love anime, particularly Naruto, Dragon Ball, and One Piece.

Careers360 - What were your relaxation and recreation methods during CAT preparation?

Aniruddh - Spending time with my parents, especially my mom, always recharged me. I also had a group of engineering friends preparing alongside me, and talking to them was a great stress reliever.

Special shoutout to Samay Raina—watching “India’s Got Latent” episodes felt like pressing a reset button and instantly lifted my mood!

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

Aniruddh - Finish the syllabus as early as possible and start taking mocks and sectionals, even if you haven’t completed the syllabus. Don’t fear low scores in mocks—analyze them thoroughly and refine your strategy. Above all, believe in yourself. If I could do it, so can you!

Browse Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score: Location-Wise