CAT 2024 Topper Interview - Gourav Agrawal, a BBA graduate and a non-maths commerce student, has achieved an incredible 99.83 percentile in CAT 2024. While thrilled with his overall performance, Gourav candidly admits that his VARC section, where he scored 75 percentile, was a bit of a surprise. Reflecting on his journey, Gourav shares, "I was confident about my performance when I saw my CAT response sheet. I had a feeling my score would be around 99.83 percentile, so it was a goal I worked hard for."
Having appeared in the first slot of the CAT exam, Gourav had mixed emotions during the test. Gourav said "I felt confident about the LRDI section, as I had practiced it thoroughly, but I did have some doubts about VARC and QA," he recalls. For future CAT exam aspirants, Gourav emphasizes the importance of consistency. "In November, it's critical not to lose touch with your preparation. Keep practicing what you've learned, as it helps you stay sharp and confident for the big day."
Gourav’s journey is a testament to perseverance and smart preparation, inspiring many aspiring candidates aiming to conquer CAT in the years to come.
Careers360 - What according to you were the toughest and easiest sections?
Gourav - LRDI was easiest as there were sets based on simple calculations, and I found VARC the toughest as the passages were lengthy.
Careers360 - How did you tackle your strong and weak areas?
Gourav - I allocated maximum time to algebra as I wasn't confident about it. Also, I was strong in arithmetic so I left it to do at the end.
Careers360 - What was your time management strategy for preparation and exam day?
Gourav - By attempting various mocks I defined my strategy, I used to take an overview of all sections and then analyze them to solve them in best effective manner. Also, I set times for 12-15 minutes for each set of LRDI at the time of practice.
Careers360 - Did you take coaching? How helpful was your coaching institute for you? Is it possible to succeed through self-study?
Gourav - Yes I took coaching from Unacademy, it was really helpful for me as I needed some material for practice and a plan to study but it is possible to score a good score without coaching, if the student is good with maths and continuously scoring Good with self-effort it is Good.
Careers360 - What are the factors behind your success?
Gourav - Factors I can say are consistency, a positive mindset, never sticking to a question, and never getting too tense about studying.
Careers360 - Have you started preparing for GD/PI/WAT?
Gourav - I am self-preparing for GD/PI now and will join Unacademuy in January 2025.
Careers360 - Which other MBA entrance exam have you appeared/appearing for?
Gourav - I appeared for Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) and Narsee Monjee Management Aptitude Test (NMAT) as I kept them for backup.
Careers360 - Which is your dream B-School? From which colleges are you expecting a call?
Gourav - My dream is to get IIM Ahmedabad converted, also I expect a call from IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Kozhikode, CAP, FMS, IIM Shillong, and IIFT.
Careers360 - What are your hobbies?
Gourav - I play badminton professionally and I also read self-help books.
Careers360 - What were the relaxation and recreation methods you followed amidst CAT preparation?
Gourav - I used to meditate daily and whenever I felt low I wrote something in my daily diary also I used to go to the gym.
Careers360 - What is your message for next year's CAT takers?
Gourav - I would suggest preparing as soon as possible and focusing on weak areas first after completing the syllabus you can practice and revise them. All the best for CAT 2025.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Here are some top colleges accepting XAT and CAT exams :
Top colleges accepting CAT:
IIMs (All Indian Institutes of Management)
FMS Delhi
SPJIMR Mumbai
MDI Gurgaon
IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)
IIT Delhi (DMS)
IIFT
IMT Ghaziabad
JBIMS Mumbai
Top colleges accepting XAT:
XLRI Jamshedpur
XIMB Bhubaneswar
IMT Ghaziabad
Great
Hi there,
A female candidate with a CAT percentile of 67.97 and low sectional scores should target private and tier-2/3 B-schools that accept overall CAT scores in the 60–70 percentile range and have flexible sectional criteria.
Some suitable options include AIMS Institute Bangalore, Doon Business School Dehradun, Christ Institute of
Hi there,
Yes, you are eligible for XISS Ranchi with a CAT percentile of 67.60.
According to recent admission trends, the CAT cutoff for the PGDM in Human Resource Management for the general category has been around 60 percentile. For other programs such as Marketing, Finance, and Rural Management, the
Hi there,
Careers360 offers a wide range of eBooks and study materials to assist with CAT preparation. You can access past CAT question papers with solutions to understand the exam pattern and difficulty level. Additionally, there are quantitative aptitude handbooks, cheat sheets, and section-specific practice sets for arithmetic, algebra, and
Hi there,
The minimum eligibility criteria for a general candidate to receive a call from IIM Sambalpur are as follows:
VARC: 65%ile
QUANTS: 65%ile
LRDI: 65%ile
Overall: 90%tile
Keep practising and aim to improve your score. You can also focus on other management exams where you may secure a strong
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