Great Lakes PGPM & PGDM Admissions 2026
ApplyAdmissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024
CAT 2024 Topper Interview: Cracking one of India’s toughest management entrance exams requires more than just hard work—it demands strategy, consistency, and resilience. For CAT 2024 topper - Sahil Gupta secured 99.77 CAT percentile, He quoted “My journey to CAT 2024 success has been a blend of consistent effort, strategic preparation, and maintaining a calm mindset under pressure”. Despite hurdles along the way, Sahil focused on turning challenges into opportunities. By leveraging their strengths, diligently improving on weaknesses, and maintaining a balanced approach, they emerged victorious in this highly competitive exam. Here’s an inspiring deep dive into their journey, preparation strategies, and lessons learned.
Careers360 - Congratulations on being one of the CAT 2024 toppers! What was your reaction? Did you expect this result?
Sahil - When I completed my CAT question paper, I felt quite satisfied with my performance in the CAT LRDI section. However, I was slightly disappointed with my performance in Quant and quite skeptical about CAT VARC. When I saw the response sheet, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my LRDI performance was even better than I expected, while Quant and VARC turned out to be more or less as I had anticipated. Overall, it was a mix of relief and excitement!
Careers360 - Can you tell us a little about your background?
Sahil - I completed my graduation from IIT Dhanbad, specializing in Mechanical Engineering. After that, I worked as a System Engineer, gaining valuable professional experience. Academically, I have consistently performed well, with strong scores in my 10th, 12th, and graduation. My family has also been a great source of inspiration—my sister is an IIM Lucknow graduate, and my brother serves as an SDO at UPPCL.
Careers360 - How was your exam day experience? Which slot did you appear in?
Sahil - On the day of the exam, I focused on staying calm and treating it like any other step in the process. While there was natural nervousness, I reminded myself to stay composed and not let it affect my performance. I appeared in Slot 3 and focused on maintaining a calm and composed approach throughout the exam.
Careers360 - What was your last-minute preparation strategy for CAT?
Sahil - In the last few days leading up to the exam, I focused primarily on Quant, as I felt it was the one section where quick preparation could significantly boost my score. Additionally, I made it a point to read extensively to stay sharp and focused. I also aligned my mock test schedule with the actual exam timing to build a sense of familiarity and rhythm for the D-Day.
Careers360 - In your opinion, which sections were the toughest and the easiest?
Sahil - For me, Quant was a section where most of the questions were doable, but I felt I couldn’t perform to the best of my potential. On the other hand, LRDI, especially with its DI-heavy questions, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me. VARC, however, was the toughest section as many of the questions had similar and confusing options, making it challenging to pick the correct answer.
Careers360 - How did you approach your strong and weak areas during preparation?
Sahil - Being from an engineering background, Quant and LRDI came more naturally to me, though Quant required extensive practice, which I focused on. For VARC, throughout my mock journey, my performance was quite erratic. To improve, I made it a point to read more and more, hoping that exposure would help me tackle the section better.
Careers360 - What was your time management strategy during preparation and on exam day?
Sahil - My preparation time was relatively short, so I focused on making the most of it. The first two months were dedicated to polishing all the key CAT Quant concepts. After that, I shifted my focus to taking as many mocks as possible, followed by in-depth analysis and upsolving to identify areas for improvement. This approach helped me manage my time effectively and improve my performance consistently.
Careers360 - Did you take coaching? How helpful was your coaching institute? Do you think it’s possible to succeed through self-study?
Sahil - Most of my preparation was through self-study, much like my approach during JEE preparation. The only external help I took was a test series from TIME, which I enrolled in about 3-4 months before the actual exam. I found the mocks helpful for getting a feel of the exam pattern and time management, but I believe self-study played a more significant role in my preparation.
Careers360 - What factors do you believe contributed to your success?
Sahil - I believe the key factors that contributed to my success were staying true to my preparation and to myself. I made sure to maintain a balanced approach, giving equal importance to mind refreshment and studying. Perseverance and consistency were also crucial—I stayed focused and committed throughout the journey.
Careers360 - Have you started preparing for GD/PI/WAT? If yes, what’s your strategy?
Sahil - I've just started preparing for GD/PI/WAT. My strategy involves making a list of all the probable questions and then categorizing them based on relevance. I’m practicing my responses repeatedly and also giving mock interviews to simulate the real experience and improve my performance.
Careers360 - Which other MBA entrance exams have you appeared for or are planning to appear for?
Sahil - Apart from CAT, I have appeared for the XAT as well. I decided to focus on these two exams to give myself the best chance, and I believe both offer great opportunities for admission to top B-schools.
Careers360 - Which is your dream B-school, and from which colleges are you expecting calls?
Sahil - As is the case with many CAT exam aspirants, IIM Ahmedabad is my dream B-school. With my academic background being decent enough, I’m optimistic and hopeful for a call from them. I’m eagerly awaiting the results and looking forward to the opportunities ahead.
Careers360 - What are your hobbies?
Sahil - My hobbies include singing, and I’ve even had the opportunity to perform at my organization. I also enjoy sports, particularly badminton, cricket, and swimming, which help me stay active and unwind.
Careers360 - What relaxation or recreation methods did you follow during CAT preparation?
Sahil - During my CAT preparation, I made sure to take regular breaks to stay refreshed. I found listening to music and going for walks to be great ways to relax. And whenever I felt burnt out, I would go out with friends to recharge and clear my mind.
Careers360 - What is your message for next year’s CAT aspirants?
Sahil - My message to next year’s CAT aspirants would be that exam strategy and time management are just as important as subject knowledge. Focus on taking as many mocks as possible to simulate the real exam experience. Analyzing your weaknesses and mistakes after each mock is crucial, and don’t forget to revisit and improve upon those areas consistently.
KL-MAT exam syllabus usually covers Quantitative Ability, Logical Reasoning, English or Verbal Ability, and General Knowledge or Current Affairs. It is designed similar to other MBA entrance exams but at a moderate level. Yes, KL University accepts CAT scores for admission into MBA along with MAT, XAT, CMAT and its own KL MAT. If you already have a valid CAT score, you don’t need to appear for KL MAT separately. The difference between CAT and other management entrance exams is mainly in difficulty level and competition. CAT is the toughest and is accepted by IIMs and top B schools across India.
Hello Aspirant,
I saw a cat. The cat found an old map inside a drawer of the king's palace.
Here's why:
"a cat": It's the first time we mention the cat, so it's indefinite.
"The cat": Now we're talking about that specific cat we just mentioned, so it's definite.
"an old map": It's the first time we mention a map, and "old" starts with a vowel sound, so "an."
"a drawer": It's one of possibly many drawers, not a specific one known to us yet.
"the king's palace": This is a specific, unique place, so "the."
Hello Kapish
You can find the last 5 year questions of DILR for CAT at Careers360 website. Moreover, you can find the previous year papers of all the subjects i.e. DILR, Quants and VARC. I am attaching the link through which you would be able to access the same.
Here's the link:
CAT Previous Year Papers by CAREERS360
Sample paper of DILR:
CAT Sample Paper (DILR) by CAREERS360
Thank You!!!
Hello Divya,
Yes, candidates with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT provided that the degree is from a recognized (UGC approved in India or accredited abroad) institution. The leading B-schools in both India and abroad do not look down upon online degrees as long as the degree is from a recognized body, they will mostly be looking at your test scores, academic performance, work experience, and profile holistically. What matters is the legitimacy of the institution and how you showcase your abilities, not whether your degree was obtained online or in-person.
Yes, someone with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT, provided the degree is from a UGC recognized university. Top B-schools in India (like IIMs) and abroad generally accept online degrees if they are valid, and you won’t be marked down just because it’s online. What matters more is your entrance exam score, academic record, work experience, and overall profile.
A career as Marketing Director is also known as a marketing expert who is responsible for the overall marketing aspect of the company. He or she oversees plans and develops the company's budget. The marketing Director collaborates with the business team to plan and develop the marketing and branding strategies for the company's products or services.
A Business Development Executive identifies and pursues new business opportunities to drive company growth. They generate leads, build client relationships, develop sales strategies, and analyse market trends. Collaborating with internal teams, they aim to meet sales targets. With experience, they can advance to managerial roles, playing a key role in expanding the company’s market presence and revenue.
Content Marketing Specialists are also known as Content Specialists. They are responsible for crafting content, editing and developing it to meet the requirements of digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the material created is consistent with the overall aims of a digital marketing campaign, content marketing specialists work closely with SEO and digital marketing professionals.
A Sales Manager leads a sales team to meet targets, formulates strategies, analyses performance, and monitors market trends. They typically hold a degree in management or related fields, with an MBA offering added value. The role often demands over 40 hours a week. Strong leadership, planning, and analytical skills are essential for success in this career.
A marketing manager is a person who oversees a company or product marketing. He or she can be in charge of multiple programmes or goods or can be in charge of one product. He or she is enthusiastic, organised, and very diligent in meeting financial constraints. He or she works with other team members to produce advertising campaigns and decides if a new product or service is marketable.
A Marketing manager plans and executes marketing initiatives to create demand for goods and services and increase consumer awareness of them. A marketing manager prevents unauthorised statements and informs the public that the business is doing everything to investigate and fix the line of products. Students can pursue an MBA in Marketing Management courses to become marketing managers.
An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns.
Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
Individuals who opt for a career as a business analyst look at how a company operates. He or she conducts research and analyses data to improve his or her knowledge about the company. This is required so that an individual can suggest the company strategies for improving their operations and processes.
In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024
IBSAT 2025-Your gateway to MBA/PGPM @ IBS Hyderabad and 8 other IBS campuses | Scholarships worth 10 CR
Amongst top 3% universities globally (QS Rankings) | Ranked among top 10 B-Schools in India by multiple publications
75+ years of legacy | #1 Entrance Exam | Score accepted by 250+ BSchools | Apply now
1 Exam accepted by 17 Top Symbiosis Institutes for 29 MBA programmes.
NAAC A+ Grade | Among top 100 universities of India (NIRF 2024) | 40 crore+ scholarships distributed