CAT 2024 Topper Interview “If you have a dream, go full throttle at it” says Shouvik Chatterjee

CAT Topper 2024 Interview: Meet Shouvik Chatterjee, a shining example of determination and excellence, who has secured an impressive 99.43 percentile in the CAT 2024. A meticulous planner and a dedicated student, Shouvik's journey is an inspiring tale of hard work, smart strategies, and unwavering focus. In this exclusive interview, he shares insights into his preparation strategy, overcoming challenges, and the mindset that propelled him toward this remarkable achievement. Whether you're a CAT exam aspirant or someone seeking inspiration, Shouvik's story is sure to resonate and motivate.

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

Shouvik - Well, not really. I knew I had done well in the exam, but when the scores were out, it was a pleasant surprise. I am happy that my efforts paid off.

Careers360 - Tell us something about your background

Shouvik - Like many others in India, I wanted to be an engineer too, but in my 2nd semester of college, I attended a lecture “Entrepreneurship 101” by professor Vinod Shastri, and it ignited a spark in me. This spark led me to found 2 startups which exposed me greatly to the market, post which I decided that I’ll be preparing for CAT to build a solid foundation of business. I dream of building global businesses one day, the kind that people can trust on for their families and themselves.

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

Shouvik - I was allotted SLOT-2 for my CAT exam. The D-day was fairly smooth for me. Before going to the exam centre, I had visualised myself multiple times sitting for the exam in my designated centre and giving an awesome exam. So, when I sat for the exam, it felt like I had done this 3-4 times already, thus helping me keep a fairly calm temperament all throughout the exam.

Once the exam was done, I knew I had done well. I was relieved.

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

Shouvik - People say, we must rest on the last day and not give any more mocks. Well, I did the opposite to be honest. I gave 3 CAT mock test on the last day before the exam, and 2 mocks in the morning on the exam day. This helped me warm up my intellect and keep it ready for the CAT 2024 exam.

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

Shouvik - This year, I felt all the sections were fairly easy. Yes, of course “EASY” and “HARD” surely depends on a candidate's preparation but I was prepared for the difficulty level of CAT 2023 which was more difficult than this year. I think all aspirants with a strong grip on concepts and a calm mind on the D-day have cracked this year’s CAT exam with a good percentile.

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

Shouvik - For the first 2 months of my preparation, I gave equal importance to my strengths and weaknesses. Only a month before the exam, I started to double down on my strengths while just keeping in touch with my weak points. This strategy worked fairly well for me.

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

Shouvik - I used to wake up early at 4:30 AM in the morning and start my day with reading a difficult passage from ‘aeon essays’ and then go on to practice CAT VARC. Next I would focus on CAT LRDI throughout midday and in the evening I would practice CAT Quants. Finally, I used to go to sleep by 9:00 PM. For 3 months, my only focus was CAT, so I didn’t attend any family functions or festivals. This gave me ample time to study and prepare.

On the exam day, I had a simple strategy for all sections. The first 2-3 mins of each section, I would skim through all questions and write down which questions I would attempt and in which order. Only then I would get started with the section.

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

Shouvik - Yes, I took coaching from Iquanta Institute. It is safe to say that I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the constant support from their side. I think it is definitely possible to succeed through self-study, but in my case, I had only 4 months to crack the CAT exam and hence, getting help from an institute would mean saving a lot of hours I would have had to spend exploring the right resources for myself.

I would like to thank ALP sir, Vikrant sir, Kamal sir, Raj sir and Jeet sir for their constant support all throughout the preparation. I am super grateful to them.

Careers360 - What are the factors behind your success?

Shouvik - Let me list them out for easier understanding.

1. Constant focus on a single goal.

2. Putting in 100% of my effort.

3. Having the right “WHY” behind pursuing an MBA.

4. Getting help from the right coaching institute.

5. Aashirwad of my parents, gurus and god.

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

Shouvik - Yes, I am fairly confident with my results, so I have started preparing for it.

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

Shouvik - I’ll be appearing for XAT exam next.

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

Shouvik - I am expecting a call from some of the top IIMs ( BLACKIs ) and all of the top non IIM B-Schools ( SPJIMR, FMS, MDI Gurgaon, ISB Hyderabad ). All of these are my dream B-schools.

Careers360 - What are your hobbies?

Shouvik - A lot of things to be honest! Singing, Art, Reading and Table Tennis !

I am deeply passionate about them, but the past 4 months, I have only focused on CAT.

Thank you for reminding me, I need to get back to them haha.

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

Shouvik - Talking to my parents helped me relax a lot. Apart from that, I had a lot of fun during the live coaching classes of Iquanta. The faculty is really good, and it was really fun interacting and learning from them!

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

Shouvik - If you have a dream, go full throttle at it ! You only have one life, why not spend it living your dream ? All the BEST !

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