Shoolini University Admissions 2025
ApplyNAAC A+ Grade | Ranked No.1 Private University in India (QS World University Rankings 2025)
Meet Sujay Srivastava, a remarkable individual who aced the CAT 2024 exam with an impressive 99.94 percentile. An entrepreneur at heart, Sujay is the founder of Ravvio, a cutting-edge startup specializing in AI applications for sales and customer engagement in the BFSI sector. A proud graduate of IIT Madras, Sujay holds a dual degree: a B.Tech in Engineering Design and a Master's in Quantum Computing, both completed in 2024. When not pushing the boundaries of AI or preparing for competitive exams, Sujay finds joy in playing the guitar, blending creativity with analytical brilliance. In this interview, Sujay Srivastava shares insights into their journey, preparation strategy, and aspirations for the future.
Careers360 - Congratulations on being one of the CAT 2024 toppers! What was your reaction? Did you expect this result?
Sujay - Thanks a lot! It is a great result, and I am happy about it. I got more than expected in Verbal and slightly less than expected in Quant, so overall I was quite pleased with my results.
Careers360 - Can you tell us a little about your background?
Sujay - I did my secondary schooling in Pune. After that, I secured admission in IIT Madras, where I pursued an integrated Bachelor of Technology in Engineering Design and master's in technology in Quantum Computing. I got a DAAD scholarship in my final year to pursue my master's thesis in Leibniz University Hannover, Germany. I intended to pursue a PhD but instead started my startup Ravvio with my college friend Nithin. At Ravvio, we make AI software to help improve sales and customer engagement in BFSI sector. Currently, working full-time leading the tech and the product for our startup.
Careers360 - How was your exam day experience? Which slot did you appear in?
Sujay - I appeared in the afternoon slot 2. One good thing was I didn’t have to wake up very early for the exam. The exam center was 20-25 km away, but the facilities and the processes there were smooth and streamlined. My overall exam experience was smooth.
Careers360 - What was your last-minute preparation strategy for CAT?
Sujay - I just pulled a previous year's paper and solved questions from there. It prepares me to expect the level of difficulty the CAT exam asks for and ensures that my test-taking skills are sharp and I will not start the exam slowly.
Careers360 - In your opinion, which sections were the toughest and the easiest?
Sujay - In my opinion, quant was the toughest section and DILR was the easier than the previous few years with 3 easy passages out of 5.
Careers360 - How did you approach your strong and weak areas during preparation?
Sujay - I took CAT 2022 and scored 48 in quant (99.92 sectional percentile) but only 18 in Verbal (83 percentile), so it was clear I needed to work on my English. I put special emphasis on getting the accuracy right in the RC passages as that is the majority of verbal paper.
Initially, I made many mistakes, but refining my approach and consistent practice helped me develop a better understanding of how to get answers right. With more practice, I learned to identify the key parts of the passage quickly, which reduced the time spent analyzing it and allowed me to attempt most of the questions more effectively.
Careers360 - What was your time management strategy during preparation and on exam day?
Sujay - I referred to Arun Sharma’s guide on RC to help in the right approach to RC and improve my accuracy.
It’s crucial to allocate limited time to each section. For RC passage, you can’t spend more than 7 mins on a passage, if you do, you can’t finish the paper on time.
For DILR, these sets are usually puzzles or scenarios that need solving, and once the puzzle is cracked, the questions become straightforward
My early preparation should focus on building the ability to solve puzzles accurately. While practicing, you’ll notice that every detail mentioned in the set is useful/important in solving the puzzle. One should start by following the solution manual and replicating the process until you’re confident in solving on your own.
Once confident, shift focus to time management. With 4 sets in a 40-minute section, aiming to solve all sets in 10 minutes each is challenging and rare. Instead, set realistic goals—start with 30 minutes per set and gradually work towards faster solving. Reaching 20 minutes per set is excellent progress. I managed to reduce my time to about 12-13 minutes per set, allowing me to solve three sets fully and score roughly 75% of the marks.
Initially, prioritize accuracy over speed—mastering the puzzles first will naturally lead to faster solving.
Overall, most of my preparation was solving the previous year’s papers and analyzing the solutions for each question I couldn’t solve. Also, once closer to the exam, timed practice becomes very important.
Careers360 - Did you take coaching? How helpful was your coaching institute? Do you think it’s possible to succeed through self-study?
Sujay - No, I did not take coaching for CAT. I was working full-time on building my startup, Ravvio, and spent minimal time preparing for the exam.
Yes, I believe it is possible to succeed through self-study, but you should keep some points in mind:
If you feel you have good fundamentals, can develop your own strategy, and are a self-motivated learner, it’s alright to prepare without one.
Careers360 - What factors do you believe contributed to your success?
Sujay - First, a solid background in mathematics gave me a strong foundation for CAT. Second, my habit of reading books significantly helped. Lastly, having a resilient test-taking mindset allowed me to stay calm during the exam and perform to the best of my abilities.
Careers360 - Have you started preparing for GD/PI/WAT? If yes, what’s your strategy?
Sujay - It’s still early in the process, and I’m currently connecting with people at IIMs to understand the interview process and how best to prepare. Reach out to students from your dream college, learn from their interview experiences, and reflect on why you aspire to join that institution.
Careers360 - Which is your dream B-school?
Sujay - My dream B-schools are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, but I may not join immediately due to my commitment to building my startup, Ravvio. A deferred admission, like the one offered by IIM Ahmedabad, would be an ideal option, allowing me to consider joining next year.
Careers360 - What are your hobbies?
Sujay - I've been learning to play the guitar for over a year now and feel proud of the progress I've made. I also enjoy playing football and staying active through exercise.
Careers360 - What is your message for next year’s CAT aspirants?
Sujay - To all CAT aspirants: The next exam is a year away, and a lot can be achieved in this time. Stay consistent, follow a solid plan, and regularly evaluate your progress. Prioritize a healthy diet, proper sleep, and unwavering focus—this might mean cutting down or quitting social media.
Aim higher than your target score to account for tricky sections or an off day. With focus and dedication, you'll be unstoppable. Wishing you all the best—may you secure a place in your dream college!
Hi aspirant,
You can refer to the link attached above for more information on the same.
All the best!
Hi aspirant,
You can refer to the link given above for more information on the same.
All the best!
Hello dear,
The CAT exam requires a significant amount of time for preparation, including brushing up on basic concepts and practicing advanced problem-solving. Starting too early can feel overwhelming and may not be sustainable with other academic commitments.
The CAT exam requires a level of focus and maturity that is not always present in class 9. Starting preparation at this stage can be challenging to maintain. At class 9, you're primarily focused on learning foundational concepts. So you just need to boost your fundamentals by practicing more and more at class 9 because the Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT syllabus includes all the topics of Mathematics from Class 9 to 10 such as Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry and Mensuration.
Start Preparation 12 Months Prior:
Identify Weak Sections:
I hope you got your answer, That's all Thank you.
IIFT CAT Cutoff 2024
IIFT Delhi
General: 95–98 percentile
OBC: 90+
SC: 85–95
ST/PwD: 75–93
IIFT Kolkata
General: 85–95 percentile
OBC/SC/ST: 50–95 (varies)
Note: Final selection also includes WAT, GD, PI, academics, and work experience.
To prepare for CDS, CGL, and CAT during graduation, create a clear study schedule focusing on basics, reasoning, and aptitude. Practice daily mocks, improve time management, and stay consistent. Balance college and preparation with discipline and regular revision.
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.
NAAC A+ Grade | Ranked No.1 Private University in India (QS World University Rankings 2025)
Amongst top 3% universities globally (QS Rankings)
NAAC A+ Grade | Among top 100 universities of India (NIRF 2024) | 40 crore+ scholarships distributed
Deadline: 30th May'25 | MBA @ DES Pune University | Top Ranked B-School | 100% Placement Assistance
Ranked #41 amongst institutions in Management by NIRF | 100% Placement
International Tie Ups | Project Based Learning | State of the art infrastructure | Applications Closing Soon!