CAT Topper Interview: “EQ is as important as IQ in CAT” says Vaibhav from IIM Calcutta

CAT Topper Interview: “EQ is as important as IQ in CAT” says Vaibhav from IIM Calcutta

Team Careers360Updated on 28 Mar 2024, 05:46 PM IST

In an exclusive CAT topper interview with Careers360,Vaibhav who is a CAT’22 topper shared his strategy to crack CAT. He is currently studying MBA from IIM Calcutta and scored a 99.75 %ile in CAT 22 and a 98.6 %ile in XAT. He talks about his CAT preparation journey, CAT mock test strategy, IIM Calcutta interview experience, and Profile Building. This article offers excerpts from the interview. Watch the complete conversation by clicking the YouTube link given below.

CAT Topper Interview: “EQ is as important as IQ in CAT” says Vaibhav from IIM Calcutta
CAT Topper Interview - Vaibhav

Careers360 - Tell us a little bit about yourself and about your profile.

Vaibhav - So at heart, I'm a mechanical engineer. I completed my engineering in the year 2022 from Manipal Institute of Technology and I realised that in order for me to hack it in the corporate world, I need a little bit more than just a degree in mechanical engineering. What appealed to me initially was understanding the business fundamentals.Which is why my family also pushed me towards pursuing an MBA. So I finished my engineering from Manipal in 2022 and decided to give CAT that year. Things didn't go my way that year. Took up a job and then reappeared next year.

Check out | When and how to start CAT exam preparation?

Careers360 - When did you start your CAT preparation?

Vaibhav - I initially attempted CAT 21,I started preparation around August of that year. There's a reason I started that late. I had given a few mocks and I was confident in my ability to crack CAT. Even though I scored well in the mocks,I had not built an EQ that is required for an exam day strategy.I completely froze on D-Day. I performed horribly in all the three sections then I again gave CAT 22 and scored a 99.75 percentile.

Careers360 - What are some of the important topics for CAT?

Vaibhav - fundamentals like Algebra, which make up almost 30-35%, maybe a little bit more of the paper are really important.Also,understanding and revising those concepts become imperative.So Algebra is key.Geometry for people who are good at it becomes exceptionally scoring. For people who aren't that great with it, there's still about one or two sitters that you can expect in the paper.Then we have questions like Time, speed and distance which is a concept that if you pick up once and if you grasp once, then the questions become a little easy in nature.

Also Read | MBA after B.tech

Careers360 - So people get demotivated when they see a low score in their CAT mocks. How did you keep yourself motivated?

Vaibhav - To be honest, I wouldn't think much of a low score. I was confident in my ability to perform well. So a low score never bothered me. People say that failure brings you one step closer to success. That's one way to look at it. But at that time when you are giving CAT Mocks, I think having such a long-term view is also difficult. So it's important to be sad and use that motivation to do a better job in the next CAT Mock Test.

Careers360 - You gave CAT twice.What are some of the mistakes that one should avoid while preparing for CAT 2024?

Vaibhav - So I think it's a lot about EQ, way more than IQ. I think your EQ plays a much larger role; it's about developing that quotient in you of attempting a paper correctly. CAT tests your fundamentals and basic knowledge. More importantly, It tests how you are going to attempt the paper. So I think one should work on their mental strengths and EQ as well while preparing for CAT.

Check out preparation resources for CAT 2024

Careers360 - What were some of the calls that you got apart from IIM Calcutta?

Vaibhav - I had gotten calls from IIM Indore and IIM Lucknow and of course IIM Calcutta.Apart from these I had calls from XLRI,FMS and SP Jain.

Careers360 - What made you choose IIM Calcutta as your final selection for the B-School?

Vaibhav - Fortunately, I was able to convert all of the calls that I had received and it was sort of a no-brainer for me because I wanted credibility from my MBA. And IIM Calcutta is one such institute that would give me maximum credibility.

Check out | Top MBA Colleges in India

Let's talk a little bit about your campus life at IIM Calcutta

Careers360 - How do you find the curriculum at IIM Calcutta industry relevant?

Vaibhav - The first year courses at IIM Calcutta are about building the fundamentals for the business. While they might not directly push you towards entrepreneurship, what they ensure is that they will build a foundation for you to start a business later on in life.

Careers360 - IIM Calcutta is known for finance. Are you interested in a career in Finance as well?

Vaibhav - I was quite detached from finance. I hadn't even studied finance before. But lately I developed interest in finance. Luckily I landed myself a summer placement with FinIQ, which is a Singapore based firm that deals with an intersection of product management and finance and I have also decided to even CFA which I will be doing this August. So yeah, I think I see myself heading for a career in finance.

Also Read | MBA in Finance

Full version of CAT Topper’s Interview: Vaibhav from IIM Calcutta shares his tips and tricks to crack CAT 24

Check out this video to watch the complete conversation.

Also, Check out -

Must Watch for CAT24
How to make it to FMS

Articles
|
Upcoming Bschool Exams
Ongoing Dates
VITBEE Application Date

31 Oct'25 - 12 Apr'26 (Online)

Ongoing Dates
B-MAT Application Date

19 Nov'25 - 8 Feb'26 (Online)

Certifications By Top Providers
Online MBA
Via Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida
Corporate Law
Via National Law University, New Delhi
Strategic Management
Via Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Online BBA
Via Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida
Management of Commercial Banking
Via Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Management of Inventory Systems
Via Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Udemy
 703 courses
Edx
 467 courses
Swayam
 236 courses
Emeritus
 231 courses
Explore Top Universities Across Globe
University of Essex, Colchester
Wivenhoe Park Colchester CO4 3SQ
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford
Headington Campus Oxford OX3 0BP UK
Northumbria University, Newcastle City Campus
Sutherland Building, Northumberland Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST
Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff
Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2YB
University of Reading, Reading
Whiteknights PO Box 217 Reading Berkshire RG6 6AH
Bristol Baptist College, Bristol
The Promenade, Clifton Down, Bristol BS8 3NJ

Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

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