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

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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