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CMAT Topper Interview: Rugved is currently pursuing the MMS program at Sydenham Institute of Management Studies securing 99.77%ile in MAH MBA CET and 97 %ile in CMAT. In an exclusive interview with Careers360, CMAT topper Rugved talks about his CMAT and MAH MBA CET preparation journey and life at SIMSREE. He shared insightful tips and tricks to crack these MBA entrance exams. This article offers excerpts from this CMAT topper interview. Watch the complete conversation by clicking the YouTube link given below.
Careers360 - Tell us a little bit about yourself and your profile.
Rugved - I was born and brought up in Pune. I've done my schooling from Pune itself, SSC board. I've done my bachelor's in economics, and went on to pursue masters in economics as well. I've had a couple of work experiences where I've worked with a think tank in Pune. And I've worked as a basketball coach independently.
Check out | CMAT College Predictor
Careers360 - Which MBA entrance exams did you give?
Rugved - I gave CMAT and MAH MBA CET. These are the only two exams that I appeared for.
Careers360 -What were your scores in these exams?
Rugved - In CMAT, I scored 97 percentile and in MAHCET, I scored 99.77 percentile.
Check out | CMAT score vs percentile
Also Read | CMAT eligibility criteria
Careers360 - What are some important topics for CMAT?
Rugved - In the VARC section, improving English proficiency takes time and consistent effort. Developing the habit of reading extensively and enhancing vocabulary are crucial. Additionally, finding logical connections within passages is important, as it aids in effectively tackling reading comprehension questions. Utilizing the elimination process can be helpful in solving RCs efficiently, but this requires the ability to read quickly and comprehend passages accurately. Practice is essential in mastering RCs due to the time constraints involved.
Careers360 - what are some best books for CMAT?
Rugved - CMAT has a vast syllabus but there is much less time pressure as it is for three hours.For quants, I primarily relied on the materials provided by the online coaching center I joined. They covered a comprehensive range of topics. For the VARC section, "Word Power Made Easy" proved beneficial in enhancing vocabulary and understanding word origins. The books provided by our institute sufficed for LR preparation. Additionally, practicing mock tests after covering all the topics was crucial.
Check out preparation resources for CMAT 2024
Careers360 -What advice would you give for preparing for MAH MBA CET?
Rugved - For MAH MBA CET, you have a lot of time as it's probably happening next March, 2025. Start preparing now. If you're working, you don't need to quit your job to focus on MAH MBA CET; it's not that difficult. However, you need a dedicated and disciplined approach to studying for CET.
Careers360 - Many students get demotivated while preparing for entrance exams. What advice would you give them to stay motivated and continue their preparation?
Rugved - You need to be brutally honest with yourself. I knew I was weak in maths and had to work hard to improve. In CET, you can't have any weak sections. Even after preparing, I had weak areas like geometry, where I just knew the basics. When I didn't score well in mocks, I felt demotivated, but I reminded myself that my foundation was solid. Even knowing 60-70% of the material can be enough to succeed. Stay focused on your goal and give your best, even when you feel like giving up.
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Careers360 - Considering the booming startup culture in India and the aversion towards traditional education, do you think an MBA is still relevant?
Rugved - I was just discussing this with my sister. If you know why you're doing something, the degree itself becomes less crucial. For example, if you have a family business or want to start your own, an MBA offers a solid platform to learn essential skills. While practical experience is valuable, an MBA can still be beneficial if you're ready to invest one or two years in it. It depends on your specific situation rather than making a generalized statement.
Careers360 - What are your future career plans? How do you see yourself in the next few years?
Rugved - I've only thought about the next five years. It depends on how I get placed in a company. I'm open and flexible to any finance profile but don't want to commit to certain roles right now, like an equity research analyst. I see myself in general management within a company, which isn't a core finance role but requires an understanding of finance. I'm very committed to that.
Check out | CMAT Preparation Tips
Full version of CMAT Topper’s Interview: Check out this video to watch the complete conversation:Rugved shares tips to crack #CMAT
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Here are some tips for preparing for the CMAT exam
Preparation tips
You should understand the exam pattern and syllabus before the exam to know the subject and its topic you need to prepare for then create a study plan which is according to you and which suits your study style for reference you can see interview of cmat topper which will help you to make your plan better but don't copy it and practice regularly is the key especially the numerical ones. You can also take mock tests, review to Previous year's papers CMAT, and focus on time management and accuracy.
Moreover,you need to know your target score a good score on the CMAT is generally considered to be 250 or more. A score between 345 and 350 typically results in a perfect 100 percentile. A score between 281 and 340 typically results in a percentile range of 90 to 99.99.
Additionally Colleges that accept CMAT scores
Some colleges that accept CMAT scores include JBIMS, GIM Goa, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, SIMSREE, GLIM Chennai, PUMBA, and XISS Ranchi. Some colleges, like KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, use CMAT scores to determine admission, but also consider other factors like personal interviews and group discussions.
Hello,
Here’s how you can apply for the CMAT (Common Management Admission Test) :
Hope it helps !
Hello there,
To apply for CMAT while in your final year of BA:
Prepare for sections like Quant, Reasoning, Language, General Awareness, and Entrepreneurship.
For more details about CMAT Exam
Click Here
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I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.
CMAT syllabus include quantitative techniques, logical reasoning, data interpretation, language comprehension, general awareness, innovation and entrepreneurship. Candidates must prepare for exam with equal focus on all topics as every topic has similar weightage. Language comprehension comprise question from various English language topics such as reading comprehension, antonyms, synonyms etc. To get sample questions for language comprehension, visit CMAT language comprehension sample questions
You can check out the cabin link below which has some valuable resources if you want to prepare for Cmat. the CMAT 2025 Innovation and entrepreneurship EBOOK it has all the chapters with sample question papers. If you find the innovation and Entrepreneurship section challenging then you can try this out then comes the CMAT logical reasoning question with answers. You can focus on this if you find logical reasoning. A bit tough or you want to practice with them. You can also check out the CMAT 2025 mastering all sections with thousand plus CRafted questions this contains. a comprehensive resource with all the practice questions of for all sections. You can also check out the CMAT 10 free mock test PDF which contains the mock test with free solution which is crucial for exam practice.
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