CMAT Topper Interview: Tips to crack CMAT 2024 in 1st attempt by AIR 14 ft. Vaibhav

CMAT exam is one of the most popular MBA entrance exams in India. The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a three-hour aptitude exam to choose suitable students for admission to management programmes of different colleges.

In an exclusive CMAT topper interview of MBAxTalks with Careers360 in which we talked to Vaibhav Awati, who is a CMAT topper. He is currently studying MBA from Sydenham Institute of Management Studies. He got an AIR 14 and scored 99.97 percentile in CMAT. He talks about his CMAT preparation journey, CMAT mock test strategy, Life at Sydenham College. 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 your profile.

Vaibhav - I am a mechanical engineer from Pune University. I graduated in 2020 and post-graduation, I worked with a mechanical German multinational company. I was there for almost one year. Then, I left my job to prepare for MBA exams. In 2023, I cleared the CMAT and now I'm a student at Sydenham. I am also doing my summer internship at ICICI Bank.

Check out | CMAT College Predictor

Careers360 - Apart from CMAT, what other MBA entrance exams did you give?

Vaibhav - I prepared for TISS, then I wrote CET, CMAT and CAT and even SNAP.

Careers360 - What were your scores in these three exams?

Vaibhav - I wrote CMAT. In CMAT, last year, I was All India Rank 1367. CET, I wrote 99 percentile something. and later next to the exam was CMAT which was AIR 14.

Careers360 - what do you think you did differently the second time that you had such a great score?

Vaibhav - I think GK section is a game-changer because all the other sections like Quantitative aptitude, Logical reasoning and Verbal Ability are common in most of the entrance exams.

Check out | CMAT score vs percentile

Also Read | CMAT eligibility criteria

Careers360 -Many students find the Quants section challenging. Do you have any specific tips for those struggling in this area?

Vaibhav - Quants was actually my favourite subject, perhaps because of my engineering background. My advice is to start with the basics. Solve at least 100 questions initially. If you're still struggling, it usually means your basic concepts aren't clear. Clarify your concepts first, then practise more. The more you practise, the clearer your concepts will become, making it easier to tackle any question.

Check out preparation resources for CMAT 2024

Careers360 - When did you start taking mock exams in preparation for the CMAT?

Vaibhav - I took about seven to eight mocks, mostly in March and April, just a couple of months before the exam. As I mentioned, I prepared thoroughly during this period.

Careers360 - Did you have a particular strategy for attempting the CMAT?

Vaibhav - CMAT gives you 180 minutes without a strict order for answering sections, so you can choose based on your comfort. I preferred starting with GK, as it was my strength, followed by innovation entrepreneurship, then English, logic, and finally the rest. This was the order I found most effective for me.

Check out | CMAT Preparation Tips

Careers360 - When preparing for CMAT, especially since you took the exam twice, what specific advice would you give for each section to students preparing this year?

Vaibhav - CMAT requires comprehensive preparation. Unlike CAT or CET, where you might skip certain topics, CMAT tends to cover everything. For instance, in Quants, expect a question from each main topic like averages and percentages. The questions aren't deeply complex, so you should understand the basics well enough to answer easy to moderate questions. Focus on ensuring you can handle level 1 and level 2 questions across all topics.

Full version of CMAT Topper’s Interview: Check out this video to watch the complete conversation: Tips to crack CMAT 2024 in 1st attempt by AIR 14 ft. Vaibhav

Also, watch

Failed in CAT but topped in CMAT
How to make it to JBIMS