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How to get into IIMs? - Hear it from Ankit Pandey, CAT 2021 topper
Edited By Himanshu Shekhar | Updated on Oct 07, 2022 09:53 AM IST | #CAT
To achieve aim, all you need is a focused mind, determination, hard work, and smart work. Ankit is among those who made the best use of his time and brain to secure the 99.24 percentile in CAT 2021 that got him admission at one of the prestigious IIMs, IIM Bangalore.
For future CAT exam aspirants, Ankit says “If you are a fresher, make sure you brush up on your favorite academic subjects, internships, and extracurricular experiences.” Also, the point that makes Ankit stand apart from the crowd is that he did not go to any coaching to prepare for the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) process. It's his skills and dedication only that he became a CAT 2021 topper and bagged a seat at IIM Bangalore. In an interview with Careers360, Ankit shared how he made it to IIM Bangalore, how one gets into an IIM, how to crack the CAT exam, and much more. Read the full interview to know Ankit Pandey's success mantra of acing CAT and IIM admission process.
Careers360: Congratulations on converting to your desired institute. How do you feel?
Ankit: It feels great to have made it to IIM Bangalore. It’s one of the most coveted and highly sought-after B-schools and I feel grateful to have been accepted by this prestigious institute.
Careers360: What is the selection procedure at IIM Bangalore?
Ankit: The first step is to take the CAT. I took CAT 2021 and it was my first attempt at this MBA entrance exam. Once the CAT scores were out, IIM Bangalore sent interview calls to candidates based on their overall profile (including past academic performance and work experience, if applicable). Post that, I had to take the WAT (Written Assessment Test) and PI (Personal Interview) in March. Final admission calls were based on scores in WAT, PI, CAT, 10th boards, 12th boards, and UG as well as some weightage given to work experience, academic diversity, and gender diversity.
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Careers360: Please elaborate on your overall IIM admission experience at IIM Bangalore?
Ankit: Getting a call from IIM Bangalore was in itself a surprise for me because my CAT score was borderline. Once I received the call, I was quite confused about how to approach WAT and PI. I had also switched jobs and had to learn about my new role. However, I tried to structure my preparation around my strengths and past profile and that helped me for all the interviews. WAT topic was fairly straightforward but PI was a proper stress interview and perhaps, the most difficult one for me during the interview season. Nevertheless, things ended on a positive note for me despite an average experience.
Careers360: Which other B-Schools’ selection procedure did you appear for? How was your experience in other institutes vis a vis the institute you have converted to?
Ankit: I had appeared for CAP, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Shillong interviews apart from IIM Bangalore. The interviews for IIM Lucknow and CAP went well since I was mostly asked about the technical aspects of my work experience and I was decently prepared for it. IIM Shillong’s PI was a bit tricky and I was put on the spot on some questions related to my previous firm’s impact on environmental issues and sustainability. In the case of IIM Bangalore PI, I was questioned mostly about the decisions that I have taken in my career up to this point in time and it made me think consciously and deeply on the spot. Moreover, the IIM Bangalore interview lasted for more than 30 min and had three interviewers while the others got over in less than 15 min and had only two interviewers.
Careers360: What was your WAT topic and how did you structure it? Did you find it easy or did you have a difficult time writing/ thinking about the topic?
Ankit: My WAT topic was around whether competition should be promoted in the curriculum for school-going children or should it be more relaxed. Now, this topic was easy to deal with since it does not require any additional knowledge or context since all of us have been to school. I spent 10 min jotting down my ideas and the remaining time writing down a coherent essay and reviewing it to ensure there are no grammatical errors.
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Careers360: Did you get external help or join a coaching school to prepare for PI? When did you start your preparations for it?
Ankit: I did not join any institute for my WAT-PI preparation and relied upon the resources available on the Internet. I was a bit late in starting my preparations and started around mid-February.
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Careers360: Do you think that PI requires some separate preparation apart from what you mentioned?
Ankit: It would be great to have someone do mock interviews with you. It helps in assessing your performance, allows you to fine-tune your preparation strategy, and become better at dealing with pressure situations in an interview. It would also help to get someone to review your answers to expected behavioral questions like - Why MBA? strengths & weaknesses, tell me about yourself, etc.
Careers360: Please share the IIM admission PI topics which you were asked during the admission rounds?
Ankit: I was asked questions related to my career decisions and work experience. I had good scores in my core engineering courses and yet I pivoted to a career in data science and analytics. This is something I was questioned on aggressively and I had to justify my decision. Apart from that, I was asked about my work, the motivation behind pursuing an MBA, the need for having a dedicated Analytics team in an organization, how have things changed after college in my life, and my views on data privacy, and employment situation in West Bengal.
Careers360: Are there ways to handle a situation when one has no answer to a question during PI?
Ankit: I would suggest a three-step approach to this:
Take a pause and reflect: A lot of us have a tendency to speak as much and as fast as we can when we are not sure of answers. It’s better to ask for 30 seconds to gather your thoughts and only then speak up. Interviewers won’t mind and would rather appreciate it in my opinion
Acknowledge that you do not know the answer: It’s alright to not know an answer to factual questions. However, not knowing answers to behavioral questions (like why MBA) is not acceptable
Take a guess after seeking permission: At times, you might know the answer but not be confident about it. Ask the interviewer if it’s alright to take a guess and then answer in a logical way.
Careers360: How must one approach a PI topic? Could you share some Dos and Don’ts for the same?
Ankit: Go through some of the interview transcripts and mock interview recordings available on the Internet. Convincing yourself why you actually want to do an MBA is crucial. Deceiving yourself is a recipe for disaster and the interviewers will not take even two seconds to figure out if you are being superficial. If you are a fresher, make sure you brush up on your favorite academic subjects, internships, and extracurricular experiences. Similarly, for people with work experience, it’s important to know about their organization and work in-depth apart from academics (if possible to revise). Above all, you will be tested on your clarity of purpose and clarity of thought.
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Careers360: Is there a particular kind of time management strategy that should be added to the candidate’s skillset? Will it help in writing a complete structured Personal Interview?
Ankit: Time management might be required for structuring your preparations since candidates do not have a lot of time to prepare for PI. It’s important to know and prioritize things that can help you stand out and maximize conversion chances. During PI, pressure handling becomes more important.
Careers360: How did you feel when you faced the interviewers during the PI? Please share a few details like the size of your panel and your overall experience.
Ankit: I had my PI on March 21, 11 A.M. I logged in and waited for about 15 min before my interview started. There were three people on the panel, including two professors and one alumnus. The first ten minutes were not easy at all and I was repeatedly cross-questioned on my answers and had a difficult time convincing the professor about my switch to Analytics. After that, the remaining two interviewers were slightly more accepting but they also asked for multiple follow-ups. Overall, I was completely pushed out of my comfort zone and the interview was contrary to my expectations. However, I think what helped my case is the fact that I did not lose my composure at any point in time and that allowed me to be my logical self throughout the interview.
Careers360: Which interview turned out to be the best one? Enlighten us about the finest one according to you.
Ankit: The third interviewer, who was an alumnus, was the most accepting. He was constantly smiling at my answers and tried to make me feel comfortable. That boosted my confidence to talk a bit more freely about my views, which were otherwise a bit subdued during my interaction with the professors.
Careers360: What about the questions which you found difficult to answer? How did you reply to those?
Ankit: I was asked about the decision to change my career from core mechanical engineering to Analytics and Data Science. I had good grades during my undergraduate and was asked why I was selling clothes and working for an e-commerce firm instead of going for an MS or building spaceships. I explained my decision by stating the disconnect that I found between academia and industry practices as far as Mechanical engineering was concerned, my genuine interest in data science which I justified by means of pursuing multiple courses and internships and finally stating the impact that my work has on millions of fashion shoppers across the country.
Careers360: So in those situations, was the panel easy or harsh on you? What should one do when s/he has no answer?
Ankit: The panel was a bit aggressive and asked multiple follow-up questions. Since most of the questions were behavioral, there was no question that I could not have answered. However, in case there’s a factual question that one does not have an answer to then please refer to the three-step process that I mentioned in one of my previous answers.
Careers360: What were the most fascinating questions you were asked? Please share your answers too.
Ankit: I was asked if it’s right to collect data from users unknowingly and then use it for commercial purposes. I had a slightly unpopular opinion about it and stated that it’s alright to do so if the user has consented to share his/her personal data. However, consent is extremely important and it should be made clear to the user about what data would be logged, who would it be shared, and how it would be processed for the user's benefit along with ensuring privacy. I was asked a few follow-up questions on this but was able to defend my opinion.
Careers360: How different is an IIM interview from a non-IIM yet top B-School interview? Are there major differences? (If you have appeared for IIMs)
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Ankit: I did not appear for any non-IIM institutions’ interviews.
Careers360: How did you go about the preparations for PI? Did you search or look up some questions or practice mock PIs?
Ankit: I went through a lot of interview transcripts, especially for profiles that were as similar to me as possible. This gave me a sense of what to expect. I spent a lot of time drafting my SoP, answers to behavioral questions, and revising the fundamentals of analytics and data science. I did not take any mock interviews since I had already appeared for a lot of job interviews during the last year. Hence, I was comfortable handling uneasy questions and pressure situations. Having said that, I was certainly under the pump during IIM Bangalore.
Careers360: And finally what are the aspects or qualities that the interview board looks for in a candidate?
Ankit: Confidence, clarity of purpose, and clarity of thought. There’s no way for the interviewer to know everything about you accurately in a short 30 min interview. Hence, it’s important that you beat the competition by being clear about what you want to do and why you want to do it because most people don’t know the answers to these questions. It’s funny but it’s true. It’s also important to be your original self during the PI and not pretend or lie about anything. Interviewers are highly experienced and it’s a no-brainer for them to recognize and eliminate candidates who try to fake anything in their responses.
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Questions related to CAT
Have a question related to CAT ?
With a 65 percentile in CAT, getting admission to USMS (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University) may be difficult, as its cutoff is usually 75-85 percentile or higher for the general category.
However, you can consider other good MBA colleges that accept 60-70 percentile in CAT, such as:
Christ University, Bangalore
Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad
Amrita School of Business, Kochi
PES University, Bangalore
KIIT School of Management, Bhubaneswar
Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, Kochi
Army Institute of Management, Kolkata
Research their admission criteria, placements, and faculty to choose the best fit.
Poral Siddartha (siddu) 02 March,2025
Hello
With a 65 percentile in CAT , USMS (GGSIPU) admission is difficult as its cutoffs are usually higher. However, you can explore private and tier-2/tier-3 MBA colleges that accept lower CAT scores.
Options to Consider:
1. Private MBA Colleges :
Amity University, Noida
LPU (Lovely Professional University)
Alliance University, Bangalore
Christ University, Bangalore
Apeejay School of Management, Delhi
2. B-Schools Accepting Lower CAT Percentile :
BIMTECH (PGDM-Retail/IB/Insurance)
XIME Bangalore
ITM Navi Mumbai
IPE Hyderabad
Jaipuria Institute of Management
3. Other Entrance Exams :
Appear for MAT, CMAT, XAT (low percentile accepted by some colleges)
Consider state-level exams like MAH CET, KMAT or TANCET .
Hope this gives you the clarity you need.
Mitali Sharma 02 March,2025
Hello there,
With your
academic profile (General, Male, Non-Engineer)
, you should
target MBA colleges that focus more on CAT percentile than past academics.
Target Colleges & Minimum CAT Percentile:
- Top IIMs (A, B, C, L, K, I, FMS, XLRI, SPJIMR, MDI, etc.) – 90-99+ percentile (Tough due to low 12th marks)
- New & Baby IIMs (IIM Trichy, Udaipur, Rohtak, etc.) – 85+ percentile
- Tier-2 Colleges (IMT, TAPMI, GIM, KJ Somaiya, etc.) – 75-85 percentile
-
Tier-3 Colleges (BIMTECH, NDIM, ITM, etc.) – 60-75 percentile
What to Focus On?
- Score high in CAT (85+ percentile recommended)
- Apply to non-CAT colleges (XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT)
- Strengthen profile with work experience or certifications
- Perform well in GD-PI rounds
You
can
get a good MBA college with
strategic applications
and
high CAT/XAT percentile.
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.
kumardurgesh1802 27 February,2025
Hi,
As per your given JEE Main percentile which is 88.34 in the SC Category, Your Predicted JEE MAINS 2025 rank may range between 147086 - 170102.
Based on the previous year analysis, According to your JEE MAINS percentile and category you have less possibility of getting a seat for admission in NIT Surathkal.
Some of the other colleges in which you have chances to get admission includes:
- Harcourt Butler Technological University
- G.L Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management
- Galgotais college of engineering and Technology
- Institute of engineering and Technology, Lucknow
- Kamla Nehru Institute of Technology
- Bundelkhand Institute of engineering and Technology
You can predict more colleges using the JEE MAINS 2025 college predictor tool.
Hope this information will help you
Devraj 26 February,2025
With your academic background, you have a good chance of getting into some of the top IIMs. Here's a breakdown of your profile:
- Class 10:91.6% - Excellent!
- Class 12:66% - Average, but not a deal-breaker
- B.Tech Computer Science: 8.4 CGPA - Very good!
Assuming you score well in CAT , here are some IIMs you might have a good chance of getting into:
- IIM Ahmedabad: Although the qualifying CAT cut off is 85 percentile, the final cut off typically goes up to 99-100 percentile.With a good CAT score, you might be considered.
- IIM Kozhikode: The CAT cut off for IIM Kozhikode is typically around 95-98 percentile. Your academic profile and a good CAT score might make you a competitive candidate.
- IIM Indore:The CAT cut off for IIM Indore is typically around 90-95 percentile. With a good CAT score and your academic background, you might have a chance.
Keep in mind that CAT cut offs can vary from year to year, and other factors like work experience, extracurricular activities, and personal interviews also play a significant role in the admission process.
To increase your chances, focus on scoring well in CAT, and make sure you have a strong overall profile.
sadafreen356 24 February,2025
Popular CAT Questions
Directions for question :
M/s Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, one of the top four audit and accounting firms in the world with headquarters at London, UK, and with an operational presence in 153 countries, hires Management Trainees (MT) from all the premier management institutes of India thrice every year, in the months of January, May and September.
Each new group of Management Trainees (MT) have to go through a four month rigorous training schedule, after which they have to pass through a test consisting of a written assessment and a case-analysis. The top hundred ranked Management Trainees (MT) based on the performance in the test are confirmed as Management Executives (ME). The rest are given the opportunity of undergoing the training for four months one more time along with the next batch of Management Trainees (MT) and then passing through the subsequent test consisting of the written assessment and case-analysis. The Management Trainee (MT) who fails to get confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) the second time is fired.
The scatter-graph below depicts the number of Management Trainees (MT) at Deloitte taking the tests from January 2020 till May 2022, and the vis-à-vis hired Management Trainees (MT) at Deloitte who were fired :
It is also known that for the month of September 2019 at Deloitte, 96 hired Management Trainees (MT) failed to be confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) the first time, and that 36 hired Management Trainees (MT) were fired.
Question :
In which test did the minimum number of Management Trainees (MT) get confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) in the second attempt ?
Option: 1
September 2020
Option: 2
May 2021
Option: 3
January 2021
Option: 4
January 2022
Directions for question:
The bar-graph given below shows the foreign exchange reserves of Nepal (in million Rupees) from 2014 to 2021. Answer the following questions based on the graph :
Question:
What was the percentage increase (rounded to the nearest integer, if deemed necessary) in the foreign exchange reserves in 2020 over 2016 ?
Option: 1 None
Option: 2 None
Option: 3 None
Option: 4 None
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