I was so innocent as I had just stepped into a city life from a rural life. I started thinking about CAT as an alternative to my temporary agony.
Joined CL, prepared till September..that's when the next shock of my life came. My sister's marriage got fixed & my father wanted me to continue with my job, as he needed financial help. So couldn't appear for CAT 2002.
2003:
By this time around, the frustration had disappeared as I got a promotion in my job & a large + a beautiful territory to work (Pondicherry, Karaikal& mahe)..But some how I was not happy. When the CAT advertisement got released in June.,I started feeling that in this one year, CAT had become something more than an alternative to my frustration.Infact, CAT had become an unachievable dream. I decided to take CAT now
Again it was a repetition of my earlier year..But this time my parents decided to get me married. I was quashed. I really really cried looking at my fate. I wanted to become a doctor; my fate made me an engineer. I wanted to become an MBA; still fate didn't even allow me to take the exam.
2004:
I joined a new company with a bigger role (Sales Incharge of Kerala, Karnataka & Goa)So, I was extremely happy with my job. But that IIM dream was disturbing me, every time I go to IIMB for my Sales calls, I felt like I'm missing something in my life. One day when I was in IIMB, I just had a thought, "I wanted to come here as a student & not as a Sales guy", but then I was scared to discuss with my Wife about my MBA dreams as she will not allow me to leave her & go to studies (She loves me so much.). I decided to stop going to IIMB
2005:
though I stopped going to IIMB, my dreams started dominating me & finally once again I decided to take up CAT whatsoever this yearTook the guts to discuss on the same with my family & finally after a lot of convincing, I got the approval..J..
August 2005:
Joined TIME full time course
The first 2-3 weeks, I really struggled to include studies in my day-to-day life. It was 3 years, since I had touched any of the academic books & now I'm a relaxed family man too. But then, I started speaking to myself, reiterating the importance of determination to achieve my dreams. I know spending time on studies is going to be the crucial factor.
I started breathing CAT, eating CATEvery day I used to take book after my daughter & wife went to bed..Finally started feeling happy that I am doing some justice & I was on track like other aspirants
I started speaking to people who had already taken..I started knowing what they actually did. Every time when I called up someone (Though I know I have disturbed so many with all silly doubts), I ensured I learnt something new even if it is a small thing. I understood mere preparation & hard work is not going to help me. It's the small details, which are going to of major importance.
May-June:
Mock CATS started. First 5 exams my percentile was 99+ & then started the downfall
6th exam 39%ile, 7th exam 67%ile & it never crossed 90 from then. The reason was, one of my colleague (a staunch employee) went ahead & complained to my VP & HR Manager about my CAT preps. They started suspecting my commitment towards work. Now I had the additional pressure to perform in office too..So everyday I was in office till 9 pm..
Every time I was dejected, I stepped into IIMB (my dream school).Some how I got recharged when I went there, ready to fight for the battle with a replenished mind.
This is the time when I came to know about PAGALGUY.COM.
Initial 2-3 months, I was almost passive. All I wanted from PG that time was to know how people (presently & in earlier years) of my profile (i.e. Bad at acids, poor performance in Mocks, married & loads of responsibilities went ahead to crack CAT)..But to my surprise, I couldn't find one..Then I decided, why not I start participating actively so that people in future atleast may have some one for reference.
One week before the CAT my daughter was admitted in Hospital due to food poisioning..The negative feel of myself not going to appear for CAT 06 started eating me (CAT 02 &03 experiences)..But my passion gave me confidence & my daughter was all right
D-DAY
Aah, first time Iam appearing for CAT..The ambivalent feeling of my passion & poor performance in mock cats was haunting me..
When I saw the CAT Paper (75 qtns & 5 options), I was almost taken back because AIMCAT 702 (my last mock cat) was of a similar format & I had got an absolute 0 & 12%ile..
I started with Verbal & could mark only 4 answers in 30 minutesI started sweating. I could see my dreams laughing at me .I decided to do quant & DI & get back to verbal. I started doing the same. Final 45 minutes , I again did something in Verbal & came out with a dejected feel..Next one month I was battling with my hopes & dreams & on jan 3, I was astounded to see a call from IIMA.
In the whole process, I became close to some of the puys, who helped me in my GD/PI process
One week before GD/PI
Now this time, I was down with viral fever, but ensured I prepare properly & 8th March again some miracle happened & I was all right
Now it's just a week for the results to be declaredI don't know what it's going to be. But for future aspirants this note may serve some purpose. This post may help people at the age of 30+ to think about pursuing their dreams(this is the main reason Iam active in PG)
ALL I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT CAT is poor performance in mock CAT doesn't matter, poor academics don't matter, and your ambience doesn't matter. All it matters is ur hardwork..Ur determination. the fire in ur belly..Ur commitment to make ur dreams come true..
I don't know whether Iam going to achieve my dreams or not (due to extraneous factors & this is my last CAT), but this is the path I had followed. In a way, I had done justice to my dreams by reaching upto the Interview stage, done justice to my job & my employer by winning the best performer award second time in a row, but don't know whether would be doing justice to the sacrifice & support of my family. Hope this helps some one, some where & at some time..
Edited on 16.05.07:-I couldnt convert as expected..Have decided to give CAT 2007 as I couldn't run away from my dreams..
prem bhai
u get thru or not but u r story has changed lives of many including mine
such an inspirational one,it is rught up there in th likes of chandoo,vinz,awr
bro we all pray that u get wat u deserve
may god bless you
prem bhai u rock again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:grab:
I was so innocent as I had just stepped into a city life from a rural life. I started thinking about CAT as an alternative to my temporary agony.
...............
I don't know whether Iam going to achieve my dreams or not (this is my last CAT), but this the path I had followed& hope this helps some on, some where & at some time..
Prem bhai that was a great motivator..
im dam sure ul convert ur lone IIM-A call
!ur hardwork wudnt go waste..
ALL THE BEST 😃 !!!
Dear prem,
you have become source of inspiration.
your patience, hard work will surely pay you dear friend.
my sincere thanks to you for your inspirational post.
may all your dreams come true.
you have become source of inspiration.
your patience, hard work will surely pay you dear friend.
my sincere thanks to you for your inspirational post.
may all your dreams come true.
@ Prem Unkil ...
Ur story is just a complete depiction of hard work and toil over a considerable point of time ..sometimes after reading such real life stories , i feel how God can be so cruel to few people ...but at the end i always realise that these r the people who finally shine like stars & rule this world ...
Hats off Sir , for your efforts ....
I pray to god that u get what u truly deserve i.e IIMA 😃
IIMA DESERVES YOU !!!! :satisfie: :satisfie: :satisfie:
I would like to quote some lines here :
------------------------------------------------------
Success in Life can never be an Accident ..
It is the result of right Decision at Right Time ..
Champions are not people who never fail but people who never quit :satisfie:
------------------------------------------------------------
Keep Inspiring People like me .....:)
amti bhai it doesnt get better then this,one brother is encouarging another brother,inspite of the fact that he too is down and shattered .this is what i like about PG
the emotional touch:)
itna pyaar to bhai bhai se nahin karta
@amit sexy quote bro:thumbsup:
prem_ravi SaysI don't know whether Iam going to achieve my dreams or not (due to extraneous factors & this is my last CAT), but this is the path I had followed. In a way, I had done justice to my dreams by reaching upto the Interview stage, done justice to my job & my employer by winning the best performer award second time in a row, but don't know whether would be doing justice to the sacrifice & support of my family. Hope this helps some one, some where & at some time..
Ur posts made me stand up n salute. 😃 :)U have already achieved whatever u wanted to in your life.
The two posts made me speechless and filled mah eyes with tears. I can understand better what your life mite have gone through... as I am the daughter of a person who persuaded his MBA when I was in 2nd standard. :neutral::neutral:Made me very nostalgic. But when I read what u had gone through ours is nothing .. We all pray sachhi dil se ki The Fal Lady sings at the end.
WAY TO GO PREM UNCLE.:D 😁 😁 😁 People like you are the ones who Shine ever n ever. Prayers n Good wishes for your results and hope that you play Dandiya this Navratri in the Land of Dhoklas n Dholakia ...Its not u deserve IIM A.. They deserve u Big Time uncle Keep Rawking 😁 😁 😁 😁
prem sir
yeah datz wot i wan to call
i cant afford not to post a reply now as i didnt since i joind other dan a mere self intro...
i don knw wot iam feelin now..but ma blood is movin fast all over me now after reading dis...
hatz offf u gentle man...realy
the sort of inspiration,confidence which i ave now,,ohhhhh....
u deserve it man...u r d man most suitable for iima
good luck to uuuuuu
@Prem Bhai
u proved it that one is never too old for anything
u does need to show devotion and even the GOD can not stop u
he tried a lot but in the end looking towards ur dedication he will send u to IIMA I am sure about it.
U really deserve it
hats off to u
Here comes a middle aged 30 year Old man with his own story behind CAT....
Well as most of us here, I hail from a rural Back ground, a very very small town in interior Tamilnadu where it is very hard to find even a Good State Board School..For most of my Townmates even today life till Standard 12 is confined only to my town & I was no exception...When I finished my Standard 12 believe me I didn't knew that there is something called as JEEE, JMET, CAT, XAT etc, there is a college known as REC...Those days all I wanted to do is an MBBS from Madras Medical College which I lost by just 3 marks(Still fresh in a corner of my heart)...I still remember that day when I sat in the corridor of MMC & literally broke down to tears..My Ignorance costed me a lot..For REC other state quota during those days one needed 98 marks in Physics, Chemistry & Maths & I had a 99.5..& this, I came to know after joining a DOTE II college..Alas, Time went by & I too finished Engg with 58.4% inspite of so many family issues...
Even with a paltry 58.4%, I could win myself a Job through Campus Placement & joined an IT company as Software Sales Executive..Believe me the 1st 2 years of my career were the impetus for what Iam today, those days were the real starting point for my theoretical journey towards CAT..Toiling in Hot Chennai Sun with a Hero Puch..Going as far as 50 Kms in that Hero Puch to do Sales Calls..Sometimes forced to take lunch sitting on the sordid roadsides of PetroChemical refineries...Cant describe much as most of the Sales Guys face this in the beginning of their career....
In 2002 I wanted to write CAT, but as my Sister was getting married I was forced to drop..
In 2003 I got married & became a parent in 2004...But those Dreams about CAT & IIM were still there in my mind & were searching for a reason to come out & I got the reason in July 2005, when I lost my IBM interview to an IIMB guy...
There started my actual & practical journey towards CAT...
It was never easy to compete with young & fresh minds, the way my mock CATs went.....
Many a times, I had to take my book late in the night after my daughter went to bed...
There had been days, when I was awake through out the night, Go to office the next day morning...
For about 1 & 1/2 years it was like an academic cum official life..........a focussed & targetted life...
Jan 2, when I saw my percentile I was almost broken with disappointment & it was my wife as usual who supported me by saying, wait u may get a call
Jan 3, her words came true..I got a call from IIMA....As many said it was for this moment I had fought hard for about 1 & 1/2 years...
Now I whole heartedly Thank my Wife without whom I wouldn't have reached so far, my parents who had been motivating, my friends who stood by me whenever i needed & still helping me in converting this call & most of all my Daughter who had been my inspiration & GOD's wonderful gift to me...
For people taking CAT 2007:-
I have seen so many people posting in PG saying that Iam in my college final year so its difficult to focus on CAT or Iam working in an MNC so its difficult to focus on CAT, I have alow academic marks - will I get a call, Iam scoring very less in MOCK CATs - Do I stand a Chance....Take this from me if you work hard & determined, nothing is impossible ..At the age of 30, with loads of responsibilities & a family to take care when I could do it, why cant you??????????.
This is the most inspiring story ever..m working n often loose my heart though i have been putting effort daily..even though i get to sleep only 5 hrs or less i try to at least study an hr daily..i have been loosing heart thinking other ppl r getting ahead n daily in the morning have the guilt...but u really m speechless hats off!!!!!...this is too good..thanx alot!!!!!!!!!!!
A little briefing about what happened from early 90's. Way back in 1992, when I was in standard 9, there was an issue at my home. My mother was ill.
To be continued.............
Its been a while since I was moved to tears on reading something ... and this something wasnt just something , It was someones life laid bare .. the struggle , the pain .. the grit .. teh determination that was there .. will motivate people in the years to come ...
I hadnt read this post , before meeting you at the bangy pg meet .. had I .... I would have definitely hugged u ....
I can relate to so many things that you have written .. I went through so many similar instances .. I have also cried at my job .... knowing fully well that I deserve something better .. That I have it in me to be amongst the best ..
I was also bitched against by my colleague .. they made my life difficult .. but I never gave up ...
I am really proud to have been able to meet a person like you .. always wanted to meet awr ... Now there are two in the list whom I really admire ..
A or no A ... If they cant see the fire in your belly , and dont give you a seat .. then I think they have a lot to learn from you as well ...
all the very best ... I will pray for you .... and if there is any justice in this world .. you will be surely walking in the hallowed corridor of IIMA in a few days ..
Its been a while since I was moved to tears on reading something ... and this something wasnt just something , It was someones life laid bare .. the struggle , the pain .. the grit .. teh determination that was there .. will motivate people in the years to come ...
I hadnt read this post , before meeting you at the bangy pg meet .. had I .... I would have definitely hugged u ....
I can relate to so many things that you have written .. I went through so many similar instances .. I have also cried at my job .... knowing fully well that I deserve something better .. That I have it in me to be amongst the best ..
I was also bitched against by my colleague .. they made my life difficult .. but I never gave up ...
I am really proud to have been able to meet a person like you .. always wanted to meet awr ... Now there are two in the list whom I really admire ..
A or no A ... If they cant see the fire in your belly , and dont give you a seat .. then I think they have a lot to learn from you as well ...
all the very best ... I will pray for you .... and if there is any justice in this world .. you will be surely walking in the hallowed corridor of IIMA in a few days ..
I really want to thank PG and specially u people rite now..m going thru one of the toughest phase of my life..n which is really making it tougher for me to prepare but after knowing bout prem_ravi i felt a new zest to try..i went thru his blog n in office itself i was filled with tears n admiration..
Sir, I really bow to u..i will try my level best this time..n I will pray for u too..Wish cld meet u in person
@aspire u r lucky to meet such a person..n m lucky to knw about u n him..
N i want to thank specially also abhi_g1 who gave this post to read..in one of other thread..it has lifted my spirits..i made everyone i knw to read this..
it happens sometimes u meet some ppl who change live n prem_ravi u r one of them...
seems it getting too emotional..just wanted to drop a note of thanks
May God do get u thru..Long live u..long live PG..
What a sacrosanct thread guys....
First of all many many thanks to Chandoo for starting this Thread....
@ Chandoo, prem_ravi, anupam will return, vinz, and others.... You ppl have Redefined the approach for CAT....
I was so much Inspired after going through almost the entire thread, that I now feel that after 3 bad CAT's, I'm 100% SURE that I'll make it this time i.e. CAT 2008 .... :grab: Coz after going through your stories 1 Thing I rrealised is "If you think You CAN, You are right" This attitude coupled with Hardwork and Dedication will definitely TAKE ME INTO IIM's
This thread is definitely my fav thread and I'll keep visiting it.....
Thank you one and all for posting your inspirational stories and ingniting the BURNING DESIRE in all the CAT aspirants like ME to Crack CAT...
You Guys Rock.... Wish you ALL THE BEST
cat is all abt decision making...so try to inculcate nd learn the art...hw mch u prepare eod cat will bring out surprises..which can b cleared only by ppl whose funcamentals r strong..ie they know their strnghts/weakness completely...nd r able to do trade off while selecting sets of questions..
hence while tackling a problem/mock..try to think all possible combos of doing it..dont b satisfied with ne strategy....b hungry with fire under ur belly...
in the end iims r not the only best..sm good colleges r also there...i know this line may not interest sm of the first timers..but time will tell ya...so do take up other exams as well...(snap, jmet, tiss, cet -pretty easy exams...xat, fms - moderate ones but huge competition)...
nother thing in the mockcat threads dont get bogged/awed by the scores of puyz..take ur time but reach ur best performance in time(so that its not too late b4 november)
My CAT journery is pretty long and tortuous.
I had my schooling in rural Andhra Pradesh and I had been the topper in every class.So, I used to carry an aura of superiority along. It was after my class 12th and after joining engineering I realised how good I was.
I studied in my mother tongue and consequently struggled to speak or write english during my engineering.That hurt my ego and I made it a point to learn the language. Believe me, I could harldy frame a sentence!!
I spent my first two years of engg reading,reading,reading. I read fiction,non-fiction,biographies and what not.It is in my 3rd year I came to know about CAT when one of my seniors got a call from IIM Calcutta. I knew that technology was not my cup of tea and the idea of management education looked attractive.I used to be very busy with collge level extra currics and university level competitions. It was during my final year when most of my classmates taking their GRE, I started preparing for CAT and I applied only to IIMs.
My first ever CAT.
It was 6 years back I took my first CAT and I did well. I received 5 calls A,B,C,L and K. With the arrogance of a fresher I attended only A,B and C. Failed to convert any of them for whatver reasons.
After that family conditions forced me to take up a job and I wanted to join something related to management. I could get a job with one Software dealer and I stayed there for almost 2 years.This job had taught me a lot.
Later I worked with Hewlett Packard, Wipro and ultimately settled with Sonata Software in the capacity of Asst Manager.
I took CAT in 2003, joined TIME and had done well in mocks etc.
Had done reasonably well in the leaked paper but the retest proved to be tough as I screwed up DI.
I ended up scoring 97ptile over all with a paltry 64 in DI.I could score 97 in quant and 98 in VA.
I knew that I could crack this exam hence took it once again in 2004.Again, the same DI proved to be my nemesis.
CAT 2004:VA-99,QA-95 and DI--24
It took lot of time for me recover. I decided never to write CAT again.So, I didnt even bother to know anything about CAT 2005.
During all these years there is one person who believed in me more than I believed in myself. It is none other than my girlfriend and now my wife.She asked me why shouldnt I write it one more time.I would admit frankly that it was because of her that I applied to CAT 2006.But, I hardly prepared.My fiance was working in Hyderabad and I used to go to Hyd every weekend.If on any weekend I am not going to Hyd, then I used to sit for a Mock.My prep was more or like a brushing up process rather than a serious prep.Just 15 days before 19th Nov 2006, I had to travel on an official trip and returned only that Tuesday,14th Nov 2006.I revised all the basics and went to the exam with a feeling that I dont deserve to do well.
19th Nov 2006:
I laughed when I saw the paper.I looked at all the questions and decided that I would attempt all.I finished the 25 VA questions in 40 mins.
Then started with QA and answered 15 questions in another 40 mins. I got stuck with that luggage question for some 10-15 mins.Attempted 3 DI sets in the next 45 mins.I was left with some 15-20 mins in the end.What did I do??
I sat idle, yes I sat idle for 15-20 mins in CAT 2006.I know it sounds crazy but I did.In most of the mocks I used to attempt more than 100 questions and end up with lot of mistakes. So, I thought that 15 questions each in QA and DI were safe enough to clear the cutoff and anyway I would score well in VA.I came out of the exam hall and called up my fiancee,told her that I would get all 6 calls. But, I was shocked when I came back and checked the key for QA and DI.I made 3 silly mistakes each in QA and DI.I didnt bother to check VA as I was damn sure that I would cross any cutoff.
Results day 2nd Jan:
IIMK has comeout with the score sheet. I saw my over all score first which read 99.71 and I thought I would get all 6 calls. Then I saw the break up.
DI -- 95.22
QA-- 94.5
VA -- 99.99
D'oh!! I paid price for not maximising my scores in QA and DI.
Subsequently I received calls from IIM C,L,I and K.
By this time my parents have fixed my marriage date. It was on 24th Feb and I protested saying that I wouldnt be able to focus on GD/PIs.But,as expected my parents didnt budge as that was supposedly the most auspicious date for both my fiancee and me.
GD/PI
This time I prepared well for my interviews. Attended TIME GD/PI sessions and that really helped.Made lot of friedns also.
My GD/PI Schedule:
6th Feb: IIMK -- GD was ok but the PI was not that good as they grilled me on academics.
13th Feb: IIM I -- good GD and good PI.I was sure that I would be in.
14th Feb: IIML -- above avg GD and sub 10 min PI. I was really annoyed by the way they conducted the PI.Never thought I would be through.
The D-day in life:
After my IIML i/v I left for my marriage and the next 3 weeks I was busy with lot of marriage rituals. My family is ultra orthodox and they wanted me to follow the tradition atleast in this regard as I choose the bride myself.
I returned to Bangalore on 6th March and my IIM Cal i/v was on 13th March.I had to start everything again. I spoke to my mentor and he conducted a mock i/v for me over phone. It went on for 1 hr and it made lot of difference.
13th March 2007: IIM Cal GD/PI
The GD was good as I could make points well and contributed to the progress of the group.
The i/v was chilled as they asked me why I want to do MBA after almost 6 years of work experience. This was expected and I had a ready made, well polisehd answer ready. The i/v went on for some 10-12 mins and I came out with lot of relief.
Final Result:
The wait for the final result is full of drama. First the stay of SC, then the directive by the MHRD and then delay of the results. These things affected me a lot. I was not able to focus on my work, my wife used to complain that I was always preoccupied.
What do I say about PG. I think I am one of the very old memebers around and I know PG for last 4 years.During the GD/PIs and during the wait for the final results it is PG that was my lifeblood.The comraderie shown by the junta, the instant updates, results frozen thread, the discussions, contingency plans....I would say PG is a critical enabler in my CAT success story.
Some 10 days before the final result I resigned to my job because I couldnt do any justice to it.So,the wait has been very very painful and the result couldnt have been any better.
After the MHRD gave clearence to the IIMs, I could hardly sleep. I was refreshing PG and IIMC website the whole night. I slept off around 3 am and woke up again around 6 am. No result yet.
Came to office and was doing the samething again. Had my luch and came to office again. I think it was somewhere around 1;30 or 2:00 PM that I opened IIMC website and saw the same old page. I pressed F5 relucantly. Bingo, I see the link reading " PGDM/PGDCM final offers".
I clicked on the link and suddenly I forgot my CAT reg no. Then sat down for a min and tried remembering the no.Finally afte some 2-3 mins of raking up my brains I recollected it.
Entered the details and saw a message saying "Congratulations"........thatz all I didnt check anything else.Collapsed in my chair and my mind went blank for a while. Sat there for some 5 mins and then called up my wife and parents to tell them about it. Later I checked other IIM site and I converted IIML,IIMI and waitlisted at IIMK. No rejects 
My CAT jounery has lasted for 6 years and I had gone through everything possible.Many people remarked "how many times do you write that bloody exam?". But, I knew that I could crack this exam and finally I did it.
I know that this is just a small step towards my career goal and entering an IIM doesnt change one into a super achiever. But, I am confident that I can do well there and the coming 2 years would really help me achieving whatever I want to achieve in my life.
Now that I am entitled to post here.. ...Here I go.....:) ...(Bear wid me puys.....It's goinna be a lil long.....)....I am goinna talk abt the events, the various strategies and the outcome...all together over here....
This is an emotional moment for me.. 😃 😃 .. So thought of giving you all a detailed account of my CAT journey....T'was my third attempt after all....
1st Attempt - CAT 03
Strategy followed for CAT, 03 - Maximise attempts with no special focus on accuracy....Thought 115 attempts with 85 correct and 30 wrong was good....but it was not to be....learnt it the hard way.....
CAT %ile - 96.5 ....;)...Was supposed to be best prepared for this one....
Calls - Nil (as expected) .....B probably dint have crazy short-listing criteria back then.. ...No offence meant....
2nd Attempt - CAT 05
Strategy followed for CAT, 05 - Had lost my speed....wasn't too accurate either....CAT had changed too....Had seen, scoring a 50 - 55 odd was good enough.....Worked like mad on my accuracy....and did improve on it....:satisfie: :satisfie: ...Followed the 5-3-2 approach for attempting (the numbers indicate the maximum marks of mistakes allowed in VA-DI-QA respectively....)....And surprisingly enough.....could stick to it.... ....Target attempts(marks) used to be 25-20-20 (in the same order.....)
CAT %ile - 99.06
VA - 99.xx
QA - 97.xx
DI - 83.xx ...:wow: 
...Screwed up big time....
Calls - A lone K call
Rejects - A, B, C, L, I, MDI, NITIE, SP Jain....(Expecting to get a call from MDI, NITIE, SP Jain et all with a measly 83 in DI, huh...??...
...)
K GD/PI melodrama - (6th Feb, 06)
My lone call and I reached late for the intv process....:wow: ....Ran up the stairs of the CPP block (IIM B)...just to see the rest of the candidates walk in for the GD.....moi was held back.....Dreams shattered....:( 😞 ....(10:40 a.m.)
However, the panel was kind enuf to consider me in the afternoon slot....
time - 2:15 p.m.
GD/PI started
GD - Had a satisfactory GD....3-4 entries...made a couple of valid points...was well accepted by the group.....:)
PI - Gang-R***d .... How can u expect to be late for an IIM interview and get away with it....???... Was the last one to be interviewed....the interview process culminated at 6:45 p.m...:neutral: 
...Was exhausted, worn-out and broken....:( ....Had not had a grain of food thus far....dint feel like either.....:( 😞 😞
Converts - Nil (dint expect either)
3rd Attempt - CAT 06
Strategy followed for CAT, 06 - CAT, 05 followed closely with CAT, 04.....and one thing was getting increasingly clear.....that speed is not going to matter much..... ACCURACY will be the order of the day....Knew that scoring 50 odd will get me all 6 calls....Further refined my strategy to 3-2-1 (VA-DI-QA)....with attempts of 25-20-20 (marks)....
Further broke up my time slots -
- VA -
- 10 mins - (1 mark)
- 10 mins - (2 marks)
- 10 mins - (1 mark)
- QA -
- 15 mins - (1 mark)
- 25 mins - (2 marks)
- 15 mins - (1 mark)
- DI -
- 15 mins - (1 mark)
- 25 mins - (2 marks)
- 15 mins - (1 mark)
- RC -
- 10 mins - (1 mark)
- 20 mins - (2 marks)
- 10 mins - (1 mark)
- Extra time (miscellaneous - for all the remaining patch work)
- 20 mins
....CAT 06, turned everything upside down....but must say, the strategising did help in keeping me on track....:) 😃
CAT %ile - 99.13
VA - 98.98%ile
QA - 96.96 %ile
DI - 94.94 %ile (Dint get A because of this....:neutral: ...)
Calls - I, K, MDI, NITIE
Rejects A (Criteria not met) , B (Criteria..??...He he he..), C (Was DI probably), L (Still can't figure out), SP Jain....:wow:
....(Now this was tooo much...99.xx with decent acads and 33 months work-exp wasn't gud enuf for them.... ...)Converts - I
, K , MDI, NITIE.....Phinally got to use the smiley My PG mates -
I must thank all my mates @ PG....they have been a guiding light all through my CAT preps....Have forged many a freindships over here.....Will always hold them close to my heart...:) ...and cherish them for times to come.....:) 😃 .....Thanks a tonne bhai logon....
I'll surely be available @ PG....for all of you, whenever you need me....Have to give back all that I have taken from this wonderful forum....:)
For IIM aspirants - following are the links to my I and K interviews
IIM I link - http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/cat-an...tml#post710784 (IIM Indore GD PI experiences 2007)
IIM K link - http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/cat-and-related-discussion/20942-iim-k-gdpi-experience-cat-5.html#post685017
One final word - Persistence pays....:) 😃
ATB folks...
PS : - Got a lil tooo looong I know....but kya karoon....Got carried away a bit.....
"Fight" I say. Down and out, you never are!
CAT 2004 OA 90.12 DI/DS 85.75 MT 91.97 ENG 76.44
CAT 2005 OA 93.38
CAT 2006 98.99 DI/DS 98.25 MT 95.27 ENG 97.70
Joining IIM -K :
Note :I am not saying that what all i have written - works, neither have i have cracked CAT. But surely you can give these points a little thought ;-)
My 2 cents of wisdom for all those attempting CAT
1)It does not matter how you have fared in the previous exams (mock CATS and real CATS). What matters is how you perform on that day. Its like tendulkar having scored more runs than the whole of Bangladesh team, but India lost to Bangladesh in the World Cup 2007.
2)No matter how hard you work in the office or study in the college. 2 hrs a day, one in the morning and one in the evening for 4 months is more than enough for giving CAT. And out of this one hr; 45 min should be effective minutes of studying. That will be enough! Anything more than that except the Sunday mock cats will be detrimental :-)
3)Be yourselves. 50% of the competition is killed the day before the CAT. 50% of the remaining is killed on the day, just before the exam starts. The remaining 25% fight it out, and 50% of these are out after 1 hr. that leaves only 12.5% to fight it out for the remaining time. Which are 25,000 considering 2 lakh applicants. Now, around 4000 people get calls for GD/PI. It depends on you how you handle the things, and how far you are able to show what you are. Interesting isn't it? I am asking you to show in the exam what you are. And that is the most difficult thing to do.
If that does not make sense, then consider it this way - what is wrong in performing within your abilities. Let's show what you are and forget about the rest of the candidates. What is the problem in showing to the IIM's that this is what I am, and if you consider me worthy enough - pick me.
4)Luck- Yes its there. But why spend time thinking about things which are not under your control. Focus on things which you can control and work on them.
5)Don't go with any biases towards any section. If you find this difficult, then simply divide the time equally among all sections, and stick to the limits. Perform!
6)Pace your self. Two and a half hours is a long time. Believe me a normal person cannot have concentration for that long constantly. So pace yourself with the sections and your concentration levels. Do what you don't like first if possible! And know the points of time when you are loosing out on concentration for e.g. getting stuck in one question and time just flies by. You never know
7) Strategy: devise whatever you want. It is you and it has to be customized for you. Let me tell you what I did. After two CATS, and the embarrassment and ignominy I had to try something new and more in line with what I am. I went for all MOCK as well as CAT without any strategy. Yes, I went in, saw the instructions devised my strategy/tactic then and there and order of sections. Kept it simple. My professor in Engineering Col. X said KISS= Keep it simple stupid!. And that is what I did. I divided the time according to the sections and attempted the paper.
8 )Genius = Yes there are genius people on this earth. And let them be there. Forget about all people above 99.75%ile. Even if you make them write the paper right now, they will be up there. We are not fighting with them. What about the remaining people in 99.00 to 99.75%ile. I have seen them and there is nothing fantabulous about them. We need to fight it out in this range and the last half an hour of the exam is quintessential in being there.
9)Confidence = is the name of the game. Believe in yourselves of what you are, and fight. Whatever the arms and ammunitions you have, make prudent use of them.
10) Find a friend and team work is essential to maintain the motivation levels and give a different dimension to the whole process. Many a times mistakes come out when one views it from another angle. One more thing I would like to say is - you will learn more by talking with people who have experienced failure rather than those who have succeeded. One can either rise from a failure or just give up. Take a call!
11) Process. This is no sacrosanct process, and a lot of glitches in them. Its not that the best are selected, but then they convert them into the best products or so have I heard. Reasons of selection or rejection or pondering over them is like asking for water in Sahara desert. :-)
12) What is CAT? For the genius it's a MATHS, DI/DS, English match. For the not so fortunate people it has to be something else. It took me two years to realize that I could not crack CAT by improving the sectional skills. It had to be something else, for I would have cracked it in the past two attempts, where for two years I tried to improve my sectional skills. So what is CAT all about for me. It s a game of confidence, decision making ability, risk taking ability, pressure handling, concentration, patience, never say die attitude, perseverance, time management, intuition which comes through experience, and more importantly the desire to fight. This might seem strange at first instance, but no matter how many mock cats you write, I wrote around 200-250, my score remained the same from the first mock to the last one. I used to score in TIME mocks and PT mocks in the range of 90-95% with some scores going well below that range. But one should have the audacity to perform on that day. And on the day of CAT one should be able to integrate all the skills and know how to perform and come out with flying colours
A very very very special thanks to Pagalguy and Puys for the invaluable contribution it has made to my life. I have been a Puy since 2004 albeit by some other id :-)
P.S. One more thing, when I was frustrated, and feeling low, I always went on this sacred thread. And dream of writing on this thread one day... A hope i do reach there...
Fight I say. Down and out, you never are!
7) Strategy: devise whatever you want. It is you and it has to be customized for you. Let me tell you what I did. After two CATS, and the embarrassment and ignominy I had to try something new and more in line with what I am. I went for all MOCK as well as CAT without any strategy. Yes, I went in, saw the instructions devised my strategy or tactic then and there and order of sections. Kept it simple. My professor in Engineering Col. Nigam said KISS= Keep it simple stupid!. And that is what I did.
yeah , all thru out my prep - mocks and all - I stuck to this - I dint care how many sections came - the time was equally split among them ....
Logic - there will be some ppl who will be outliers/experts in every section who will crack tht section and push the cutoff up. And giving equal time for every section helped me max my chances of clearing cutoff 😃 .... infact in final CAT , I was so fast in math tht I cud solve all 25 qns in 40 mins flat. That really saved my skin in VA - 60 mins - 25 qns and yet , only 25 marks
.... but then 25 marks , as it turned out was 95.33 %ile , to my gr8 delight:satisfie: ... and tht Gave me My C call :)
(Breaking the post in 2 threads for easy reading)
It was the summers of 2004, final year of college, when appearing for CAT crossed my mind for the first time. Joined TIME classes along with a dozen of batch mates.:) . CAT preparation now had been restricted to mock cats, Sunday ke Sunday. While i was getting unimaginable success at movie making (nomination in Berlin short film festival) , the mock cats scores kept dropping.
CAT 2004: 87 percentile (dont remember the subject wise break up, never bothered to)
Come 2005, Joined HP along with dozen of batch mates. Also joined CL for test series. Mock scores were again like previous year, varying from 80 to 98 percentiles. Never ever bothered to look back into the mock papers once i gave them (later i realize it cost me a year).
Stopped attending classes within a month, had suddenly found a new interest - "Movie Making"
CAT 2005: 94 percentile (dont remeber the subject wise break up, yet again)
Continued onto next thread ...
It was the summers of 2004, final year of college, when appearing for CAT crossed my mind for the first time. Joined TIME classes along with a dozen of batch mates.:) . CAT preparation now had been restricted to mock cats, Sunday ke Sunday. While i was getting unimaginable success at movie making (nomination in Berlin short film festival) , the mock cats scores kept dropping.
CAT 2004: 87 percentile (dont remember the subject wise break up, never bothered to)
Come 2005, Joined HP along with dozen of batch mates. Also joined CL for test series. Mock scores were again like previous year, varying from 80 to 98 percentiles. Never ever bothered to look back into the mock papers once i gave them (later i realize it cost me a year).
Stopped attending classes within a month, had suddenly found a new interest - "Movie Making"
CAT 2005: 94 percentile (dont remeber the subject wise break up, yet again)
Continued onto next thread ...
(continued from previous thread)
Year 2006, Frustration grows. Still at HP. Joined TIME test series again. Much more focused this time. Relied on the strategy of postmortem of mock cats. For quant, started preparing a list of all new kind of questions i encountered in any of the mocks. Mock cats scores this year still in range of 84 to 99 percentiles. Took a week break from the work just before CAT.
..........The C-Day..............
Nervous like hell. Had really put in lot of efforts this time and dint want it to go all in vain in just 2 and half hours. Drank glasses of water just before the exam to cool myself. Paper starts. I started with Verbal (had followed the strategy of giving 40 minutes to it, and 55 minutes each to DI and Quant all through mocks). Since the going was tough, gave full 50 minutes and attempted almost all. DI seemed walk through and so looked Quant untill disaster struck. (It all seems so funny now :P) Never ever in my life i had such an urge to go out and have a pee. I in fact checked out the possibility of it during the CAT paper but they didnt allow me to go. Last 15 minutes were unbearable, left the paper with my heads down, was trembling, almost tears in my eyes. 15 minutes in a CAT paper are too much to be wasted, was going to realize it later. After the paper i rushed out for the nearest loo only to find a long queue there. Next to it was ladies toilet without any queue, didnt even had a second thought. Just rushed in with my heads down. I could feel many surprised eyes staring at me. I was least bothered. Had the relief of my life in next minute. (Ok, i know i am getting too much in details)
..... forward to January 2nd, 2007.....
CAT 2006: 99.46 (DI: 97.04, VA: 99.96, QA: 90.70)
The scores looked pretty descent, with doubts over the quant score. IIMA comes out with the calls. Rejected. C Rejected. B Rejected. L Rejected. Quant score had me in big time. Finally Indore gives me a call (i still remember the sigh of relief i had). K Rejected (Couldn't believe). Does not end here. XAT scores: 99.67 (DI: 99+, VA:87+, QA:98+) but no call from XLRI either. To top it all when MDI declared its GD PI call list, my name didn't figure even there. Though after repeated phone calls and mail exchange they finally gave me a call. And in JMET at rank 429 calls from IIT B and D would have been a miracle only.
..... Time for final results.....
NITIE (PGDISEM) : WL 4
SPJAIN: WL 4 (finally converted)
Few days back i booked a railways ticket to my home town: WL4
IIFT: WL
And after painfully agonizing wait IIMs came out with their results.
I remember i was literally hitting F5 every second on the IIM result page the day it was out. And probably i was the first one to see the result as well. (Opened the result thread at PG ;). Was trembling while keying in my registration number, hit the RESULT button.
Name : VISHAL KUMAR JALAN Registration No. : ******
You have been selected for admission to PGP (2007-2009) of IIM Indore.
And there it was. A mix of shock, excitement and dont know what. I just punched my fist in the air and everything after that was a blur. Was unable to think or speak anything. I had made it to the one of the most coveted institute of India. My drIIM had come true!!!!!!! Now joining the institute with a couple of batchmates, yet again :)
Year 2006, Frustration grows. Still at HP. Joined TIME test series again. Much more focused this time. Relied on the strategy of postmortem of mock cats. For quant, started preparing a list of all new kind of questions i encountered in any of the mocks. Mock cats scores this year still in range of 84 to 99 percentiles. Took a week break from the work just before CAT.
..........The C-Day..............
Nervous like hell. Had really put in lot of efforts this time and dint want it to go all in vain in just 2 and half hours. Drank glasses of water just before the exam to cool myself. Paper starts. I started with Verbal (had followed the strategy of giving 40 minutes to it, and 55 minutes each to DI and Quant all through mocks). Since the going was tough, gave full 50 minutes and attempted almost all. DI seemed walk through and so looked Quant untill disaster struck. (It all seems so funny now :P) Never ever in my life i had such an urge to go out and have a pee. I in fact checked out the possibility of it during the CAT paper but they didnt allow me to go. Last 15 minutes were unbearable, left the paper with my heads down, was trembling, almost tears in my eyes. 15 minutes in a CAT paper are too much to be wasted, was going to realize it later. After the paper i rushed out for the nearest loo only to find a long queue there. Next to it was ladies toilet without any queue, didnt even had a second thought. Just rushed in with my heads down. I could feel many surprised eyes staring at me. I was least bothered. Had the relief of my life in next minute. (Ok, i know i am getting too much in details)
..... forward to January 2nd, 2007.....
CAT 2006: 99.46 (DI: 97.04, VA: 99.96, QA: 90.70)
The scores looked pretty descent, with doubts over the quant score. IIMA comes out with the calls. Rejected. C Rejected. B Rejected. L Rejected. Quant score had me in big time. Finally Indore gives me a call (i still remember the sigh of relief i had). K Rejected (Couldn't believe). Does not end here. XAT scores: 99.67 (DI: 99+, VA:87+, QA:98+) but no call from XLRI either. To top it all when MDI declared its GD PI call list, my name didn't figure even there. Though after repeated phone calls and mail exchange they finally gave me a call. And in JMET at rank 429 calls from IIT B and D would have been a miracle only.
..... Time for final results.....
NITIE (PGDISEM) : WL 4
SPJAIN: WL 4 (finally converted)
Few days back i booked a railways ticket to my home town: WL4
IIFT: WL
And after painfully agonizing wait IIMs came out with their results.
I remember i was literally hitting F5 every second on the IIM result page the day it was out. And probably i was the first one to see the result as well. (Opened the result thread at PG ;). Was trembling while keying in my registration number, hit the RESULT button.
Name : VISHAL KUMAR JALAN Registration No. : ******
You have been selected for admission to PGP (2007-2009) of IIM Indore.
And there it was. A mix of shock, excitement and dont know what. I just punched my fist in the air and everything after that was a blur. Was unable to think or speak anything. I had made it to the one of the most coveted institute of India. My drIIM had come true!!!!!!! Now joining the institute with a couple of batchmates, yet again :)
For the past 2 years,CAT is probably one word I have used more than anything else.In the process,I might have bored a lot of people around me:).
My CAT journey started in December 2004 when I enrolled for the IMS classroom session.And by the time the SIMCATs started in August,I knew that I was well prepared to take the big challenge.The SIMCAT ranks seemed to prove that with me getting well over 99 percentile on a regular basis.Then came the CAT 2005 debacle,with me getting an overall score of 97.25 and a below average 84 in verbal.No calls from the IIMs as expected,no calls from MDI and other institutes taking the CAT score too.The only good aspect about the MBA season last year were the calls I got from NMIMS and FMS.I did manage to convert NM but missed FMS.I had also got a job offer from TCS Ltd.
At this juncture I decided to give NMIMS a skip and go for CAT again.Something within me told me that the CAT debacle was just an off day.I took heart from my performances in the SIMCATs and decided to start afresh.
The bigger gamble I took was to not join TCS.I joined a small and rather unknown company called Systech Solutions in Chennai for a salary much lower than what TCS had to offer.But since the idea was not to carve a niche in the IT sector,I felt it was well worth the risk.The TIME AIMCATs were great for me,with most of my scores in excess of 99%.I really was able to show consistency in my performance and I knew it was just a matter of keeping my cool on November 19th.A big morale booster came with my selection into the PG Dream Team.I cannot quite express in words the contribution of PG towards my performances in CAT and other exams thanks to its Excellent peer group,great spirit and extra-ordinary levels of competition.
Come November 19th,I did get my act together this time with an overall score of 99.68% and good sectional splits.And the 6 IIM calls came,much to my excitement but I knew the bigger job was yet to come.
Getting back to the CAT exam,the 2 year experience taught me a lot more than math and English skills.I belive this is one exam that tests many characters of the individual most important of which is performance under pressure.So,one may rock the mock cats,but performing when it really matters is the biggest test.Something I learnt the hard way in 2005.
All in all,its been a pleasurable experience with CAT and something I will treasure for a long time.