CAT Preparation 2017- PaGaLGuY

hvharsha · January 18, 2009, 9:34pm

2008: The decision to quit my job was made and it got universal support from my GF and my family. Emboldened by this, I went ahead and let my manager know about the decision. Finally quit after 3 bittersweet years on the very same day that I had joined. Joined mocks and a coaching class and I was all set to go. Mocks started ok-ish, went to good and during final couple of months, reached bad. This is where a good partner comes into picture. I was almost ready to give it all up and go back to search a job when she convinced me to stay and fight rather than take flight.

Nov 16: Reached my centre well in time, got seated, blah, blah, blah. Got the paper. Saw the no. of question and did a silent sitting dance. 40 Qs in VA which was strength. That was mistake no. 1: I judged before seeing the Qs. Started with VA and finished about half of it when I realised I might end up spending more time in VA than needed. Took to QA. Had decided to give it 50 mins but could do only 7 Qs in 50 mins, so decided to give it 10 mins more. Could manage just 1 Q in those extra mins. Almost in panic, came to DI. Biggest mistake ever of my life. Could give it just 40 mins since I would run short of time for VA otherwise. did 10 Qs out of which 1 was a fluke, 1 semi-fluke and 8 good attempts. Did RC in the last 18 mins and managed to get one more QA question in last 2 mins. Was confident of QA and VA but DI seemed dicey. When I checked the various keys in the eve, my fear turned true. I was scoring 101 with 36 in QA, 45 in VA but a meagre 20 in DI. Had committed my usual silly stupid mistakes in 2 of the questions. 10 marks right down the drain and I knew my IIM dreams were all over. The instis said I was scoring around 95 %ile which I was not at all happy with. All I could do now was wait for results. Meanwhile gave other exams. All were much much better than last yr but some way short of being good. JMET result came and got nowhere. Thought it was all doom and gloom.

JAN 8: The keys came out, from what I had marked in the Question Booklet, I matched each and every question. QA and DI was exactly as expected. But VA was a pleasant surprise. Keys sided with me for 3 questions which the instis said I had got wrong. Now, I was scoring 116. DI was still 20 but then, I knew it would be bad. Waited for 12 am for result to make itself known. Kept trying till around 12:15. Then the page opened. Entered my details and the result page opened. First thing I did was to see at the bottom for IIM calls. My expectation was confirmed and there were none. Then saw the score. More surprise of pleasant kind. I scored 121 total (98 %ile) which was 5 more than wht the keys gave me. I guess I had marked a bubble incorrectly

or u can call it correctly. The score was:

QA: 36/100-> 94.63 %ile
DI: 20/96-> 69.39 %ile
VA: 65/100-> 98.59 %ile
OA: 121/356-> 98.09 %ile

I was disappointed because I knew had I got those 10 more marks in DI, I would have given myself some sort of chance for at least 1 call. It would not have hurt as bad if I had completely messed up those 2 Qs. But then, what had happened had happened.

Looking back at my prep and the way I gave up sometimes, I think I scored well enough and am in line for some calls at least. I am also extremely thankful for having such a supportive lady in my life and an understanding and supportive family with me who kept me going every time I felt like giving up. I dont know where I will end up and what the future holds for me but one thing I can say for sure: "You can, if you think you can".

PS: This is not the end. I will be back to update what calls I got and which ones I converted 😁

varryset · January 21, 2009, 8:56am

After an avge cat and after missing out XL

Emotions turned into words---
My destiny eludes,my faith quivers, my endeavour trickles down the drain.
All the effort all the devotion all the excitement , has it all been in vain?

Is it failure , or is it not having achieved success , the cause of my bane?
One wins and 99 others lose, isn't it an unfair game ?

Very Few taste success ,others get the pain .
To put up a composed face, damn, I need to feign.

Despite assiduous efforts, lady luck plays her own game.
The fact that , not once was she with me, drives me insane.

Guess I didn't invest enuf time , or I did not use a smart brain.
Or if it is something else , would U please explain?

spatwardhan · January 22, 2009, 8:40am

After an avge cat and after missing out XL

Emotions turned into words---
My destiny eludes,my faith quivers, my endeavour trickles down the drain.
All the effort all the devotion all the excitement , has it all been in vain?
Is it failure , or is it not having achieved success , the cause of my bane?
One wins and 99 others lose, isn't it an unfair game ?
Very Few taste success ,others get the pain .
To put up a composed face, damn, I need to feign.
Despite assiduous efforts, lady luck plays her own game.
The fact that , not once was she with me, drives me insane.
Guess I didn't invest enuf time , or I did not use a smart brain.
Or if it is something else , would U please explain?

Hey man nice composition.The same applies to me as well ,but just believe in yourelf one day the lady luck will be definetly with you.I know it's easy to advise and difficult to practice but i guess that is the best thing one can do at the moment.... 😃

ravitosh · January 22, 2009, 9:39am

Last year at approximately the same time I had made a promise to myself that next year I would be writing on the IIM Call getters profile thread...
Finally...Here I am...but with no such promise for next year...bcoz i knw my IIM Dreams are over!!!

The journey starts with CAT 2006...dreamt only of getting into IIM- A/B/C...nothing else...not even L/I/K...was in final year college at that time...didnt study for the semester exams which were to begin next day after CAT,...finally the C-Day arrived...gave the exam...and the verbal section was the toughest to have come in CAT (atleast thats what the experts say!!!)...i knew i had not done well..that was the gut feeling after coming out of the exam hall...but i was somehow confident of my verbal..afterall that was my strongest section...finally the results came...verbal was 99 percentile..quants was 97 percentile ..and DI was just 86:-x...missed out by 2 questions perhaps!!! got an overall of 98.3 which was obviously not enough(bcoz i just have 83 % in 10th..92 % in 12th..and 77 % in graduation after qualifying IIT-JEE....no profile..uh!!!)..wats more...got my lowest GPA in the 7th semester...

I was down ..but not out!!! set my eyes upon CAT'07...this time the aim wasnt only IIM-A/B/C..but also L/I/K..and MDI...frankly speaking didnt get much time to study...had a job from campus..and they gave the joining in Aug...after 2 and a half months of training...it was already nov..time for another shot at CAT...after training I got my posting in Pune....thankfully i had anticipated this and gave my center choice also as Pune...but guess what..the exam was on sunday and i was coming to pune on saturday(just one day before exam..thanx to the training!!!)...somehow i felt i wudnt make it this time thorugh..bcoz my prep wasnt that good...again gave CAT...same type of verbal section..but i was again confident....quants was a monster...but i did relatively well...DI again proved to be my achilles heel...got 97.5 in verbal...94 in quants..and 90 in DI..OA 97.73..again all dreams shattered..got a call from MDI...but cudnt convert it...

Now..Target revised for the next shot at CAT...CAT 08..any college will do..i just need to be an MBA..filled up all forms...CAT, XAT, JMET, SNAP, FMS..u name it and i have it...this time i gave more than a 100% for CAT(thats the only satisfaction i have as of now!!)...for the first time i was feeling that i will make it through this time...the D-Day arrived...for a change verbal was easy...and DI was tough...I was confident of my verbal( thanx to 99 and 97.5 the last 2 times)...i had a great feeling after coming out of the exam hall..i felt i had conquered the world...had done some 52 marks in quants...and 40 in DI...seeing the difficulty level of the paper i knew that was very good...and verbal i had done 25 questions out of 40...i was confident i wud score good in verbal bcoz it was definitely easier than the previous 2 years...the results...

QA: 98.5
DI: 97.4
VA:90.99 ( my strongest section brought about my downfall in my last attempt at CAT!!)...missed by 1 or 2 questions again..

Overall: 98.66..no calls..not even profile based calls..bcoz i dnt have a good profile(they say!!!)...it hurts when ppl below ur percentile get calls on basis of 10th and 12th percentages(when probably one hasnt even heard of IIM-Ahmedabad!!!)...but i guess thats life..thats destiny..u have to accept the things and move on!!!

never actually stood a chance at exams like SNAP, NMAT..bcoz i was never a speed player who cud do 150 questions in 2 hrs...screwed all exams..SNAP, NMAT, IIFT, JMET..all down the drain...XAT...again english brought about my downfall...got 78 percentile in verbal in XAT and 99.25 in reasoning (my weakest section when i started 3 years back!!)...

I now know i will not try for CAT again...if i dnt get through anywhere this year(NITIE/IMT/MDI..my lone bets!!!)..then its GMAT for me...

bye bye CAT...bye bye IIMs...

helloworld_adi · January 22, 2009, 4:08pm

Last year at approximately the same time I had made a promise to myself that next year I would be writing on the IIM Call getters profile thread...
Finally...Here I am...but with no such promise for next year...bcoz i knw my IIM Dreams are over!!!

I now know i will not try for CAT again...if i dnt get through anywhere this year(NITIE/IMT/MDI..my lone bets!!!)..then its GMAT for me...

bye bye CAT...bye bye IIMs...

Its great to see you not lose heart when its so easy to and also deciding to move on. The 3 colleges you've hedged on are as good as any of the IIMs if one does well inside. It doesn't make sense to waste year-after-year of our work lives just sleepwalking through the office,coming back and prepping for cat till midnight and giving mock cats on weekends. How one hones oneself as an individual matters a great deal too and this people realise once they actually get inside the b-school and have to fight with other people with rounded profiles.

danger009 · January 23, 2009, 6:46am

Last year at approximately the same time I had made a promise to myself that next year I would be writing on the IIM Call getters profile thread...

I now know i will not try for CAT again...if i dnt get through anywhere this year(NITIE/IMT/MDI..my lone bets!!!)..then its GMAT for me...

bye bye CAT...bye bye IIMs...

hey Ravi
Don't loose heart. i know what it takes reach here and still losse.
But u still have a few good calls. Trust urself and go for the shot. This time u have to convert them. Give ur best shot and give the good news to all of us.

basit · January 23, 2009, 9:23am

Hi puys

I started thinking of doing an MBA right from the day when i started my engineering. what i lacked was proper guidance. i was just like a new born kid without any knowledge. luckily i got admission in a university which had MBA as one of its courses and i made some really good MBA friends. I don't know whether they are puys or not but they gave me a lot of info. i thought of preparing from the first year onwards but lazy me!!:sad:

Time flew and it was 2006, my final year, but i didn't give CAT 06 as i had my semester exams the next day. Gave other exams but the results were very bad. No problem i thought as i had not prepared well enough.
2007 came and it came with a bang, i got two more placements (one in 2006 itself in an IT company).

I started working from july,07 . 5 days a week and 9 to 5.

I gave CAT 07, riding high on luck and less on preparation. Result -40.xx %tile. XAt was better some 60.xxx%ile.

That was it.. needed to do something and i enrolled for a calssroom course. That gave me a real feeling of the competition and i started realising that CAT is really not that tough at all as it is perceived by many. Its just the attitude. I was not preparing upto the mark as my Mock CAT results showed but i had a strange kind of confidence this year. I knew i could do better this year. My Average mock cat scores were in the range of 70's. There were numerous problems i realised which were creating hindrance. First, alot of time was being wasted in commuting to and fro from office. then, i used to get mentally tired by the time i reached my home leaving no scope of studying further. Secondly, my mood!! When i had time i was in no mood!! This was really bad and one of my greatest weakness!!

In order to just revise my fundamentals i had taken a week long break from office.then came the D- DAY. On that day i listened to some good old hindi songs , courtesy bus driver, and this really elevated my mood. Anyways i had decided to remain calm on that day. I was a bit surprised by the no. of q's but i gave the exam in the best way possible. later after the exam i went to the trade fair ( i live in delhi so delhites will be aware that trade fiar was going on in that week) to relax.

A couple of days later i checked my answers with an institutes key and according to them i was getting, as expected only 71.11 %ile. well i thought that i had other exams also, i should study more and give them in the best way possible. but again, not everything is in your hands. I got too involved in my work in the office that i was working virtually every day!!

CAT results were out in JAN 09. I was amazed to see my score. i had scored 88.48%ile. Not one of the best scores but i was really happy. If i could get here why cant i get above 90?? :I only need to prepare more and practise more. And this really boosted my confidence.

I really dont care even if CAT 09 will be online. the basics will remain the same. its only the medium they are changing. I have a new sense of confidence and this time I'll really BELL THE CAT. :snipersm:

I have learned alot from my mistakes. Puys, remember, the early bird catches the worm so start preparing nowitself.

Lastly, all the best to all!!

john_galt · February 17, 2009, 3:01pm

boss uv written one of the best posts on this forum !!

i rate this post 20 on 10 !! it is seriously so logical....i see ppl sloggin for CAT n XAT sacrificing everything , job, relationships , personality , parents , newspapers , general knowledge...i feel it doesnt make sense...doing business is so different than studying so hard..

its an irony how ppl with 600 on GMAT are there in wharton and ppl with 99.7 in CAT are not there at IIMs cuz their quant was 88%ile..

I really hate the admission process here..

Thanx for the appreciation mate!!

I have been lucky enough to have some really big entreprenuers as professors here,and have noticed one thing apart from all the technical knowledge that makes them what they are:a childlike passion for doing better and better.And this passion arises from self-made standards,not rat-race like competition.Unfortunately,the admission process for our B-schools is so very competitive that,unless you're among the lucky first-attempt admission getters,by the time you do land in a top B-school,this childlike passion dries out.

Frankly,after a coupla failed attempts,the motivation for a major chunk of aspirants remains proving themselves before peers who have already secured their admissions,or who have found greener pastures in their job assignments.Now how exactly can such a system produce people who are filled with a zeal to innovate is a question to ponder over.

That doesn't mean that the system carries all the blame.The problem with a country our size is that even if 10 more IIMs are opened,you'd still have the same competition for the seats.What I genuinely think of as a solution is to demarket this overly hyped MBA phenomenon.That way people who actually want to manage businesses will apply to B-schools and the rest will find their true callings in life,which is good for them and for the country.

All in all,sacrificing one's life over these three letters is a bad bad idea in my book.Eight months into into B-school,I can vouch for the fact that the things that gave me the deepest creative satisfaction still do so,much more than my "Top B-school student" status does.I guess MBA is a means to an end after all!!

thestig · February 25, 2009, 6:43pm

Let me start off with a little about myself. Im not going to state the usual 10th marks, 12th marks grad marks stuff which is considered a profile. I come from a middle class family.I spent six years of my life in Mumbai till 1993. after the riots my family decided to move to Goa as it would be a better environment for me and my sister to grow up in.
Life in Goa is pretty slow. You see people you know atleast ten times a day, everyone knows everyones family and etc etc. I went to supposedly the best school in the state. When I was 12 I started the sport of Sailing. Most of you would ve not heard about it and I don't blame you all.(look it up on wikipedia). Sailing introduced a whole new world to me. I used to train hard, work on my fitness every day and soon I was one of the best in India(dont mean to boast here). I took part in numerous competitions across India and the world. It was a big thing for someone just 14 years old. I was meeting people from different countries who taught me new things and gave me insight into the rest of the world. At the age of fifteen I was on my way to the ASIAN games in south korea along with Sania mirza, Mahesh bhupathi and pankaj advani. I was ecstatic as I was the youngest member on the entire Indian contingent.anyway that was an experience I will never forget. Years went by, I moved to the senior classes in sailing. Won a few events but two years ago after I missed out on the DOHA ASIAN GAMES . I had to pull out of the sport for lack of sponsorship. I was devastated and the I kept feeling this need to prove myself in something else. I delved into books and Economics. I would just read ,read an read. I decided to answer the CAT in December 2007 as I was missing the big stage competition and needed to prove my worth to myself. Here goes.
My CAT preparation started back in Feb 2008 when I enrolled in IMS near my house. It was the start of a grand experience for me and the start of what I thought would be the next chapter in my life. Months went by and the prep was going fine. I was concentrating on quant as I am a BA student and this was my weak section. In may I went for a two month holiday to the US and when I got back in july the mock season was in full swing and I immediately joined in. I was so dedicated that I even carried my Arun sharma book to the US and was sitting in California and parts of manhattan solving quant questions. That was how much I wanted to get into a top b school.
July- October 2008- was solving a mock cat religiously every Sunday. Had even got around twenty AIMCAT s from the year before. I would spend hours solving quant, DI sets, RC's. spend even more time analyzing mock cats ( I thought I was atleast) my scores varied between 90-98 and the mentors at IMS drove me further to believe I could do it and that I was one of the potential IIM call getters.
I would not go out of my house and meet people, I would stay in my room,at my desk, not socialize with family, not watch Tv etc etc. my activities consisted of CAT , reading the Economist magazine and just reading novels. I would also browse through the websites of colleges I wanted to get into.
November 2008- D-Day got nearer and I would keep myself motivated, kept talking to myself in the mirror, writing small pep up notes to myself and just staying focused and confident. I honestly believed I could crack the CAT if I stayed focused.
On November fourteenth I left for Mumbai from Goa(where I live). Arrived on the 15th morning,went to my neighbours house, collected the November 9th AIMCAT and began to solve it after breakfast. I spent the rest of the day just going through formulae and resting. By around 9pm I ate dinner and tried to sleep. Sleep did not happen. Kept tossing and turning till four AM when I finally fell asleep.
D-DAY- reached the center at the time I was supposed to and immedietaly got intimidated by the number of candidates I saw there. Kept trying to focus, gave myself a small pep talk in my head and when the gates opened I went and found my allotted class room and sat down. Even before I got the paper, I kept thinking about cutoffs, IIM, will I make it, what if I don't and everything else related to an MBA except the task I had at hand.
When the booklets were given to us I skimmed through and started off with Verbal. Attempted almost 30 questions( yes that's how confident I was).. then proceeded to quant.i had almost an hour and half left. Barely read half the quant questions cause I was in a hurry to reach DI (don't know why but this was a big mistake) after 50 minutes I finished only 7 questions and I decided to jump to DI. Messed up here big time by answering all the questions. Don't know why I did this but I was not in a clear state of mind, mind was racing, thoughts were unclear. I just succumbed to the pressure. By this time I knew it was over as it is obvious an average jack like me cannot answer all the questions and then expect to get even ten right as the DI was tough this time.
Anyway when the time was up, I handed over the OMR and knew it was over. I knew it was over because of the sick feeling I had in my gut. It was an ache mixed with nausea along with a grip like feeling as if someone was clenching my gut with an iron fist. I sat in a taxi and headed home. Cried the whole afternoon cause I knew it was over and I was the only one to blame. All the hardwork, all the sacrifice and all the belief. i just threw it out of the window by messing up the CAT. I spent the night crying as well. Spoke to loved ones and they all tried consoling me telling me that the IIMS are not the end of the world and that I will get into a good college eventually etc etc. I still was not able to console myself and I just spent the next three four days in misery and wasted time thinking about things I could ve done in those 2 and a half hours. Went through the paper countless times solving the quant and DI properly knowing I could ve got atleast 12 right in each section.
D -Day till the XAT day was spent answering the IIFT exam, SNAP and NMAT. Dint touch my prep material for a month. Had a good Christmas and new year at home with friends and family. Enjoyed the holidays and kept my mind fresh for the XAT,
JAN 4th- opened the booklet with a clear mind.no thoughts about cutoffs, XLRI or anything like that. Just stayed in the present, focused on a question at a time and aimed for accuracy. I felt calm while solving the paper, my mind was clear. Had a good feeling about quant and English but was little hesitant about DM as I had sacrificed an entire LR set to answer the two case studies and when I double checked my answers of the case study with my mother (who is the manager of her own printing firm) she said my answers were wrong from a managerial point of view. I still hoped that they would match the XLRI key.
Jan 9th- CAT results out, my guess was more than accurate. I had a measly 32%ile in DI and an overall of around 80%ile. Dint bother about it then and knew that IMT, MDI, SPJIMR etc were all out of reach.
XAT results came out around ten days later and I had a 98 in verbal, 97 in quant and a paltry 79 in LR/DM. Overall I had 98. I was not very surprised as I knew it was the case studies that let me down and there was nothing I could do about it.
Finally at the end of a long year I had calls from just NMIMS, XIMB and GIM. I plan to attend all their interviews and take it from there.
WHAT I LEARNT FROM THE PAST YEAR AN MY MISTAKES-
-With regards to preparation my mistake was not properly analyzing the mocks. That was my only mistake. I was sure of everything else.
-With regards to the CAT (d-day) I learnt that it was my overconfidence, my distracted mind and my unnecessary thoughts that got the better of me. I am taking yoga classes currently to develop better concentration.
-With regards to the MBA scenario in India I have some advice for future candidates. I may not be the right one to give this advice but I formulated it with the inputs of friends in top bschools and friends who are in the industry. Do not rush into doing an MBA in your final year of college. It will be one the biggest mistakes you make when you look back ten years down the line. Work hard during your last year of college, enjoy your time. After graduation work for some time. Work with people. Explore the country, get the opinion of others, learn how other communities live and how business is run at the grassroots level. Get first hand experience of life as it should be. You' re still young and life is not about the corporate pay package you get, the job profile you have or which college you are from. It is about how you deal with people and function in society and an IIM will not teach you this.
-I took missing XLRI by a few questions as a sign that I should do something more with my life before jumping into the MBA race. I plan to work with a business development NGO for a few months which helps small businesses grow and consults them on their functioning. This will give me good experience.
-Sure at the end of the day you will need a job to sustain yourself and family, but you also want to look back on your life and know that you truly lived and did all the things you wanted to do. The world is huge and when you do actually step out of your little niche you will realize this.
-No doubt we are all in generation Y and we are career driven , motivated and ready to take on the world. But if you read previous posts and other threads, you will see that life after an MBA is even harder as you will be working long hours and with great intensity.

I know I ve said a lot in this post and that most of you will disagree with me on some things but it is all what I've learnt this year. The IIM's are always going to be around. Some of us will make it to them, some won't. but that is not the end all and be all of everything.
I will be hippocritical and answer the CAT and XAT this year as well cause there is this itch inside me that knows I can make it throught to a top college. I'm part of this race and even though I know that life has much more to it than an MBA, I will not be able to live with myself if I drop out of the race. I am what the sytem has created and so is everyone else. In India it is all about acads, acads and more acads. It is all about the IIT's, IIM's and the NIT's. its all about consulting, investment banking and IT. That's what life is made to be here and no matter how hard you try to stay out of it, somehow or the other something pushes you back into it. All I know is that whatever I do in my life I want to do it properly.
This post is just my thoughts collected and I know pagal guy and the puys online are like friends with whom I can share my thoughts with. So thank you for reading this long post and hopefully some of you will understand a bit of what im trying to get at here.
All the best in whatever you do and remember that whatever activity, course or job you undertake make sure its really what you want to do and not what social pressures are forcing you to do.
Regards
The Stig.

sc_rf_ce · February 28, 2009, 6:24am

Reflecting on all that,and seeing all this tension,stress,heartburn regarding %iles,calls,sectional cutoffs...blah blah blah that people face,I have a very simple advice:Enjoy what you genuinely do.Discover things you really love and practice them.Don't burn yourself out on what is,well,just a test.Don't buy too much into the "top institute","hallowed portals","lifetime achievement","proving your worth to the world" slogans.They might give you an adrenaline rush,but nothing is more satisfying than normalcy.

- With regards to the MBA scenario in India I have some advice for future candidates. I may not be the right one to give this advice but I formulated it with the inputs of friends in top bschools and friends who are in the industry. Do not rush into doing an MBA in your final year of college. It will be one the biggest mistakes you make when you look back ten years down the line. Work hard during your last year of college, enjoy your time. After graduation work for some time. Work with people. Explore the country, get the opinion of others, learn how other communities live and how business is run at the grassroots level. Get first hand experience of life as it should be. You' re still young and life is not about the corporate pay package you get, the job profile you have or which college you are from. It is about how you deal with people and function in society and an IIM will not teach you this.

So true guys.Unfortunately many of us(including me) get into this rat race of 'Cracking the Process' which finally gets converted into a fight to maintain the 'Ego'.The CAT has become somewhat like a post-grad IITJEE nowadays.Candidates concentrate on strategies to tackle Cat questions.Later on they manage to mug up answers to questions like 'Why Mba?','Why Finance/Marketing?' etc.But what majority of us fail to realize is that an MBA is not just about getting that 'Brand'.Its about an over-all development.So what if that dream college has xx average placements this year.The question is 'Will YOU be able to grab that dream job after 2 years with this level of preparation on a level of Maturity,Intellect,Communication skills and stuff' The question is 'What after MBA??'.Will you really get 'There' after 10-20 years.Will your progress be a graph going northwards or will it remain constant after those three magical letters are branded on you.
I know,this might sound like a case of 'Sour Grapes' coz I didnt perform that great in the exams this season,but maybe all those 12 months of ordeal i went through have surely taught me many things.
As some mod's signature aptly says
'Success retained me a boy ,failures made me a man'

ayansarkar · March 12, 2009, 6:10pm

My story

The beginning : Right from my childhood, my peers, my elders, everybody believed that I was an extremely bright boy with an exceptional IQ. I was very good at maths, physics, and english. When I reached Class XI, I came to believe that people with good IQ are supposed to crack IIT.:nervous:
So I gave a shot at IITJEE without any preparations ... (I was unsure of what I really wanted...and I was very lazy too...) Got an AIR of 4404..wasn't good enough....
I tried 2 more times ...(with better preparation)...my AIR slipped to around 6000 and then to around 9000. I dont know what happened !!! Probably I lost interest in studies !!!:confused:
Engg days: I took admission in Bharati Vidyapeeth...and somehow dragged through my B.Tech IT course.....with just 57%:downwards: I got a job in Cognizant(first company at our campus) I was selected because of my excellent performance in aptitude test...although I didn't had 1st class.

CAT time: Most of my friends were appearing for CAT during my final year engg. They said CAT is THE toughest exam of the world and supposed to be cracked by the brainiest of people. I almost had a sense of deja vu...I felt exactly like my IITJEE days. Although I had no clue about MBA or CAT, I still decided to appear for CAT (CAT '06 OA 96.97 QA 95.27 DI 93.93 VA 90.71). Of couse, I was over-welmed at my performance. Without any preparation at all...I secured a good score, with 90+ in all sections. Most of my friends (who had done full 1 year class room course) couldn't even manage a 90 overall percentile. (Some of friends cursed me for not applying to other non-IIM intitutes or other MBA exams etc)
So I decided ...next time I'll crack CAT for good. I thought ...that with some practice I'd easily score a 99 perecntile and get in IIMA. Next year though, I was totally engrossed in my new environment at Cognizant...but I took some time to get enrolled with Career Launcher's correspondence course. I found the study material very easy....and I felt very confident about CAT. (CAT '07 OA 94.86 QA 87.72 DI 91.54 VA 90.93) I slipped up again...it was as if the ghosts of IIT were haunting me...I dont know what happened..instead of stepping up 2 percentile...i went down from my last attempt. I had lost hope(& was thinking to abandon the idea of any competitive exams for the rest of my life) but one of my friends urged me to give it one more try.(CAT '08 OA 98.85 QA 96.02 DI 87.92 VA 98.23). But no IIM calls (made some horrendous silly mistakes in DI....also really petrified by change in IIM admission policy). I have just 2 calls IMT and MDI...Totally screwed up IMT GD/PI. Waiting for my MDI GD/PI now.....God only knows what is there in store for me....

lilfiero1 · March 13, 2009, 5:50pm

I dont really know wen my CAT story begins. I had already spent 9 yrs in the Navy. Had always wanted to join the defence forces, so joined immediately after school. But any scope of moving ahead in that career came to an end after an accident in Visakhapatnam in early2008. Woke up with a paralysed right arm and shattered dreams. In May it became clear that my condition is not likely to improve so thought about lookin for another career. Decided to give CAT but the hospital refused to issue a disability certificate. ( some rule that it can only be issued 52 week after the accident in cases of severe neurological trauma). Filled the form anyway. Started practicing writing with my left hand. Was still in the hospital as I had to undergo multiple surgeries. Bought second hand preparation material of TIME. Studying maths after so many years was like trying to learn German. Both my writing and my quant improved steadily. Had always been good in studies so it was just a matter of time. Came out of the hospital in september. Was transfered to a desk job in Delhi. ( could no longer serve on ships ).
Reached the exam venue 2 hours in advance. Had three icecreams and a large pack of wafers. Tried to shut off my mind from the crowd and the noise. When I entered the room I realised that I had made a blunder by always practicing on the large table in the hospital dining hall. Here I was faced with a small school chair with an extension of the armrest acting as the writing area. And on top that all these chairs are made for right handers....which I no longer was. Tried to shut off my mind from my own despair too.
Dont know how many questions I answered. Have not looked at the question paper since then. Never tried to find out the key or compare notes with others that had given the paper. Was holidaying in Manali, celebrating the first anniversary of the day that changed my life when I got the news that I had four calls. BILK. Interviews are over. Went well. Dekhte hain zindagi aage kahan le jaati hai.
Have not really been active on PG so dont know anyone here, but some of you might have been in my group in the GDs. I am the guy with his right arm in the blue sling. Best of luck to every one for the results. And those who couldnt make it this year.........there's always next time.

maxell · March 16, 2009, 8:47am

jatschhabra Says
Well, this is my first post on pagalguy. Never thought that I would be writing my first post with such a grim face and a remorse and grief-stricken heart. But then thats life.

Friend, it needs a strong heart and determination to speak about your grief. Only real men can do that. I believe that even when u were so depressed about your loss and managed 92, its a big deal in itself. That you are passionate about your relationships is an admirable quality and is sure to get you somebody equally good, if not better ahead in life.

That you have posted all about it in a public forum, shows that you have gotten over it and are ready to take all of life's challenges. You have ur parents' blessings.

All the best, bro.

and wish you a wonderful life ahead !!!

:

People reading: The original post by jats is here : http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/cat-and-related-discussion/2933-all-i-wanted-speak-about-39.html#post1337658

hari_87 · March 28, 2009, 3:15pm

Well, my season is officially over now, and i needed some space to vent my reactions. My CAT dreams started when i was in the finishing stages of my second year in college. I don't know what made me decide to pursue CAT. What i remember is that my friend and I started looking at a few CAT problems all of a sudden, and we felt it was our kind of exam. Well, then coaching classes started, my prep started slowly, and as AIMCATs started, and the D-day neared, it got more and more vigorous. My performance in AIMCATs was inconsistent. I had scores ranging from 70s to 99+. I kept putting in more and more work, but was just not able to get the consistency in my performances. At a point, I had to make a decision about whether or not I should apply to top non-IIM institutes(read MDI and NITIE). At that point, I felt that my performance was inconsistent, and I was not confident enough to apply for any of those institutes, for fear that it might go waste. When I look back now, I feel that was a foolish decision and one that i many times regret.
November 16, 2008 was an unforgettable day. It was a day I was restlessly looking forward to for about a week. I was all pumped up, and raring to go. I wrote CAT 2008 calmly and confidently, and the end of the exam, I felt I had done well, though I wasn't confident about my VA answers. I still remember how I went home, waited restlessly for the answer keys, and checked eagerly with every key that was released. On an average, I was expecting 126/360, with a decent spread, and I was expecting about 98.5%le, and a call or 2 from the IIMs.
The evening of January 8, 2009 was unforgettable as well, though it wasn't exactly memorable. CAT results came out. I got 141, 15 marks more than I had expected to get, and an impressive percentile of 99.36, with a lowest sectional of 91.84, and 97+ in the other two sections. The twist was that I had no IIM calls.
It was unbelievable. I had spent two months in hope, anticipation and dreams, only to see them shattered in the end. I could not understand why I had not got even one call. I surely had not missed out any sectional cutoff(as was obvious from the fact that people with lower sectionals than me had got calls), and my overall was big(well atleast I think so). It was hard to take, and it caused me a lot of disappointment and agony.
Eventually, I came to terms with my failure. I realized that my lack of workex and my average CGPA had done me in. Later, I got a call from XIMB, an institute I had applied to through XAT, and wasn't planning to join. But I did want to convert it. But yesterday, the results came out, and I discovered that I had been rejected. That ended a most disappointing first MBA season for me.
Well, CAT means a lot to me. It has given me a clear short term goal, and also taught me a lot of lessons. I have kickstarted my prep for this year's CAT, and hopefully, by the grace of God, I will get into an IIM next year, and write another CAT story, this time with a happy ending.

the_hate · March 29, 2009, 9:09pm

I had always dream to convert a biggy and post here...the sacred thread....but here is a total failure story of an idiot...why I'm posting here then? to motivate myself to go for one more try...to recollect myself and give my 100% one more time...

So here it goes:

Cat-06:

Was in final year of my college...Had given GRE and had an admit from Denmark university...was ready to pack my bag and leave to denmark...was laughing at my friends who were part of this insane rat race....went to examination hall without even knowing CAT had maths and english in q's...did some timepass...thought to myself that maths was a joke...and verbal was something out of the world....didn't care to even check my results....after all i was flying out of this country....who cares for an MBA? but there was a hitch...i really liked a girl....had proposed...turned down....was trying to just hear a magical YES(she was still my good friend)...tried to convince her to say yes till March-07...before the college would be over...come May-07...i somehow got the reason for denial...she wouldn't consider someone who would be out of India...as her parents, family were here(it's all emotional stuff...but she had a valid point)...i had to decide...to stay back in India...take up a job in a s/w company that I had been placed into...or go to denmark and say bye-bye to my love....i chose the 1st one..

So now i could be considered...but all my career plans had crashed...I had to find a new one....didn't feel like pursuing technical studies in India...so CAT it was....

CAT-07:

Serious preps started....

I delayed my joining of company from june to november....Maths seemed easy(yet again failed IIT attempt but strong in maths case)...In Sep-07...I got the YES....the most precious moment of my life.....everything seemed to be working good...scores started improving from 85%ile to 92%ile to 95 to 97 and finally to 99%ile in last 2 mocks....i was pretty confident to have a decent attempt....but finally my weakness...VA...had destroyed me...

QA-99.3, DI-96.x, VA-69.x, OA-98.45%ile

no calls even from MDI or NITIE because of low VA....

Had IIFT call which couldn't convert and rest exams were horrible....

In the mean time I had joined the s/w firm in Nov...Didn't like my job in first place...knew it was CAT-08....my final attempt....

CAT-08:

I once again started working hard....analysing mocks properly.....made some friends in banglore who were really good...did group studies...mocks scores were sky rocketing high...even i was surprised to see my scoes...had maintained line of 99.x %iles...it was a flawless performance from my side....the parents of my girl had been pressurising her to marry...which sort of had made this attempt real crucial for me...I was dreaming of asking her hand as an IIM guy(I know it's geeting little bollywood style senti)...Come CAT...everyone...my family,friends had loads of expectations....but final day....i still don't know what happened....VA had very high weightage and it got to my mind...i crashed yet again....i knew this coming out of examination hall....and from my past performance....i knew I won't convert any other exam...had no hopes...

didn't know what to do...plus my job was becoming a nightmare...I hated every moment of it...finally I could bear no more...decided to resign from the job in december....

I fanatically searched for a new job and parallely wrote other exams as well...But there was no one looking for me in a time of recession....Got kicked from many interviews or the jobs were totally useless and I didn't join them...Then results started pouring in...I got IIFT, then NM, then JMET-372 and two biggies XL(99.51 %ile) and FMS both calls...I knew with so many calls..I will convert atleast one good one....stopped hunting for job and started preparing for the interviews..interviews went average with XL-BM going extremely well...

Results came...got dinged from IIFT...was expected...NM waitlisted at a low rank...FMS reject(both MBA and MBA-MS rejects)...but I knew XL was still there...

then came the bomb....XL reject(both BM and PMIR rejects)...not even waitlisted...

now here I sit infront of you...waiting for IIT-B...I have given so many sleepless nights to my family...to all my friends....am jobless...don't know if I should go for it 1 more time? start hunting for job that seems to be a painful process? What if IIT-B accepts? It's no doubt a great b-school...But should i give 1 more shot? What if IIT-B rejects? What will I say to my girl's parents who are ringing her everyday with new offers of guys having 10L packages? If I've messed up my life so badly do I deserve to be a manager? I'm just an emotional fool who had fought really hard...can I do it 1 more time? I am totally clueless at this moment...crahed yet again....

I wish to thanks Banglaore dream team(esp shabadp and rssriram84) for supporting me...and BBBT...it was a pleasure being a part of the team...

I'll update my post with the final result and the final decision I take...

------------------------------------------------------------

updated on 13 May(2009) -

9 calls - 9 rejects. Still hunting for job...seems like won't get one...

am planning to join my family business....let's see...

these are really interesting times...behavior of people has changed a lot(both in +ve sense coz of calls and in -ve sense coz of rejects)...

but most importantly people(my family and friends) close to me have been great support....they have not changed..

and yeah...my girl has given me great support and courage...(she has convinced her parents somehow to wait for one more year..reason given - want to concentrate on career

)

I thank God for showing me this day....It has been wonderful(ironic but true!)....

Next update will be in 2010 when results pour in...

Hoping and praying I end my "story" on positive note...

------------------------------------------------------------------

Quick edit on 1st July(2009):

got 2 converts...NM and IIFT-K...good to have some converts finally

got a decent job...

it's going to be next yr CAT for me..as promised next update after 2010 season results...

best of luck to all!

[Note: This is a post on the user's CAT journey that has been captured in his own words. We have not edited it in any way when publishing it as an article. Cover image is from http://www.sitebuilderreport.com/stock-up]

hameed · March 29, 2009, 9:26pm

I had always dream to convert a biggy and post here...the sacred thread...

...don't know if I should go for it 1 more time? start hunting for job that seems to be a painful process? What if IIT-B accepts? It's no doubt a great b-school...But should i give 1 more shot? What if IIT-B rejects? What will I say to my girl's parents who are ringing her everyday with new offers of guys having 10L packages? If I've messed up my life so badly do I deserve to be a manager? I'm just an emotional fool who had fought really hard...can I do it 1 more time? I am totally clueless at this ....

You have asked a lot of questions to which no one has the answers. You have also called this a sacred thread. I suggest you give this thread another reading. Then make a decision and put it across to your loved ones.

Ideally I would have PMed you, but I know for sure there are many who are asking the same questions as you. This is for them too.

Rock on!
hameed

prem_ravi · March 30, 2009, 3:17am

I had always dream to convert a biggy and post here...the sacred thread....but here is a total failure story of an idiot...why I'm posting here then? to motivate myself to go for one more try...to recollect myself and give my 100% one more time...
So here it goes:
now here I sit infront of you...waiting for IIT-B...I have given so many sleepless nights to my family...to all my friends....am jobless...don't know if I should go for it 1 more time? start hunting for job that seems to be a painful process? What if IIT-B accepts? It's no doubt a great b-school...But should i give 1 more shot? What if IIT-B rejects? What will I say to my girl's parents who are ringing her everyday with new offers of guys having 10L packages? If I've messed up my life so badly do I deserve to be a manager? I'm just an emotional fool who had fought really hard...can I do it 1 more time? I am totally clueless at this moment...crahed yet again....
I wish to thanks Banglaore dream team(esp shabadp and rssriram84) for supporting me...and BBBT...it was a pleasure being a part of the team...

I'll update my post with the final result and the final decision I take...

Well Abhisekh,
Let me just remind you of a few instances from your life which may help you in deciding, what is best for you...
Hope you remember those mock CATs in which you scored 99.9X scores when most of us fumbled & struggled to cross 95%ile. Hope you remember the day, when you left your ex organisation & still told me with conviction that,"Bhaiya, I have full faith that situation (life) will change".
Hope you remember the day, when you gave CAT, you know that you havent done well. From then, till you got your IIFT results, you were very sure about giving CAT 2009.
Hope you remember, what you told me/planned regarding the Job front. You deciding to take up part time/full time teaching Job..
Now coming to the part, I have underlined..
Do you really think that "you played a role in messing up your life". No my friend, not at all.
When your employer wanted you to leave, was it your mistake?.No dear..its a mistake of someone else which you are bearing.
When you didn't do well in the exam after having prepared so hard, do you think its your mistake... No, if you haven't prepared hard, then you must blame yourself. But having prepared so hard & having inculcated such a vast knowledge, today did you forget that you are already teaching a person with some disability?
Now coming to your personal life, Iam no one to comment. But as an elder brother, I hope its my responsibility to suggest/advice you something here. Now, for sure, your girl friend would also know what you are undergoing, she would also know, it will take sometime for you to reshape your own life. Having understood this, even you need understand that, in a marriage, two souls decide together. If she feels, she can wait for you, support you, help you by convincing her parents, and feel yourself as a blessed soul as you have got an understanding partner. If she doesn't, don't blame her. End of the day its her life, she has 100% rights to decide her life.Inspite she deciding to support you, GOD forbid if you cant marry her, just believe that its not written in your fate. Iam sure, everyone on this earth in his/her lifetime would have gone through atleast one love failure. That's life, accept it.
Having read the above lines, tell me where did you go wrong. Failures are a part of life. At times, we are so blessed, yes I repeat we are so blessed, that we face adversities, we get too many problems to solve at a time. That's when, we need to thank GOD for having given us such situations. If not these problems, what will help us to understand ourselves better.Thats when our mind works faster and better, always pushing us to find solutions to the problems. Once you successfully come out, look back at your past, you feel the sense of satisfaction, that you could handle even such worst things, the true sense of living.
You are not a fool my dear. Like any winner, you are tested, whether you can travel that extra mile to become extraordinary.There are so many, here in PAGALGUY, who have travelled that extramile, to achieve success & thereby setting example. You would have also met people, who struggle & strive for the so called success in life. Let me bring SUMANTH as an example here. Even with physical disability, how strog he is, in terms of dreaming about an IIM. You very well know, he is appearing for the 4th time...
As far as IIT results go, I pray GOD that you clear it and accept it. Even after you join IIT, if you heart longs for an IIM admission, go give CAT 2009. GOD forbid if you don't make it, You have your road clear in front of you, CAT 2009. For your survival, as you yourself told me, take up a part time/ full time teaching job & also start searching for a job in your domain.
I could have PMed abhisekh, but I wrote this post keeping some 10s of our friends/ younger brothers who would in a similar situation.
Whenever you face such problems, don't be dejected. Life is all about choices. Its easy to give up. Though its tough to hang on, the success when you meet after sometime would essentially prove you, how strong you are
Believe me, you haven't lost anything till you are alive.

spatwardhan · March 30, 2009, 7:56am

Well Abhisekh,
For people who think & feel that its easy to advice than to follow, read my earlier posts in the same thread & wait for my this year's all I want to speak about CAT post to understand
Believe me, you haven't lost anything till you are alive.

Hi Prem bhai thanks for such a wonderful and inspiring reply.
i am also undergoing the same situation as abhishek.....i am sick of my job want to get out of it.. i screwed the calls which i had got this year..and also the girl i like is leaving the company as she got admit in FMS...I was really depressed..but my friends helped me come to terms....... but i believe that i have what it takes to be a BLACKI and have decided to give CAT another shot... Next year i will surely write my success story on this thread.

p.s Sorry i may have violated the rules by posting here .But just wanted to share some of my feelings.

lets_see_25771786 · March 30, 2009, 3:33pm

The theory of asymmetric information in economics hinges on the fact that economic transactions are often carried out between parties where one party is better informed than the other.

A person applying for a job knows exactly what his capabilities are and how intelligent he is but in order to make sure that his employer has the same information as he does he has to provide a credible signal of his intelligence, dedication and perseverance. The ability to sit through three years of lectures embodied in a degree is a signal of endurance even if it doesnt actually increase your productivity or intelligence it signals to a company that you have the ability to work hard.

Only those who find it easiest to give up an extra hour of TV and devote their time to their books get the higher grades and hence convey to the interviewer their ability of working hard.

The best known signal in todays day and age is an MBA. To obtain this stamp of an MBA one has to take the CAT. This is where my question lies: is it necessary that those who find it easiest to tick the right answers in CAT are those who should be recruited by firms as they are good managers?

My story is not one of hard work but one of luck. CAT was a rather easy deal for me given that I have an engineer from IIT for a father (and thus maths flows through my blood) and a gold medalist in English for a mother (VA came naturally too).This does not mean that I did not need to work at all for CAT- I worked and I worked hard its just that it was easier for me.

So, this brings me to a question I was asked in a mock interview: You were well prepared for CAT but are you well prepared for an MBA? The answer is I really dont know.

Which brings me to the other aspects of luck which have helped me get this far:

A nice addition of 5 marks to my DI score from God only knows where..attempted 9 questions with one mistake for sure and got 36 marks-just enough for an A call.
A man who was sitting next to me on the metro while I was solving a geometry question who snatched the paper from me coz he was frustrated that I was not being able to crack the question he solved the question explained it to me and got off at the next stop-without me being able to say thank you. The important point here is that something conceptually very similar appeared in the actual CAT paper.
A lady I met on the bus who looking at the CAT material in my hand started asking about the exam, my college, etc. and finally ended up telling me that her son went to IIM-A, was from the same college as me and that IIM-A was the best place ever. Her exact words were beta wahaan jaa kar life ban jaati hai.This did not help me per se but it sure was a sign.
The fact that the IIM-A crieteria changed to incorporate school marks-would have never made it had his not happened.

The point I am trying to make here is that I was plain lucky and that I am well aware that in exchange for this happiness I will have to pay a price later on in life.

Even after I gave it my best shot, some amount of tweaking up there has definitely helped. For those of you who have been hurt by similar tweaking I want to say that some other tweaking some other day will definitely work in your favour.

Coming back to what I started with, I have seen a large number of people on this site and this thread treating CAT as an end in itself. My perspective differs greatly from most of you (perhaps because I am too young) and for me CAT is just one stepping stone. If I fumble on this route I am sure there is another route to get to the same place though that route may be tougher and more painful but it exists.

My luck may wear out now and I may not get through A but the journey has been an interesting one. To those who make it : remember that on some other day you may not have and to those who dont : on some other day you may have got through. J

abhishek_beast · April 4, 2009, 9:11pm

Hello ppl..
Not sure how much of this post will help people but I wanted to put forward my view so be it :D
My Journey towards an MBA degree began with CAT 2006 and ended with CAT 2008. No i wasnt successful in securing an IIM seat and yes I did get into a tier 2 B School (as they call it). Yes I am NOT going to NMIMS Mumbai which conducts an exam which can be called a light hearted imitation of a math textbook and wren n martin put together ...(it really is puys so dont laugh) . And yes after having got 97.56 % in CAT 2008 and converted IMT G and IMI D i am taking up IMT G and not NMIMS...

But there my friend...the story ends. And here's where my 'All i wanted to say about CAT' begins..
As a person who is now out of the race, I can tell u quite accurately tell u what happened and how i did it. Lets begin objectively.

What i Did :
- I studied too much. I mean I had office for about 10 hrs everyday and den i used to come home and hit the material for 4 - 5 hrs. ALso, during the busrides to and fro, I used to solve papers. This went on pretty much for 4 months.
- I started expecting too much. Some of this prep paid off in the mocks and I started getting 98 above regularly. Quant i used to ace along with DI. VA wud be variable. On an average 85% above wud be my VA %ile.
- I started getting tense. WIth Great Expectations came tension. Killer in this situation.
- I wanted to finish too much too fast. I had finished 90% of the TIME material (except the test papers at the last). And i kept on goin till september. Fallacy - Revision and coolin of nerves not done :(

Result - DI screwed in CAT. 73.4x %. No IIM, MDI, NITIE SPJAIN etc etc etc....
Well, this is where i guess i start the real part of this so called essay.

Puys - remember 1 thing very carefully. A school doesnt make u or break u. Yes it does give u an 'initial' edge over others by the brand image, but then that is all. Having been in the industry for measly 18 months but having interacted with ppl from IIM C grad working in Hong Kong, IIMA grad workin in Mumbai, NM grad workin in Mumbai, IMT senior frm my college (NIT Allahabad btw) I reached a conclusion - derived from all what they said. At the end of the day, all that matters is whether ur able to deliver the goods. If ur a Product manager, r u able to meet the demands of the customer frm the product and incorporate it in the product for better sales ? If a financial manager, r u able to crunch those numbers and come up with good assesments of investment opportunities for ur clients (just one of the thousand jobs)..
the answer to these questions is of paramount importance. the brand, image and all that, cease to exist.
Cuz, just think about it - the books r the same, the content the same, the principles taught the same, the problems t solve in the industry - same.....
Hence the only thing that matters is how well u grasp the situation and act accordingly - how well u manage. And believe me puys, at this age (average age of 23 of all MBA aspiants and 1st yrs) its pretty difficult to un learn and relearn anything. By this age, ur thinking process and analytical thnking and reasoning have matured. U r what u r mentall by 23 or 24. SO from now its WHO U R that matters.....the MOST.

yes it does matter where ur from...cuz lets face it. If half of indian industry is from IIT/IIM or both then they wud certainly go for their juniors - cuz they knw that if they were gud their juniors wud be good too...
But then, that is where it ends. After that, after the 'creamy layer' has been recruited and the 'tier 2' ones r recruited too, there begins that fight - for which ONE HAS TO BE PREPARED. this test is even more difficult than any exam (CAT is like child'splay if u think of it). Cuz in this test, u r tested on ur ability to slog ur ass off, ability to think and analyze, and ability to present and communicate - OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

This is what we shud be prepared for. the exams ? naaaaah. they come n go....like the rain every year.
But eventual success - that eventual seat as the CEO, MD, Chairman. - that wud remain longer.....the memory wud last longer....the sweet taste of success wud last longer....

Here's wishing that all PUYS reading this and the ones not reading this turn out to be the next bright face of the Indian Industry.
All the best !!!
U better be good.....cuz am competing 😁