Prakhar Sinha Profile

• Graduation College: BITS Pilani, Hyderabad
• CAT score: 99.45
• Work experience: Collegedunia Web Pvt Ltd / 1.5 / Product Management

How difficult is it to prepare for CAT being a working professional?

Prakhar Sinha: It is a little difficult preparing for CAT while being a working professional, since there is the additional work pressure that one needs to handle apart from the preparation and practice. But then again, I suppose that is why work experience holds weightage in the selection process for the B-schools. For my preparation, I would prepare in the evening/night after office hours and a little in the morning before working hours. Weekends were mostly entirely dedicated to preparation, free from work. I was also fortunate enough to have colleagues who guided me in my preparation journey.

When and why did you think of appearing for CAT?

Prakhar Sinha: Pursuing an MBA from a top B-School has been on my agenda for a long while now. As someone who wishes to join the world of Consulting, an MBA seemed a logical choice for career growth and enhancement. Not to mention the amazing networking opportunities that come with it. And who knows, I might have my own business/venture in the future.

Did you join any coaching institute ? If yes, which one and why ? If not - Why did you go for self preparation?

Prakhar Sinha: I did not join any coaching institute. However, I did sign up for a mock test series from a leading reputed coaching centre. Apart from that, I prepared on my own via videos on YouTube and other books. Since this was my third attempt, I knew what mistakes to avoid and I didn't feel a coaching institute would offer me a lot of value additional to my preparation level.

What was your preparation strategy for Verbal?

Prakhar Sinha: Reading newspapers and Word Power Made Easy (book by Norman Lewis). Thankfully, I have never had issues in VARC or English in general, so I did not prepare for this extensively.

What was your preparation strategy for DI and LR?

Prakhar Sinha: For DILR, I solved questions and looked up videos on YouTube to find out the different kinds of questions that could be asked in the exam, and multiple ways of solving those particular questions.

What was your preparation strategy for Quant?

Prakhar Sinha: I have been fairly decent in mathematics throughout. As an engineering graduate, I suppose I did have an advantage over those without a mathematics background as such. I started by revising all the concepts and formulas. After that, it was all about practicing different kinds of questions. So that I am able to solve the questions faster and in a more efficient manner. While I did not leave anything from my preparation, questions involving Time, Speed, Distance, and Work have always been my downfall.

How were the last few days before the exam?

Prakhar Sinha: There wasn't anything special I did in the last week of the exam. I gave a couple of mocks to boost my confidence (which they did). I revised my formula notes (which I had made right at the beginning). And I brushed up on any topics which have caused me trouble previously. For the last day, I would just suggest aspirants to revise and not take up anything new. Relax with your friends and family, ensure you have everything ready for the exam centre (admit card, ID, etc), and have a good night's sleep.

Which mocks helped you crack CAT?

Prakhar Sinha: I chose the AIMCAT series by TIME since it comes with a good set of practice questions as well. Apart from that, this series provides in-depth analysis after every mock test so one can identify the errors and mistakes they might have made. But the most important reason for choosing this particular mock test series is that it is given by ~12,000 students across India so it is a good gauge of where one stands among their competitors.

One mistake which you think you should not have made (During the exam or during the preparation phase)?

Prakhar Sinha: A really dense error that I made during the exam was solving a question using the diameter instead of the radius, a mistake which cost me 3 easy marks. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a fatal mistake. Sometimes things like this can happen, when you make a really silly error and the brain just freezes.

Please recreate the moment for us when you first saw your result?

Prakhar Sinha: I was at my PG. Since I live away from my family, I video called them so we could see the result together. Truth be told, I was expecting a worse score since I was very disappointed with my performance after leaving the exam centre. So this result was a very unexpected and happy surprise. Surely there was anxiety but it was alleviated by the numbers on my scorecard. Now it's time to get anxious about any interviews I might face.

What next? Which colleges are you targeting based on your profile and percentile ? And how do you plan to clear the GD PI?

Prakhar Sinha: Now it's time to prepare for the GDs and PIs. I am expecting calls from IIM K, I, FMS and the baby and new IIMs. I am still holding out hope for calls from IIM L and IIM C too. My preparation strategy would involve reading the newspaper, brushing up on my GK and undergrad syllabus, and preparing for any HR questions I might face.

Which other exams did you appear for ?

Prakhar Sinha: XAT

What are your long term goals and how do you think getting into your dream college will help you achieve that?

Prakhar Sinha: Currently, I want to join the world of Consulting. Working at one of MBB has been a dream of mine for the last few years. I believe getting into a dream college of mine would help me with the education and networking required to get into one of those firms.

What should be an ideal 6 months strategy to prepare for CAT?

Prakhar Sinha: VARC - Read newspapers and Word Power Made Easy (book by Norman Lewis). The book will help clear the basic concepts and the newspapers will help in comprehension, not to mention it'll benefit during GDPI as well.

DILR - Find out the various kinds of questions that can be asked and how they can be solved. Then practice, sharpen those thinking skills so you can crack the questions faster.

QA - Find out the syllabus. Brush up on ALL the concepts and formulas for ALL the topics. Strengthen your strong topics even further. Practice, practice, practice. QA requires accuracy and speed both.

Keep giving mock tests periodically to find out where you stand and what errors you make and need to avoid. During the last 30 days, solve previous year question papers.