CAT 2021 Topper Ashna Dawar has scored an overall 99.73 percentile. While sharing her success story, she talks about solving sample papers, reading top newspapers, self-study as part of CAT Preparations. Ashna talks about time management, creating a plan, and making use of preparation books. Ashna advises new aspirants to identify their weaknesses and strengths, work on each section diligently, and practice to improve their speed and accuracy.

As part of preparations, Ashna Dawar also talks about managing time for study & work and working out mock tests, as well as practicing previous years’ CAT Question Papers. For CAT VARC section, Ashna read The Hindu on a daily basis, learning the language. For CAT DILR section, she practiced a lot by working on exercise questions and revising them. For CAT 2022 aspirants, she advises practicing hard and analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Read more for our interview with Ashna Dawar

Ques: What were your CAT overall and section-wise score in the exam?

Ans: My total score for CAT 2021 is 99.73

• VARC - 93.21
• DILR - 99.92
• QA - 99.45

Ques: Do you have any work experience?

Ans: Yes, I’ve worked with Ernst & Young for 0.5 years as an Assurance Associate.

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

Ans: Being a working professional preparing for CAT was hard, compared to a nonworking aspirant. However, with the right time management, it can be done.

• Since I worked on weekdays, I tried to study for 2-3 hours daily before starting with office work.
• However, during weekends, I used to cover the entire syllabus I had planned for that week for about 6-7 hours.
• This way, I was able to manage my time for both my studies and work well. Since I couldn’t take any coaching classes, I got ample self-study done.

Ques: When and why did you think of appearing for CAT Exam?

Ans: After graduation from Kirori Mal College, DU with B.Com in 2021, I decided to go for an MBA to learn about business, because of my keen interest in the subject.

• I’ve always known that I want to study in one of the top-B schools in India. Attempting CAT was a natural next step for me.
• I have a long-term goal of starting my own business but I believe an MBA from one of the top B schools will help me in doing exactly that.

Ques: Did you join any CAT coaching institutes? If yes, which one? If not, why did you go for self-preparation?

Ans: Since I wouldn't have the time to attend CAT coaching institutes and self-study along with work, I opted for self-preparations. I would get my study material and mock test series and work on it myself.

• I would use Career Launcher's study material because it was inexpensive in comparison to other institutes.
• My basics in Quants and DILR sections were clear, so I was able to practice them on my own. So self-study turned out to be the right decision for me.

Ques: What was your preparation strategy for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension sections?

Ans: I was not good with the Reading Comprehension section, so I started my CAT VARC Preparations by solving questions of difficulty level 1 and moving up the difficulty once they get an idea of the questions.

• These exercises also helped me to keep a track of my improvements and the areas on which I need to focus more.
• And to increase my reading speed, I would read the editorial sections of The Hindu daily.
• Whenever you come across a new word, make sure you search for its meaning so that every time you read the newspaper, you end up learning a few new words.

Ques: What was your preparation strategy for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning sections?

Ans: The key to acing DILR is practice. With more practice, the more types of question set you to get familiar with and it helps on the exam day.

• As part of CAT DILR Preparations, I tried to improve my calculation speed, by practicing Vedic maths and for extremely long calculations, the screen calculator did come in handy.
• I made sure to practice at least one case every day so that I can learn the trickiness of the section well.
• I find DILR the most fun section of all three because of the twists and tricks in questions. So once anyone starts practicing it, I believe they will want to solve more.

Ques: What was your preparation strategy for the Quantitative Aptitude section?

Ans: I was always good with maths in school, so it did help with my preparations. Being quick in mental calculations made it easier for me to solve more questions in less time in the exam.

• I started CAT QA Preparations by revising the basic concepts for 1-2 months and then went on with practicing them.
• Taking mocks did help in improving my selection (choice of questions that need to be solved).
• Time management is very crucial for the exam to be able to choose the questions that you are going to solve.
• You need to select those questions that require the least reading and solving time. This way you will be able to solve more questions in less time but do not forget to do them accurately.

Ques: How was the last few days before CAT exam?

Ans: In the last week before CAT exam, I knew that what I have prepared till now, and studying anything new at that point of time will only add up to the nervousness.

• So I just revised what I had already studied and relaxed the day before the exam.
• It’s important to relax because the more relaxed you are, the more attentive your mind will be during the exams and the better you will perform.

Ques: Which mock tests helped you crack CAT 2021?

Ans: I mostly used Career Launcher mock tests, as they were similar to the exam. However, the percentile did vary a lot for me.

• After I gave any mock test, I would spend 1-2 hours going over every unattempted and wrong question and solving them again till I got the right answer.
• Doing this, I was able to know the topics that needed revision.
• I would go through those topics again, revise them, solve a few practice exercises, and then come back to give another mock. I would continue this until the last month.

Ques: One mistake which you think you should not have made (During CAT or preparations)

Ans: During the early preparation phase, I used to give most of my time to DILR and QA and little time to VARC. I realized much later that I need to give equal importance to all three sections since the sectional cutoffs also count when you get calls from business schools.

Ques: Please recreate the moment for us when you first saw your CAT result

Ans: So when CAT Results came, I was out playing badminton with my friends. I got a text that the results are out, so I immediately called my brother to check my result since he is my lucky charm. I was expecting a 98 to 99.2 percentile based on my score. Those 1-2 mins while we were on call before he told my result, I was very anxious and was constantly praying that I get good results and make my parents proud since they have always believed in me so much. He then said it is 99.73. I could not believe it and went back home and checked it again with my parents and it was true. So it was a very beautiful moment. We did have a little party after that.

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

Ans: I don't have a specific long-term goal as of now. My current main aim is to learn about the nuances of the business world and enjoy this phase of developing myself.

Ques: What should be an ideal 6-month preparation strategy to equip for CAT?

Ans: Start with clearing your basics and then go on with practicing and revising.

Here are a few tips for you:

1. Giving equal importance to all three sections is important.
2. Don't forget to take mocks and analyze them to know your strengths and weaknesses.
3. Don't leave doubts for later. Whenever you come across a doubt, try thinking of ways to solve it. If you are still stuck with it, go ahead and look at the solution. Only then move on to the next question.
4. The more you practice, the better you get with speed and accuracy.
5. You don't have to solve 100% of the paper. Choose only the questions that you know you'll be able to solve.
6. Keep working hard and believe in yourself.

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