Topper Mantras: How 99.82 percentiler Chinmay Nahar managed work & preparation to crack CAT 2011

July 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Continuing with the series of Topper Mantras, today we will present to you the journey of success traversed by Chinmay Nahar to reach IIM Indore. Chinmay started his CAT preparation from the month of April and scored a percentile as high as 99.82 that too without any formal coaching.

Excerpts from the interview with Chinmay Nahar.


Q:  What is your CAT 2011 percentile? Which other MBA entrance exams did you take?
A: My CAT percentile was 99.82. I took XAT, IIFT, SNAP other than CAT.

Q: How did you start the preparation and what was your overall strategy?
A: I had procured the study material from T.I.M.E. institute in April 2011 and used to study whenever I got time. My overall strategy was to go through the study material once and practice by taking online tests. Also, the main strategy was to analyze what went wrong in the test rather than taking more and more number of tests.

Q:  Do you think it is possible to crack CAT without taking formal coaching? What would you suggest the CAT 2012 aspirants who would like to prepare by themselves?
A: It is very much possible to crack the CAT without coaching. I had not taken any coaching for CAT. I would suggest the CAT participants to arrange for the study material from somewhere so they can get a fair idea of the course and the type of questions. I would also advise them to join a test series for CAT so that they are not caught unawares by the questions they face in CAT.

Q: CAT saw a major change in the format & pattern in 2011. How did you prepare for it? Did this new pattern cause any hindrance in your preparation or exam taking strategy?
A: I think the key to prepare for CAT is to get your basics right. If your basics are strong then you can solve any question and can perform well irrespective of the pattern. I worked on my basics first and then try to build on my basics for solving questions of advanced level. Also it is advisable to remember some shortcut formula and some standard values.

No, the new pattern proved to be a boon for me as the LR section was coupled with the VA section and being an engineer it became easier for me to clear the sectional cutoff for that section.

Q:  What was your preparation strategy for the Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning?
A: In QA and LR section, I tried to focus on my basics and solved all the exercises of the material that I have procured from T.I.M.E. Also, after taking a test I always analyzed what went wrong and tried to identify the areas in which I needed improvement. After doing this I used to focus on these targeted areas and that strategy eventually paid off for me.

For the VA and LR sections, I used the strategy of eliminating the options and generally most problems boiled down to two answers that were very close. To chose the right one between these two it requires considerable amount of practice and a keen eye to analyze what went wrong. Also reading novels and newspapers helped me a lot to do well in this section.

Q: What was your strategy for time management?
A:  I was working in NTPC when I was preparing for CAT. I was working in shifts and I had made it a practice of dedicating at least three to four hours a day for studies. Also I took care that I take proper amount of rest before studies because the course is designed to test your brain and you will be able to perform best with a fresh mind.

Q: What is your message for the MBA aspirants who will take CAT 2012 and other exams of the season?
A: My message for the aspirants is to have faith in themselves and to be at the top level of confidence while you are preparing for CAT or any other MBA exam because if you don’t believe in yourself it will be very difficult for others to believe in you.