CAT is one of the toughest management entrance examinations in India. Many CAT aspirants are worried about how they could crack CAT 2025 with the most effective strategies. Therefore, today we share the story of a CAT topper Harshit Raghuvanshi, who scored an excellent 97.99 percentile in CAT second attempt from a disappointing 80 percentile in his CAT first attempt. Harshit is also unique since he scored a 99.53 percentile in SNAP and a 246 score in NMAT, which burst the myth that bad CAT leads to a wasted year. In a conversation with iQuanta, Harshit revealed a simple strategy that no one could see coming. This topper story is also important for first-time test takers who can boost their scores and confidence for the exam if they understand this strategy. The conversation will include Harshit’s reason behind an MBA, his CAT preparation journey, and what changed in CAT second attempt & SNAP that led him to 97.99 & 99.53 percentile to receive interview calls from IIFT Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, XIM Bhubaneswar, CAP IIMs, IIM Raipur, SIBM Pune, SCHMRD, and NMIMS Mumbai. Let’s deep dive into the blog to understand Harshit Raghuvanshi’s journey of becoming CAT topper in his second attempt!
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Who is CAT Topper Harshit Raghuvanshi?
Harshit Raghuvanshi is a CAT topper who secure an excellent 97.99%ile in his second attempt of CAT exam. He grew up in Indore, Madhya Pradesh and completed his bachelor’s degree in BBA. He was quite dedicated towards his CAT exam preparation to get MBA admission calls from top IIMs or B-schools. His CAT Journey started back in the final year of his BBA when he was looking for an alternative career path to get doors open to great roles and companies. After doing some research and connecting with his cousins, he found out how an MBA can give you a great headstart in career with advanced knowledge of Business and Management. Understanding the opportunity and thinking about it, he set his goal to crack CAT to get into an IIM (Indian Institutes of Management).
CAT Topper Harshit Raghuvanshi’s Journey: From 80%ile to Scoring 97.99%ile in CAT!
Back then, when he started, he had zero knowledge of how to do preparation for the CAT (Common Admission Test) exam. But after enrolling in an offline CAT coaching based on his parents’ advice. He started his preparation. However, the experience was not good. Offline coaching didn’t provide him any doubt solving team or sessions, and mad him juggle around different class timings since syllabus was not planned and followed.
Although Harshit tried his best to keep up with the CAT preparation, eventually, mental fatigue took over. After CAT 2023 exam, he knew that he couldn’t do his best and patiently attempted OMETs like SNAP & NMAT. The result arrived for his first CAT attempt and he scored only 80 percentile. He was not happy with this attempt. Harshit knew where he failed, but he was confused about what to do next.
After taking break, his parents encouraged him to try once more and get any necessary resources he want without any excuse. He decided to take a gap year and plan to appear again for CAT. He prepared with confidence and strategize his entire journey in second attempt, finally secured 97.99%ile and became a CAT topper.
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CAT Topper Strategy: How He Secured 97.99 %ile from 80%ile in Second Attempt?
After his first CAT attempt where he secured only 80%ile, Harshit sat down and prepared a plan to follow rigorously without any excuses. He searched for online resources, communities, and coaching since offline experience did not work out for him. After searching, he found the iQuanta WhatsApp group where many resources are shared and aspirants can talk about their preparation. Moreover, during this time, he also found a friend to accompany him during his preparation in library near his stay. In addition to the unlimited library access where he can sit for hours without any distractions.
He believe these three key factors helped him the most during his CAT preparation: a solid routine, the right guidance, and a constant support from the people around him. When it comes to strategy, the best advice he can give is to build a routine and stick to it. During his CAT preparation (second attempt), Harshit followed a strict schedule where he would wake up around 9 AM and head to the library by 10 AM. He studied for 8-9 hours daily, covering all sections of the CAT exam with short breaks in between. Studying with a partner also helped him stay focused and motivated. His preparation improved significantly after he joined the iQuanta May batch. The recorded classes, 24*7 doubt-solving support, and accurate mock test preparation were incredibly helpful. He did not feel the need to look for any other resources.
When he returned home around 8-9 PM, he had dinner and slept without distractions like social media. This consistent, distraction-free routine made a big difference. Family support played a huge role during his CAT preparation of second attempt. They never pressurized him and always encouraged him to do best. His study partner also constantly motivated him to push beyond his limits. Having someone to talk to and share the journey with made it all much easier.
Months passed in CAT preparation, but he never broke his routine. Eventually, he gave him all in CAT second attempt and score an amazing 97.99 percentile while maintaining consistent and focused preparation approach.
How iQuanta Helped Harshit Raghuvanshi in His CAT Prep?
Harshit joined iQuanta for maintaining a consistent preparation and focused approach. In his first attempt, he scored only 80 percentile. But later he joined iQuanta and the team really helped him in every possible way. He said that he never saw anywhere that a founder solve all small queries of students, also mentors helped him lot in maintaining preparation strategy during classes or session.
Harshit’s story teaches us that setbacks are not failures, they are stepping stones to success. “If you work hard, the results will come accordingly. Don’t settle for less when you know you can achieve more’. At the end of the story, Harshit thanks the iQuanta mentors and team gratefully. “Thanks for believing in me and supporting me at each and every step of the way,” he says.Â
So, here is how Harshit Raghuvanshi went from 80%ile to securing 97.99%ile. This clearly depicts the power of determination and the right direction. We feel proud for such success stories at iQuanta and we shall keep helping such students in achieving their dreams.
Congratulations, Harshit on this great achievement!!!!
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