Given the competition, CAT seems like a ruthless number game, isn’t it? It felt the same for someone like you who was in the same phase as you are now – preparing for a journey to the top B-Schools of India. Meet Abhinay Shrivastav. We talked with him and now we would like to share the CAT topper’s journey with you. You might not know him, but his preparation journey will definitely give you a feeling of ‘the friend in need’.
Who is CAT Topper Abhinay Shrivastav?
Definitely, a CAT Topper. He completed his undergraduation from IIT Lucknow in Information Technology. He has a deep passion towards tech and innovation. He has developed multiple Android apps and looks forward to pursuing a career in Product Management.
The preparation journey of Abhinay Shrivastav echoes persistence, self-belief, and the power of second chances. Behind his journey from 46 percentile in mocks to 97.86 percentile in his first attempt to 99.11 percentile in his second attempt is calculated growth, good mentorship, consistent practice, and diving deep into the weak spots.
Before the success, there was the struggle. Let’s rewind the tape and walk through his extraordinary CAT journey.
Why He Decided to Pursue MBA?
Abhinay’s journey didn’t begin in a library full of CAT prep books. While doing his B.Tech from IIT Lucknow, he naturally gravitated toward leadership roles and team responsibilities. This was his transition period from tech to leadership. In his words –
“I realized I was good at managing people.”
Another aspect that fueled up his shift towards pursuing MBA was his cousins. Both were CAT topper’s and graduated from prestigious institutions. He considers them his motivation. Now that the seed was planted and the goal was set. His next step was – Crack CAT. Get into a top B-school.
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Let’s hear the CAT Toppers Journey in his own words –
About His First CAT Attempt – CAT Topper Journey
Abhinay: “In my first attempt, I scored 97.86 percentile. However, I was not able to crack the cutoff for Verbal Ability. Then, one of my friends, who pursued MBA from IIM Indore, suggested that I join iQuanta. I considered his suggestion, got on a call with Indrajeet Sir and started with my preparation for the second attempt.”
His Reaction After Cracking CAT – The First 24 Hours
Abhinay: “To be very honest, I was not expecting that I would be able to score 99.11 percentile, considering how the paper went. I was expecting around 98 percentile. But, I knew that the exam is all about competition where I need to score better than others. So, if my paper didn’t go well, the others were also not able to score that good. Hence, I was able to score more than 99 percentile. I was really happy with my result. I informed my parents and friends, and later got in touch with Indrajeet Sir. I informed him that I completed my first milestone – clearing the CAT exam and the next milestone is cracking the B-schools interviews. I asked him regarding my next step, what calls to expect, and how to proceed regarding the same.”
His Preparation Strategy: What Changed in the Second Attempt
Abhinay: “During my first attempt, I completed all the syllabus thoroughly, solved a lot of booklets and gave almost 30 – 40 mocks. During my second attempt at preparation, after joining iQuanta, I started solving the question of the day and took part in the daily practice sessions. I also watched all the video lectures and learned many new concepts. My doubts were cleared easily too. I had planned to give around 30 – 40 mocks, but then I heard about Indrajeet’s prize money strategy. That really motivated me to give 15 – 20 extra mocks, thinking that if I perform well, I could recover my fees! Finally, along with many others, I got the money as well. Even though it was late, I got it [laughs].But, yes, it was really motivating.”
Key Highlights:
With iQuanta, Abhinay built a daily routine:
- Tackled Question of the Day, a powerful way to test concepts daily.
- Watched video lectures and clarified doubts with ease
- Engaged in peer-to-peer doubt solving, interacting with students from across India
- Attempted a whopping 50–55 mocks.
His Experience with iQuanta
Abhinay: “My experience with iQuanta has been great! I followed the daily practice sessions, watched the video lectures, and the doubt-clearing sessions helped a lot. The best part is that students from all over India are part of it, so I got to interact with many others preparing for CAT. Also, the doubts were solved by those who have actually cleared CAT. Also, when the faculty of iQuanta solve your doubt, they tell you the easiest and shortest way to get the solution. So, that’s another good experience. Another thing that I liked most is the competitive advantage. You don’t just track your own preparation, you also get a sense of who your competition is. Plus, it’s a very good platform, it’s super affordable and accessible anytime, anywhere. I could practice and solve questions for CAT whenever it suited me even when I was travelling through my phone or laptop. So, everything is feasible at iQuanta.”
Key Highlights:
As expressed by Abhinay, what made iQuanta special wasn’t just the content, it was the environment.
- Video Solutions that were so clear, you could never forget the concept again
- Daily Practice Problems (DPPs) that helped reinforce what was learned
- Facebook doubt-solving community that worked faster than any classroom discussion
- Pan-India competition that gave him a real sense of where he stood
- Accessibility: Anytime. Anywhere. On any device. At your pace.
The Interview Rounds: Two B-Schools, Two Stories
As shared by CAT topper Abhinay, here are the two interview stories that he shared with us, starting with IIM Lucknow:
IIM Lucknow
This was a tough one. The panel threw him off by asking thermodynamics questions, despite him being from an IT background. It felt like a stressful interview. He said –
“It didn’t go well. But I didn’t let it affect me. It was a learning experience. I told myself, this isn’t the end of the world. And, I learnt something that day – I should not be stressed.”
FMS Delhi
As shared by him, the interview was the polar opposite at FMS Delhi. He said that the vibe was chilled. The interview lasted just 5-6 minutes. He was asked to speak on a simple topic: “Slow and Steady Wins the Race.” In his words:
“I stayed confident. I didn’t get stressed because of my previous learning. The thing is that you have to be confident when attending any B-school interviews. That’s what they wanted to see. And that’s what got me through.”
His Struggles Along the Way: Behind the Scenes
Abhinay: “If I talk about my first attempt, I was not very thorough with my concepts, even though I completed the syllabus. I was not aware of the tricks needed to solve a problem. Before joining iQuanta, when I was preparing for my second attempt, I was not able to solve the mocks and Previous Year Questions. When I joined iQuanta, I learnt a lot of tricks, shortcuts, and formulas to solve a question directly. I didn’t know about this in the beginning and towards the end I found it hard to remember these tips and tricks. Then I started making notes on the tips and tricks shared by iQuanta in its official facebook page.“
His Struggles with Mocks
Abhinay: “While giving mocks, at times, I used to score as low as 46 percentile. However, I had the belief in myself that I could do it. I made myself understand that I am capable and I should never give up. It’s just a phase, maybe today was not my day. I should keep going. This was the motivation for me. I started giving more and more mocks.”
He further stated that – He started attempting mocks every alternate days in October and every day in the month of November. He attempted a total of 50-55 mocks in these two months. One of the most fascinating thing that he added about mocks was –
“By November, I was giving mocks every single day. On CAT day, it didn’t even feel like an exam. It felt like just another mock.”
The CAT Topper’s Favourite Things About iQuanta
When asked to name two things he loved most about iQuanta, Abhinay said:
“Two points are too few. There’s so much to say!”
He further added: “To be very specific, I liked the ‘Question of the day” feature of iQuanta. It helped me check if my concepts were clear and how well I could handle such questions. The video solutions are super detailed, once you watch them, you won’t forget the concept! The competition is also amazing. You get to compete with students from all over India, including those who’ve already scored really well in CAT but are attempting again to get into some definite IIMs. That pushes you to do better. Plus, the exposure you get is huge. I got to clear a lot of doubts, and the responses were really fast too!”
Key Highlights:
- Question of the Day: Sharpens your conceptual clarity with detailed solutions
- Competitive Edge: Learn from and compete with people who’ve already achieved what you’re aiming for
How He Stayed Stress-free: His Secret to Balance
Even top performers need to unwind. When asked about the same he expressed –
“After every mock, I watched my favourite TV series. Sometimes, I used to go through YouTube videos, mostly listening to songs. Next, I would analyse my CAT mocks. Also, in-between I used to take some short breaks. In situations where I felt demotivated, I watched motivational videos and success talks from iQuanta.”
His Mock Analysis
Abhinay: “Verbal section was my weak point. So, If I get any question wrong, I maintained a notebook where I noted down two important things:
- What was the reason behind my answer?
- After looking at the solution, I noted down how the expert solved the question.
This helped me understand what went wrong and what aspect I didn’t consider while solving the question.”
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Final Advice to CAT Aspirants Aiming for 99+ Percentile
For those dreaming of a 99 percentile or above, Abhinay has a few golden words:
“Not only CAT, be it any exam, the most important thing is to find a good teacher, practice constantly, never lose hope.and most importantly follow what your teachers say.”
He further added –
“In my case, I had a good teacher ‘iQuanta’. I was consistent with my practice. I never gave up. I took a mock test even after scoring just 46 percentile and I did the same the day I scored 98 – 99 percentile.
Inspired by Abhinay Shrivastav’s story? Let it be your reminder: setbacks are just setups for comebacks. If he can do it, so can you. Remember-
“Your CAT journey can be replayed as a CAT Toppers Journey for some other CAT aspirant.”
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