The Common Admission Test is not just an aptitude exam, but it actually tests your mental and emotional strength as well. Handling the exam pressure of performing best is a challenge with staying consistent till 3 attempts. But today’s story of a CAT topper, Anmol Gupta, has made it possible with a 99.96 percentile in his third attempt. The journey looks simple, but it’s actually not, from getting 0 marks in VARC to countless setbacks, but it ended up with converting top B-schools in India.
This blog covers his detailed journey of getting 99.96 percentile in the CAT examination and converting colleges like SPJIMR and IIM Kozhikode. With this, how iQuanta played a crucial role in the entire CAT exam preparation journey.
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Scoring Just 0 Marks in VARC to Finally Convert to SPJIMR & IIM Kozhikode
Anmol gave his first CAT exam attempt in 2023 with a mindset to just get a 99 percentile somehow. He wasn’t even considering a reattempt and was like “BC, jo milega, lelenge.” He gave his very first free mock test on the iQuanta platform with zero preparation. That year, iCAT 1 was free and he scored 85 marks. He felt like he could actually do this.
From there, he started giving a lot of free mocks and PYQs. One thing that stood out was that he solved all the PYQs going back to the year 2000. Being a GEM candidate, he did not receive a BLACKI or FMS call, but he was ready to join whatever B school he converted. He managed to convert SIBM Pune, SCMHRD Pune, MICA Ahmedabad, New IIMs and a few others, but his eyes were set on IIT Bombay.
And then, towards the end, he was waitlisted at rank 1. It felt as if the doors had been shut right on his face. What followed was even more draining as it was one continuous stream of negatives piling up one after another. There was a time when no one actually knew how much he cried. He wanted to give up on everything, but somehow he held himself together and eventually joined a job.
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Second & Third CAT Exam Attempt With a Full-Time Job
He gave a second attempt as a trial to check the preparation. He managed to score a 95.58%ile but scored 0 marks in Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension.
He wanted to go all in for this one and did not want to hold back anything. He was working a full time, six days a week, work from office job with 1.5 to 2 hours of travel on either side. He used to leave home at 7:30 am and reach back sometimes at 9 pm, which meant his entire day was essentially gone. He used to get tired by the time he reached home, but somehow he always forced himself to study even if it was just for an hour, because that is where consistency truly plays its role.
He gave everything he had for this exam and was determined to crack it that year no matter what. He gave a lot of mocks, analyzed them thoroughly and even cried through the process. He faced both the toughest and the best days of his preparation journey. He did not always score high. There were days when he scored in single digits in a section. In fact, his lowest ever mock score was negative 5 in the VARC section, and that too in the month of November. He felt like giving up at that point.
On top of that, he was dealing with certain personal issues during that period which made his days quite rough. But he chose to stay focused entirely on the exam. The exam eventually went well. He was working with iQuanta and used to regularly interact with the amazing faculty there. The constant guidance and motivation from Jeet Sir proved to be really helpful throughout his journey.
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How iQuanta Helped Anmol in CAT Exam Preparation?
iQuanta played a crucial role in the CAT exam preparation journey of Anmol. It was on the iQuanta platform where he gave his very first free mock test with zero preparation and scored 85 marks, which gave him the initial confidence that he could actually do this. He continued to make the most of the free mocks and resources available on the platform throughout his preparation.
During his third attempt, while managing a demanding full time work from office job, he was actively working with iQuanta and used to interact with the faculty there on a regular basis. The constant guidance and motivation from Jeet Sir kept him going through his toughest days, including the times he scored as low as negative 5 in VARC just a month before the exam.
Wrapping Up!
From walking into his first CAT attempt with zero preparation and a casual mindset, to grinding through a exhausting work schedule, personal struggles and even negative mock scores in the final month, he never truly gave up. There were moments he broke down, moments he felt the doors had shut on him completely, but every single time he chose to get back up. His story is not just about cracking CAT with 99.96 percentile or achieving a 100 percentile in LRDI.
It is about everything that happened behind the scenes. The late nights after long office days, the tears after bad mocks, the silence when no one knew how much he was going through and the strength it took to keep showing up anyway. For anyone sitting with self doubt right now, Anmol’s journey is a reminder that the process is never linear. Bad days are part of it. Setbacks are part of it. What matters is that you hold yourself together one more time and keep moving forward.
