Consistency and patience are both important factors which are required by a candidate to crack a competitive exam. That’s where we have an example of an iQuanta student who scored 29%ile in the first CAT attempt but wasn’t satisfied with the scores and rigorously prepared for the Common Admission Test to finally score 99.18%ile and convert IIM Kozhikode (one of the top B-schools in India).
This blog covers the detailed preparation journey of a CAT topper, Rohith, along with all the major challenges he faced and how iQuanta’s application classes were a turning point for him.
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About CAT Topper & His Educational Background
Rohith has made three attempts in CAT exam with securing an impressive score of 99.18%ile in the final attempt. Although, he started his journey from 2023 when he gave his first attempt in CAT exam but didn’t score good percentile as expected by him. During his first attempt, he just graduated out of engineering college but left with scoring only 29%ile initially because due to technical background, he thought that atleast he made it easily for the Quant section but situation completely oppose.
In the second attempt, CAT topper Rohith scored 88 percentile where he didn’t prepare well but came across with few basics and given mocks that also not very regularly, that’s how he started gaining interested towards the CAT exam more. The final attempt is a complete game changer with a success in CAT result as 99.18%ile and he said “99 is a magic figure for all of us right respect of whether we get a B-school or not but that 99 is a mark that we all achieve as many aspirants dreamed of“.
The detailed video of a CAT Topper’s interview experience is specified below, candidates are encouraged to watch it for insights >>>
Detailed CAT Exam Preparation Journey: From 29%ile to 99.18%ile
Interviewer: Hi, Rohith. Welcome to the iQuanta Toppers Meet. How are you feeling today?
Rohith: I’m really happy with the result. The outcome is much better than what I had expected when I started this journey a few years ago.
Interviewer: That’s great to hear. Tell us a little about yourself and your CAT journey. What was your score?
Rohith: This was my third CAT attempt, and I scored 99.18 percentile.
My journey started in 2023 when I appeared for CAT for the first time. I had just graduated from engineering and thought Quant would be easy for me. But I didn’t do well and scored around 29 percentile.
Interviewer: 29 percentile?
Rohith: Yes. I don’t even remember the exact score. I saw the percentile, closed the PDF, and moved on. At that point, scoring 99 percentile felt impossible. It’s a number every CAT aspirant dreams of achieving.
In 2024, I appeared again and scored 88 percentile. I hadn’t prepared seriously and had only covered some basics. But that score made me realize that improvement was possible if I put in more effort.
Interviewer: What changed in your preparation from 29%ile to 88%ile and then from 88 to 99 percentile?
Rohith: Every year I became more serious about the exam. Initially, I focused mostly on Quant because of my engineering background. Later, I realized that CAT is not about being strong in just one section. You need to be able to handle all three sections.
I also understood that preparation alone is not enough. What matters is how you perform during those two hours in the exam hall. That’s why I started taking mocks more seriously.
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This time, I started giving mocks regularly from June or July. Some months I gave two mocks, and sometimes even one every week. I also went through previous year papers.
Interviewer: What was the biggest reason behind your improvement this year?
Rohith: If I had to point to one thing, it would be mocks.
There are many ways to prepare. You can solve practice questions, read newspapers, work on concepts, and improve your speed. But CAT is ultimately a two-hour exam. The more mocks you take, the more comfortable you become with that environment.
Interviewer: Did you have any support system during this journey?
Rohith: My family, especially my mother, was my biggest support.
Whenever I felt demotivated, she would tell me that CAT is not compulsory. If I wanted to give the exam, I should give it my best. If not, that was okay too. That mindset helped me focus on the process rather than the result.
Apart from that, solving Quant and LRDI questions itself became a source of motivation. Since I was working, life had become quite repetitive. Preparation gave me something challenging to work on.
Interviewer: How did you deal with doubts during preparation?
Rohith: Sometimes I would sit with a problem and try to solve it myself. I also attended iQuanta classes and used the Facebook group.
Whenever I had a doubt, I would post it there. Usually, someone would respond within a day. In many cases, while thinking about the problem after posting it, I would end up solving it myself.
LRDI especially requires patience. Sometimes you need to spend more time with a set before the logic clicks.
Interviewer: Which was your strongest section?
Rohith: I always felt Quant was my strongest section.
Interviewer: What advice would you give to someone preparing for Quant?
Rohith: Start with the basics and don’t decide in advance that a topic is weak for you.
One thing I learned from Raj Sir was to approach every question from the beginning, even if you know the formulas. Read the first statement carefully and build the solution step by step.
Earlier, whenever I saw a long question, I assumed it would be difficult and skipped it. Later, I started giving those questions a chance. Many of them turned out to be much easier than they looked.
Interviewer: How much time would you spend before leaving a question?
Rohith: It depended on the topic.
If it was geometry and I couldn’t find a direction within a minute or two, I would move on. For Arithmetic, I was willing to spend more time because I felt there was a higher chance of solving it.
Interviewer: Is there any CAT myth you would like to break?
Rohith: Yes. You don’t need to be equally strong in all three sections.
CAT is not about solving every question. Even top scorers don’t attempt everything. What matters is identifying the right questions and solving them accurately within the time limit.
You can still get an excellent percentile without being exceptional in every area. Focus on your strengths, work on your weaknesses, and make sure you don’t completely ignore any section. That’s what helped me move from 29 percentile to 99.18 percentile.
