CAT WhatsApp Group
In this conversation, Adhiraj Joshi shares how he prepared, how he used Cracku, and what really made the difference.
Adhiraj’s Academic Background and Early Influences
Maruti Sir: Adhiraj, first tell us a little about your background.
Adhiraj: I grew up in Mumbai. At home, there was always emphasis on scientific thinking, not just science, but reasoning clearly and being adaptable. Honesty and integrity were very important values as well. I think that shaped how I approach decisions even today.
Maruti Sir: You did well academically too, right?
Adhiraj: Yes, I scored 97% in 10th and 94% in 12th. I joined IIT in 2020 and graduated in 2024. After that, I joined EY.
Why He Chose MBA After Working at EY
Maruti Sir: When did CAT enter the picture?
Adhiraj: Around June 2025. I had been working for almost a year. I realized that technically you can grow only to a point. If you want to think strategically and make business decisions, you need management education. That’s when I decided to prepare for CAT.
How to Prepare for CAT 2025 with a Full-Time Job
Maruti Sir: You were working 8 AM to 8 PM. How did you manage preparation?
Adhiraj: On office days, I studied from 10 PM to around 12 or 12:30 AM. I focused mainly on completing daily videos and daily targets on Cracku. I didn’t try to overdo things.
Weekends were for CAT mock tests. I gave two mocks every weekend- one on Saturday and one on Sunday. And I spent more time analyzing them than writing them.
Maruti Sir: That’s interesting. What exactly did you do during mock analysis?
Adhiraj: First, I solved all unattempted questions. Then I tried to understand whether my selection was correct. I would ask myself- could I have picked a better set? A better RC? In Quant, I refined my rule: if I can see the method within five seconds, I solve it. Otherwise, I skip. I didn’t let my ego step in while taking mocks.
CAT Mock Strategy That Led to 99.99 Percentile
VARC: The Turning Point
Maruti Sir: How did you improve VARC?
Adhiraj: Initially, nothing was working. Then I started watching the faculty solve RCs. I noticed they focused on understanding what the author is trying to say, not just the words.
That subconsciously changed my approach. Once I started reading for author intent, my scores improved.
DILR: Handling Weakness Smartly
Maruti Sir: DILR was tricky this year. How did you handle it?
Adhiraj: Honestly, I avoided lengthy DI sets during preparation. That was a mistake.
In the exam, I wasted around 20 minutes on one tough set. But instead of panicking, I reminded myself, if it’s tough for me, it’s tough for everyone. I reset, picked the next manageable set, and solved two sets overall.
Mindset saved me there.
Quant: Controlled Aggression
Maruti Sir: And Quant?
Adhiraj: Quant was about clarity. I attempted 18 questions with high accuracy. I focused on covering all visible easy questions first. No ego. No emotional attachment to questions.
Final Week Strategy Before CAT 2025
Maruti Sir: How were you feeling before the exam?
Adhiraj: I noticed something - my Sunday mock scores were always better than Saturday. That meant the practice gap affected me.
So in the final week, I took leave from the office and gave one mock daily. My scores improved steadily. Two days before the exam, I was confident.
My thinking was simple: preparation is done. Now only mindset matters.
How Cracku Helped in Scoring 99.99%ile
Maruti Sir: What did you like most about the course?
Adhiraj: The structure. Everything was streamlined - videos, mocks, sections. Daily targets removed confusion. I liked the live faculty attempt of the DashCats because it helped me analyse the topper perspective of the mock. For eg. If I am scoring close to the faculty then I feel satisfied with my attempt.
The doubt-solving system was very helpful. In online courses, doubts usually remain unresolved. Here, answers came quickly.
And DashCATs were very close to the actual exam level. They helped me build a timing strategy.
The One Thing He Did Right in CAT Preparation
Maruti Sir: What do you think you did right?
Adhiraj: I focused more on strategy and mindset than just solving questions endlessly. If your mindset collapses in the exam, preparation won’t help.
The One Mistake He Admits
Maruti Sir: And one mistake?
Adhiraj: Avoiding lengthy DI sets. I should have practiced them more instead of mentally skipping them.
Final Advice for CAT 2026 & CAT 2027 Aspirants
Maruti Sir: One message for CAT aspirants?
Adhiraj: Don’t panic about hours. Be consistent. Analyze mocks deeply. And most importantly, manage your mindset during the exam.
If your composure stays intact, your performance will follow.
Adhiraj’s journey proves something important.
- You don’t need to quit your job.
- You don’t need years of preparation.
- You need clarity, structure, and emotional control.
And when preparation meets the right strategy, 99.99 percentile becomes possible.
