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A first-attempt CAT success story that proves consistency, strategy, and the right mock platform can take you all the way to India's most coveted B-school.
His Profile at a Glance
He was born in Maharashtra, originally from West Bengal, raised in Kashipur, Uttarakhand and now based in Bangalore. After completing his Bachelor of Engineering from Bangalore Institute of Technology, he joined Bosch's headquarters, where he works in the high-stakes domain of automated driving.
Parameter | Details |
Academics | 10/9/9 across 10th, 12th, and B.E. |
College | Bangalore Institute of Technology |
Company | Bosch HQ |
Domain | Automated Driving |
Work Experience | ~34 months |
Preparation Strategy: How He Started CAT Preparation in June
With around 34 months of work experience, he made the decision to appear for CAT and started his preparation in June. Starting late with a full-time job at Bosch meant every hour counted.
Rather than diving blindly into preparation material, his first move was strategic: he took a diagnostic Free CAT Mock with zero preparation to perform a personal SWOT analysis. This helped him clearly identify his strong areas and weak areas before spending a single hour studying, allowing him to allocate his limited time with maximum efficiency.
This is a lesson most aspirants skip - jumping into preparation without first understanding where they stand.
Building Focus: Unconventional Mental Habits for CAT
One of the most unique aspects of his preparation story has nothing to do with mock tests or study schedules. In late 2024, he took up a special initiative by the Udupi Sri Krishna Matha - writing out the entire Bhagavad Gita, shloka by shloka, in his preferred language. He completed this in May 2025, just months before his CAT attempt.
Writing every single day for months built a quality that most CAT toppers mention but few consciously follow: deep focus, mental stillness, and the ability to make calm decisions under pressure. These aren't soft skills - in a 2-hour exam where time management can make or break your percentile, a focused and composed mind is a competitive advantage.
His consistency in this practice directly translated into consistent preparation habits during CAT prep.
How DashCATs Helped Him Score 99.58 Percentile
Mock tests are the backbone of any serious CAT preparation, and his mock strategy was deliberate and disciplined. He relied primarily on Cracku's Sectional and DashCAT mocks throughout his preparation.
His approach to mocks wasn't just about doing them - it was about extracting strategy from them. Each mock helped him answer a critical question: What is the right attempt strategy for me? CAT rewards smart selection as much as speed. Knowing which questions to attempt, which to skip, and in what order can easily swing your score by 10-15 percentile points.
By the time exam day arrived, he had used these mocks to lock in a tested, data-backed attempt strategy - not one based on guesswork. The result? A 99.58 percentile on his very first CAT attempt, with calls from almost every top IIM (except Ahmedabad and Calcutta).
IIM Bangalore Interview Experience: Tips and Questions
Scoring 99.58 gets you the call. Converting IIM Bangalore is a different challenge entirely.
His interview preparation was thorough and multi-layered. He revisited old certificates and achievements, went through multiple drafts of his Statement of Purpose (SOP) to ensure it was authentic rather than polished-but-hollow, and read the annual reports of the IIMs he was interviewing at - a level of research most candidates never bother with.
The effort paid off. His IIM Bangalore interview was heavily anchored in his SOP. The panel explored his industry - automotive and automated driving - in depth. They also threw an HR challenge at him: "As a DevOps engineer, if you were to build a new team, what roles would you hire and why?"
Rather than freezing, he structured his answer around three pillars: strong communication skills within the team, the need for a Product Owner as a single point of contact between business and tech, and a Technical Lead to drive execution. It was a grounded, experience-backed answer - exactly what panels at IIM Bangalore look for.
Managing Stress: How to Stay Consistent While Working Full-Time
Mock scores don't always go up in a straight line. There were low points in his preparation - dips in scores, moments of doubt that come with balancing a demanding job at Bosch and serious exam prep.
His answer to those dips wasn't to study harder. It was to reset. Long-distance running and swimming became his recovery tools - physical outlets that cleared his head and brought him back to the desk ready to perform.
When asked what he did right, his answer was simple: consistency. Even when things weren't going well, he kept showing up. That compounding effect, of doing the right things repeatedly, even imperfectly, is what separated him from candidates who burnt out or gave up mid-preparation.
Key Takeaways From His Journey
His story is a masterclass in structured, strategic preparation - not just grinding for hours. Here's what stands out:
- Diagnose before you prepare: A cold diagnostic mock told him exactly where to focus.
- Build focus as a skill: Daily habits compound into exam-day composure.
- Use mocks to develop strategy, not just practice: The goal is to find your optimal attempt pattern.
- Interview prep is a separate game: SOPs, annual reports, and deep introspection are non-negotiable.
- Recovering actively: Running and swimming kept him mentally fresh through the long haul.
- Start earlier than you think you need to: His only regret was not having more time.
From Bosch's automated driving division to the classrooms of IIM Bangalore - this is what a first-attempt conversion looks like when you combine the right strategy, tools, and relentless consistency.
