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Transitioning from a CAT repeater to a topper requires the right strategy, consistency, and access to the right resources. In this exclusive interview, we spoke with three engineers who completely transformed their CAT journey.
Om Gaikwad (99.52%ile), Aaryaman Dadwal (99.88%ile), and Manhar Joshi (99.97%ile) were all working professionals who significantly improved their CAT scores using structured preparation and Cracku’s specialized resources.
Their preparation strategies, mistakes from previous attempts, and practical tips can help CAT 2026 aspirants plan their preparation more effectively.
Meet the Cracku's CAT Toppers
Topper
Background
CAT Percentile
Manhar Joshi
Electrical Engineer, IIT BHU (2 Years Work Experience)
99.97%ile
Aaryaman Dadwal
EEE Engineer, NIT Delhi
99.88%ile
Om Gaikwad
Engineer (2025 Graduate), IT Tech (5 Months Work Experience)
99.52%ile
These three aspirants proved that even working professionals can achieve 99+ percentile in CAT with the right preparation strategy.
What Went Wrong in Their Previous CAT Attempt?
For many CAT aspirants, the first attempt often acts as a learning experience. These toppers identified the exact areas where they went wrong and worked strategically to improve them.
Om Gaikwad
"I didn't like reading, which affected my VARC performance. My Quant concepts were also weak because I didn't follow a structured revision plan."
Aaryaman Dadwal
"Math was my biggest fear. In my previous attempt, I didn't even know what kind of questions could appear in DILR."
Manhar Joshi
"I was overconfident in Quant. I skipped topics like Number Systems even during my JEE preparation. In VARC, I struggled with ambiguous options."
Their biggest realization was that identifying weaknesses early is crucial for CAT preparation success.
Section-Wise CAT Preparation Strategy
VARC Preparation Strategy
Manhar Joshi achieved a 100 percentile in VARC, and his preparation approach focused on understanding the logic behind answers.
Learning Option Elimination
"Sayali Ma’am’s video solutions were extremely helpful. They taught me how to eliminate incorrect options instead of blindly selecting the answer."
Building a Reading Habit
Om Gaikwad improved his VARC by reading three CAT Daily Articles every morning.
This helped him become comfortable with different reading styles and genres commonly seen in CAT RC passages.
DILR Preparation Strategy: Mastering Set Selection
DILR is considered the most unpredictable section in CAT. According to the toppers, the key is not solving every set but selecting the right ones.
Targeted Practice
The toppers used the Cracku Study Room to practice specific set types like:
Arrangements
Games and Tournaments
Puzzles
Logical grids
Learning From Live Mock Attempts
Manhar highlighted the importance of watching Maruti Sir’s live mock attempts.
"Watching live mock attempts helped me understand which sets to pick and which ones to skip during the exam."
This skill is critical because set selection can make or break the DILR section.
Quant Preparation Strategy: Overcoming Fear of Math
Aaryaman Dadwal significantly improved his Quant score, reaching 99.8+ percentile in QA.
Quant Rush Practice
He solved over 2,500 questions in the CAT Quant Rush section.
"I never solved fewer than 100 math questions per day."
Bridging Conceptual Gaps
Om used the Cracku Study Room to move from basic concept clarity to CAT-level application.
This helped him strengthen areas like:
Algebra
Geometry
Arithmetic
Number Systems
How DashCAT Mocks Helped Them Score 99+ Percentile
All three toppers agreed that DashCAT mock tests played a crucial role in their preparation.
Preparing for Tough Exams
Om explained:
"DashCATs prepare you for the worst-case scenario. When CAT 2025 had tough DILR sets, we didn't panic because DashCATs had already prepared us."
Cross-Mock Performance Analysis
Aaryaman emphasized the importance of Cross-Mock Analysis, which tracks performance across 20+ CAT mock tests.
This helped him identify long-term weaknesses such as:
The toppers used it extensively to reach “Cracku Level Proficiency” in weaker areas.
Benefits of the Study Room include:
Topic-wise practice
Difficulty-based questions
Adaptive learningPerformance tracking
How Working Professionals Balanced Job and CAT Preparation
Balancing a full-time job with CAT preparation is challenging, but these toppers managed it with disciplined schedules.
Om Gaikwad: The Early Morning Strategy
Woke up at 6:00 AM to practice VARC
Used 15-minute office breaks to solve topic tests on his phone
Manhar Joshi: The Weekend Strategy
Working 12-hour shifts in an MNC, Manhar utilized weekends effectively.
Took 2–3 mock tests every weekend
Spent several hours analyzing each mock
Aaryaman Dadwal: The Bold Decision
Aaryaman eventually left his job to focus entirely on his final CAT attempt.
"It was stressful, but it allowed me to study 6–8 hours daily with complete focus."
How Om, Aaryaman, and Manhar Cracked CAT with 99.5+ %ile: Conclusion
The journey from a CAT repeater to a 99+ percentile topper shows that success in the CAT exam depends on the right strategy, regular practice, and consistency. These toppers improved their scores by identifying weak areas, practicing regularly, and analyzing mock tests to perform better in VARC, DILR, and Quant.
For CAT 2026 aspirants, the main focus should be on structured preparation, continuous practice, and proper mock analysis. With discipline, the right resources, and a clear preparation plan, even repeaters can score 99+ percentile and get into top MBA colleges.
Thank you for your response! We truly value your feedback.
Our Success Stories
Adhiraj Joshi
CAT 2025
99.99%ile
After joining Cracku, my routine became structured. My task was to complete the videos and finish the daily targets on weekdays, and every weekend I aimed to give two DashCAT mocks. While analyzing m…
Vivek
CAT 2025
99.88%ile
I’m Vivek, and I scored 99.88 percentile in CAT 2025. I would like to sincerely thank Cracku for playing a key role in helping me achieve this result. The daily targets helped me maintain consistency…
Naman
CAT 2025
99.53%ile
I prepared through Cracku’s course, which was a one-stop solution for all my requirements, including detailed concept videos, quick revision videos, extensive practice questions in the Study Room,…
Sahil
CAT 2025
99.89%ile
I joined Cracku 2025 batch for preparation. There mocks really helped to practice and become comfortable with CAT syllabus and pattern. Also the doubt solving approach felt really useful as it was ve…
Amish Kakru
CAT 2025
99.98%ile
Cracku has been central to how I’ve structured my CAT preparation. Solving previous year papers and DashCAT mocks here feels close to the real exam, both in difficulty and in how mistakes are analyse…
Ojas Jain
CAT 2025
99.97%ile
My experience with Cracku was phenomenal. Right from their interface, everything was just the way a CAT student wants it to be. The difficulty was challenging which helped me to tackle CAT 2025. The …
Pudhuyugan
CAT 2025
99.95%ile
I secured a 99.95 percentile in CAT’25. I was enrolled in Cracku’s daily targets and mock test series. Cracku was my only source of preparation, and I relied solely on the daily targets to build cons…
Tarun
CAT 2025
99.95%ile
Joining Cracku provided me with a structured study plan to prepare for cat. The daily targets kept me motivated to keep practicing each day and the live classes were a wonderful doubt solving tool. T…
Arjun
CAT 2025
99.82%ile
Coming from an engineering background, I did not need much help with understanding concepts, but practice was a major challenge. Cracku mocks offered a wide variety of questions along with detailed, …
Jegadheep
CAT 2025
99.72%ile
I got 99.72 percentile with a raw score of 102 in CAT 2025. This wouldn’t have been possible without Cracku. I have been using Cracku’s Daily Targets, Question Bank and Mock Series. The Daily Targets…
Harsh Khudania
CAT 2025
99.93%ile
Hi, Thanks a lot for your support and guidance during my preparation journey. Mocks were very helpful. I regularly attempted DashCAT's and analysed my mistakes and shortcomings. over-time it helped m…
Prasenjit
CAT 2024
99.98%ile
Joining Cracku was one of the best decisions I made for my exam preparation. The experienced faculty and structured course material helped me strengthen my concepts and boost my confidence. The regul…
Prasanna Telawane
CAT 2024
99.93%ile
Cracku has helped me a lot in my journey to ace CAT 2024. It played a significant role by emphasizing on the basics and problem solving skills by engaging us in marathons and many exam oriented video…
Rushikesh Nikam
CAT 2024
99.92%ile
Cracku has been very important for my journey. Last year, although I scored 99.5%ile, I had no calls as I only scored 8 marks in DILR, missing sectional cutoffs. This year, Sayali mam's lectures have…
Swaraj Pal Kesari
CAT 2024
99.95%ile
I've scored 133 in the CAT 2024 exam. Sayali Ma'am's explanations helped me a lot. LRDI section again had very challenging sets which prepared me for the worst. And that was the best part of it. Maru…
Virajitha Vajha
CAT 2024
99.93%ile
I started my CAT preparation in September with the help of Cracku's crash course. Cracku played a key role in helping me brush up on my quant basics and overcome my fear of RCs. The unlimited resourc…
Mohit Dalmia
CAT 2024
99.60%ile
I was able to get 99.6 percentile in 3 months due to Sayali Mam's concept videos and Maruti Sir's Guidance. Moreover the mocks are very high quality mocks, and it really prepares you for CAT. Real…
Varun Reddy
CAT 2024
99.12%ile
At first, I only prepared by taking mock exams. This unstructured approach left significant gaps in my understanding of some concepts. To address this, I enrolled in the Crash Course. The brief conce…
Parth Bohra
CAT 2024
99.55%ile
Cracku is one of the best CAT Coaching out there. It is a complete package with daily targets, video lectures, live classes and mocks. Maruti sir, Sayali ma'am and the entire Cracku team have done a …
Vivek Singh
CAT 2024
99.56%ile
When it comes to CAT & OMET's, I feel that no one does it better than Cracku. The dynamic duo of Maruti Sir and Sayali Ma'am alongside the other team members leave no stone unturned in delivering the…
Revant Madnani
CAT 2024
99.43%ile
Cracku has helped me immensly in my CAT preferation with a question bank full of the toughest, most asked questions helping me develop proficiency in each section. The VARC sectionals made me complet…
Shrey Srivastava
CAT 2024
99.24%ile
Cracku prepared me for the worst. The mocks were challenging and always taught me new concepts or efficient ideas. As Maruti Sir says, it is better to give a tough mock and learn, than to give an eas…
Rhea Gulati
CAT 2024
99.95%ile
Cracku's Test series played a pivotal role in my preparation journey. The carefully curated set of questions spanning different difficulty levels helped me build my confidence and improve my problem …
Vishesh Garg
CAT 2024
99.81%ile
I bought Cracku's test series for my CAT preparation for the CAT 2024 examination. The mock tests were really helpful for the preparation because they actually prepare you for all the adversities tha…
A Sai Priya
CAT 2024
99.01%ile
I had taken Cracku Course and Mocks, the Live video classes helped me to revise all the topics and i could clear my concepts with them. The daily targets which are available for free on the cracku ar…
Mridul Tiwari
CAT 2024
99.98%ile
During my CAT'23 and CAT'24 season I enrolled for the Dashcats test series and Daily targets which proved of immense help during the final exam day. In 2023 the quant paper was almost a replica of a …
Unnat Akhouri
CAT 2023
99.96%ile
I am writing this message to inform students of one of the most underrated yet excellent resources for CAT. The concept videos at Cracku dealt with everything from absolute fundamentals, and it was a…
Om Adarsh
CAT 2022
99.98%ile
Cracku was my first step to CAT coaching. I had no clue where to start, but with the regular daily tests, sectional tests and full length mock tests I assessed my strengths and weaknesses and worked …
Vikram Aditya Sharma
CAT
99.95%ile
As a working professional in a busy job who had not taken the CAT before, Cracku's offerings were just what I needed. The bite-sized lessons were concise yet easy to follow, and the daily targets ens…
Siddhant Samyak
CAT 2023
99.75%ile
Cracku is best for CAT preparation. The Dashcat mocks level was at par with the CAT. The mocks were very well designed by the faculty keeping it up to date with the CAT's trend. Difficulty level of q…
Nitin Mangla
CAT
99.95%ile
Dashcats and video lectures quite helpful in preparation. And difficulty of QA practice questions helped me to score well in Quants.
Amal C Sivan
CAT 2023
99.93%ile
I enrolled for Cracku cat course in Jan 2023. I followed the daily schedule of the course as well as the booster classes. Daily targets were a great help. I completed all of them. DashCATs were amazi…
K T S Sai Teja
CAT
100%iler
My initial preparation was solely based on taking mocks. Not preparing in a structured manner meant that there were glaring gaps in my understanding of a few concepts. So, I signed up for the CAT Cou…
Deveshwar Mandava
CAT 2023
99.92%ile
The extensive question bank based on difficulty level helped me practice a lot based on the areas where I was struggling and what level of questions were those.
Bhumika Mittal
CAT 2022
99.99%ile
Cracku sectional and full length mocks are really helpful. It gives an idea about attempt strategy and time management.
Priyadarshini Das
CAT 2023
99.91%ile
Cracku helped me to maintain regularity with their daily tests. The materials and sectional tests helped to brush up my concepts. The mock tests are also at par with the level of questions in the act…
Rishab Ram
CAT 2023
99.89%ile
Cracku had some of the best test material and the dash cat test series was the most accurate to the actual cat and prepared me in the best way, and not to mention the daily target question quality wa…
Aravind Muralidharan
CAT
99.87%le
Cracku is definitely one of the best when it comes to CAT. Maruti and Sayali have done a wonderful job with the video series and the DashCAT solutions are very well made. When it comes to preparation…
Vaisakh PJ
CAT 2023
99.84%ile
I did my CAT preparation while i was working. It was extremely challenging for me to balance my cat preparation along with my work under limited time available. The structured learning material curat…
Uttank Jha
CAT 2023
99.65%ile
When I first started preparing for CAT, I was completely unaware of the exam pattern as well as the syllabus. But Cracku's well-curated 125-day crash course provided a very targeted approach for my p…
Tirtharaj Choudhury
CAT 2023
99.64%ile
Cracku is basically a one-stop shop for CAT. And is by far the most inexpensive coaching out there. And it gets better, because the mocks are the closest to the real exam among all other major coachi…
Anirudh Suresh
CAT 2023
99.51%ile
Cracku helped me get done with my basics initially, then it was helpful in providing me with sectionals and most importantly study room which was very helpful throughout my cat journey, as I could pi…
Trisha Awari
CAT 2023
99.33%ile
I am very grateful for Sayali ma'am and Maruti sir's course videos and livestreams; they helped me strengthen my concepts and build confidence. Dashcats, daily targets and the extensive study materia…
Ubaidullah Kazi
CAT 2023
99.27%ile
Cracku splits its content into doable daily tasks, which motivated me to log in and build upon my existing knowledge base or learn something new every day.
Vaishnavi Patil
CAT 2023
99.25%ile
I had completely relied on Cracku for my CAT preparations. Their video lectures, study room problems and DashCAT mocks really helped me in my journey for CAT preparation.
Sajal Swapnil
CAT 2023
99.23%ile
Cracku has been really helpful in providing the most structured and optimised study plan for CAT according to me. The Daily Targets and the Study Rooms have really helped maximise productivity in sol…
A CAT repeater can improve their percentile by identifying previous mistakes, practicing topic-wise questions, analyzing mock tests, and following a consistent CAT preparation strategy.
The toppers focused on section-wise preparation for VARC, DILR, and Quant, practiced thousands of questions, and regularly analyzed CAT mock tests to improve accuracy.
Mock tests are extremely important for CAT preparation. They help aspirants improve speed, understand exam patterns, develop time management skills, and identify weak areas.
Working professionals can prepare for CAT by creating a fixed study schedule, practicing daily questions, using short breaks for topic tests, and analyzing mock tests on weekends.
The best way to prepare for CAT VARC is by reading regularly, solving RC passages, and learning option elimination techniques to identify the most accurate answers.
To improve DILR performance, candidates should practice different types of sets like puzzles, arrangements, and logical grids while focusing on selecting the right sets during the exam.
Many toppers recommend solving at least 50–100 Quant questions daily to strengthen concepts and improve problem-solving speed.
Performance analysis helps aspirants track progress, identify weak topics, and adjust their preparation strategy for better results in the CAT exam.