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Sourabh Singh’s journey from scoring 53% in Class 12 to achieving a 99.57 percentile in CAT is marked by consistent improvement and several career transitions. After improving his Class 12 score to 69.2%, he completed his BTech with 84% and later worked at Infosys. He eventually decided to pursue an MBA and appeared for CAT multiple times.
Sourabh scored 99.28 percentile in CAT 2020 and improved his performance to 99.57 percentile in CAT 2022. His MBA admission journey included calls, waitlists and conversions from several institutes, eventually leading him to NITIE Mumbai, now IIM Mumbai.
Sourabh Singh Academic Profile: 10th, 12th and Graduation Marks
Sourabh Singh’s academic profile changed significantly over the course of his education. He scored 77.8% in Class 10, but his Class 12 score initially dropped to 53%.
He later appeared for a Class 12 improvement examination and increased his score to 69.2%. After this, he pursued engineering and completed his BTech with 84%.
His academic performance during engineering was considerably stronger than his Class 12 performance. He also worked on strengthening his fundamentals in mathematics and physics during college.
| Academic Stage | Score |
|---|---|
| Class 10 | 77.8% |
| Class 12 | 53% initially |
| Class 12 After Improvement | 69.2% |
| BTech | 84% |
| JEE Main | 103 marks |
Sourabh Singh’s Journey From 53% in 12th to 84% in BTech
Sourabh’s Class 12 score of 53% became an early challenge in his academic journey. Instead of immediately moving into college, he worked at a call centre for almost a year.
During this period, he learned about the Class 12 improvement examination and decided to appear for it. His score increased from 53% to 69.2%, giving him an opportunity to move forward with his college education.
After joining engineering, Sourabh realised that he had gaps in subjects such as mathematics and physics. He went back to fundamental concepts and worked on strengthening his academic foundation.
His efforts resulted in a much stronger academic performance during engineering, and he eventually completed his BTech with 84%.
Sourabh Singh’s Career Journey From Call Centre to Infosys
Sourabh’s career journey began with a call-centre job after his Class 12 results. He worked at Aegis while preparing to improve his academic record.
After completing engineering, he was selected by Infosys through an open-campus recruitment process. The selection involved an aptitude test followed by an interview.
At Infosys, Sourabh worked in different technical roles, including full-stack development and SAP-related work. He also worked across locations such as Chennai and Hyderabad before eventually working from home during the COVID period.
His professional experience gave him an opportunity to think about his long-term career direction and eventually revisit his plans for an MBA.
Sourabh Singh CAT Preparation and First Attempt
Sourabh had considered pursuing an MBA earlier, but his campus recruitment and career at Infosys took priority. During the COVID period, he had more time to reflect on his career goals and decided to take CAT more seriously.
He prepared largely through self-study and appeared for CAT 2020. His first serious attempt resulted in an impressive 99.28 percentile, with DILR being his strongest section.
He received calls from institutes including IIM Shillong and the CAP IIMs. He eventually converted IIM Shillong after being waitlisted, but decided not to join the programme at that time.
His CAT journey did not end with the first attempt. After a break, he returned to CAT preparation with a clearer objective.
Sourabh Singh CAT Score: 99.28 to 99.57 Percentile
Sourabh appeared for CAT again in 2022 and improved his overall percentile from 99.28 to 99.57.
His second attempt also saw a particularly strong DILR performance. While his VARC and Quant scores changed between the two attempts, his overall percentile improved.
This progression shows the difference between his first and second CAT attempts and how he was able to improve his overall performance.
Sourabh Singh CAT 2020 vs CAT 2022 Scorecard
Sourabh’s CAT scores across his two attempts are given below:
| CAT Attempt | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAT 2020 | 79.60 | 99.77 | 98.93 | 99.28 |
| CAT 2022 | 94.70 | 99.916 | 96.25 | 99.57 |
His DILR percentile remained particularly strong in both attempts. His overall percentile increased from 99.28 in CAT 2020 to 99.57 in CAT 2022.
The scorecard also highlights that CAT performance can vary across sections between attempts. Sourabh’s overall improvement came from putting together a stronger performance across the exam.
Sourabh Singh IIM Calls, Waitlists and MBA Admission
A high CAT percentile opened several opportunities for Sourabh during the MBA admission process. He received calls from institutes including NITIE Mumbai, SJMSOM IIT Bombay, IIM Udaipur and other IIMs.
His admission journey involved both conversions and waitlists. He was also waitlisted at IIM Lucknow, with his waitlist number initially in the high 700s.
| Institute/School | Admission Status |
|---|---|
| NITIE Mumbai | Converted and joined |
| SJMSOM IIT Bombay | Waitlisted |
| IIM Lucknow | Waitlisted |
| IIM Udaipur | Converted |
| IIM Trichy | Converted/waitlisted during the process |
| Other CAP IIMs | Multiple calls/conversions |
Sourabh eventually joined NITIE Mumbai. The institute has since become IIM Mumbai. His experience also shows that the MBA admission process does not end with a CAT percentile, as candidates may have to navigate interviews, waitlists and final conversions.
How Did Sourabh Singh Overcome 53% in Class 12?
Sourabh’s 53% in Class 12 was one of the biggest challenges in his academic profile. He knew that academic performance could be considered during MBA admissions, but he focused on improving the parts of his profile that he could still change.
First, he appeared for the Class 12 improvement examination and increased his score to 69.2%. He then completed his BTech with 84% and built professional experience through his work at Infosys and later at Cracku.
His CAT performance provided another significant improvement to his profile. After scoring 99.28 percentile in CAT 2020, he returned to the exam and scored 99.57 percentile in CAT 2022.
His journey does not suggest that academic scores are irrelevant for MBA admissions. Instead, it highlights how an aspirant can continue building their profile even after an early academic setback.
Sourabh Singh’s Advice and Lessons for CAT Aspirants
When asked what he would tell his younger self, Sourabh’s advice was straightforward:
“Please be serious. Just study. You can study.”
His journey also offers several lessons for CAT aspirants:
- Keep improving after academic setbacks: Sourabh improved from 53% in Class 12 to 69.2% after his improvement examination and later achieved 84% in BTech.
- Strengthen your fundamentals: He worked on gaps in mathematics and physics during engineering.
- Do not treat one CAT attempt as the end: He improved from 99.28 percentile to 99.57 percentile in his subsequent attempt.
- Understand the complete MBA admission process: CAT percentile is followed by calls, interviews, waitlists and final conversions.
- Focus on what you can improve: Sourabh continued building his academic and professional profile despite his earlier Class 12 score.
His story is therefore less about a single CAT score and more about the progression across different stages of his academic and professional life.
Sourabh Singh’s Career Plans After IIM Mumbai
Sourabh has spoken about building a career in IT analytics and eventually exploring consulting or other challenging roles.
Alongside his professional interests, writing continues to be an important part of his life. He has written poetry, performed at open mics and was also working on a fictional novel.
His journey from a 53% Class 12 score to a 99.57 percentile in CAT reflects a career path that has evolved through several academic and professional stages.
