Siddharth's incredible achievement of securing a position in XLRI, one of the most prestigious management colleges in India, has become a source of inspiration for many students who aspire to pursue business studies through CAT, XAT and other important exams. His journey towards achieving this feat was not an easy one, and it required him to overcome various challenges, including mastering complex concepts, developing a study routine, and managing time effectively.

In an interview with collegedunia, Siddharth shared his overall experience of CAT preparation and how he managed to ace the exam and also crack XAT to secure a position in XLRI. He talked about how he applied for top B-schools, including NMIMS, IIFT Delhi, and IMT, and had been waitlisted by some of them. Siddharth emphasized the significance of mastering the basic concepts and developing a strong foundation before moving on to more complex topics. He also talked about how he managed to balance his preparation with other commitments and how he used mock tests and analysis to improve his performance.

In this article, we will delve deeper into Siddharth's journey towards achieving his dream of pursuing management studies from a top B-school in India. We will explore his CAT preparation strategies, his approach to solving problems, and his insights on cracking the interviews. Siddharth's experience and insights can be invaluable for aspirants who are preparing for CAT and seeking guidance on how to ace the exam and interviews. His success story is a testament to the fact that with hard work, dedication, and perseverance, one can achieve their dreams and make them a reality.

Interview Questions with Answers

Collegedunia: Can you share about your journey and work experience?

Siddharth: I was actually working with one of the top MNCs in the IT industry. I wasn't enjoying my technical job, so I decided to pursue an MBA. My family was supportive, and I completed my notice period in July of last year. I joined a coaching institute in Indore and prepared with their classroom program. I chose the morning batch and had 2 hours of classes every day. Starting in September, I took mock tests through the centralized and challenging test series of Time Institute. The mock tests played a crucial role in my preparation, and their tool helped me analyze my strengths and weaknesses to ensure I cleared the cut offs.

Collegedunia: Can you tell us about your educational background?

Siddharth: I achieved a CGPA of 10 in my 10th board exam and obtained 97% in my CBSE class 12th board. Additionally, I was the study topper in Indore. These academic accomplishments become valuable when applying to top B-schools. Moreover, I was the university topper with a GPA of 3.88 out of 4.

Collegedunia: Given that you mentioned XAT, CAT, and mock exams, which exam did you find the most challenging or difficult?

Siddharth:

  • I have a decent score in CAT despite it being considered the toughest exam.
  • CAT is difficult due to the feeling of competition and fear it generates.
  • XAT is equally tough, with English being harder than CAT.
  • The physiological aspect of giving XAT is difficult due to its 3.5 hour duration, on the coldest day of the year, and managing the use of washrooms and drinking water.
  • The GK with essay section in XAT is tough due to managing time for 25 GK questions and writing an essay in 25 minutes.
  • IIFT is tough due to its hard questions and low sectional cutoff for GK (just 4 marks for 20 questions, with 1 mark for the correct answer and 1/3 mark deducted for a wrong answer).

Collegedunia: Can you share some tips on effectively managing exam preparation while working a job, since you mentioned it was challenging for you and you only had 2 hours for preparation?

Siddharth: When people reached out to me on LinkedIn asking how to balance preparing for exams with a job, I said it's a personal decision. Even though I was doing well and had received awards and recognition at my job, I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. If I had stayed, I would have been given more responsibility. But more importantly, if I hadn't been able to crack the exams or interviews later on, I would have had something to blame. During my XLRI interview, I was asked why I didn't choose to prepare for the exams while working and having a backup plan. I replied that you have to take risks and not have a fallback plan to push yourself harder.

Collegedunia: What are your opinions regarding mocks?

Siddharth: In my opinion, mock tests are an essential part of exam preparation, but my approach differs from what most coaching institutes recommend. Here are my thoughts on this:

  • Taking multiple mock tests can provide valuable experience, but it's not necessary to take an excessive amount.
  • It's important to cover the curriculum before attempting full-length mocks with all sections.
  • Sectional mock tests are a great way to focus on one section at a time, and my coaching institute, Charles Charles Murray, provides excellent resources for this.
  • Once I feel confident with most of the curriculum, I believe it's a good decision to start taking full-length mocks.
  • I agree that analyzing the mock is more important than just taking it. Spending time reviewing the test and identifying areas for improvement is crucial.
  • Instead of taking multiple mock tests in a week, I prefer to take one and dedicate time to analyzing it thoroughly.
  • Online materials and coaching institute resources can be helpful in preparation, but it's not necessary to complete all the available material as it's practically impossible.

Collegedunia: What are the things you observed in mock analysis?

Siddharth:

  • When analyzing my mock test performance, I consider various parameters, such as the time spent on each question and the average time spent by other test-takers in India.
  • For questions I get wrong, I note them down to identify weak areas and focus on practicing those questions.
  • Seeking professional guidance on specific topics is also an option.
  • I also highlight the importance of taking mock tests for other management exams, even if their structures differ from CAT.

For example, NMAT allows test-takers to choose the order in which they answer each section and requires answering each question before moving on to the next.

Collegedunia: How many mocks did you give yourself?

Siddharth: Starting from September, I took one mock test every week leading up to the CAT. However, I decided not to take mocks in the last couple of weeks before the CAT to avoid any last-minute stress. After the CAT, I continued taking mock tests for other exams such as NMAT, MAT, and XAT. Specifically, I took MAT mocks before my MAT exam, which was a couple of weeks before the CAT. Additionally, I started taking XAT mocks after my IIFT exam, which was on December 18th.

Collegedunia: Did you take some approach to prepare for the interview?

Siddharth: I wasn't entirely confident about my profile, but I knew it was decent since I had good academics and had actively participated in extracurricular activities during both my school and college years. My work experience has also been recognized through awards. I didn't pursue any additional certification courses since I had already completed a sufficient number during my college years and work experience.

Collegedunia: What kind of a revision did you do?

Siddharth: In the weeks leading up to both CAT and XAT, I created cheat sheets containing formulas and tricks that I had learned during my classes and while practicing. Whenever I gave mocks or solved questions from study material, I would revise these cheat sheets. During the last few weeks before the exams, I relied heavily on these cheat sheets for revision. I spent time with my family and friends and tried to maintain a calm and relaxed atmosphere for myself, rather than getting caught up in the stress of the upcoming exams.

Collegedunia: How did you feel when you performed better in XAT despite not doing well in CAT?

Siddharth: After the CAT results were out, I was not too surprised as I had already checked the answer key and knew I hadn't done very well. However, I was still a bit emotional and disappointed. But I reminded myself that I had already performed well in the MAT and NMAT exams and was expecting a call from NMIMS Mumbai. I also had the IIFT exam coming up and felt confident about it. I realized that even if I didn't get many calls from CAT, I still had other options. Moreover, XLRI has been my dream college for the past two years, and my MBA dream has revolved around it since 2020.

Collegedunia: Did the disappointment affect your performance later?

Siddharth: Yeah, luckily it did not affect my performance very much. But then again, for that I knew that following the process is more important than caring a lot about the result of another exam which is not at all going to affect my xlri call or even my life later, or nobody is going to ask Me 2 years later. Collegedunia: Why XLRI? Siddharth: In 2020, during my 4th year of engineering, I had a conversation with my parents about MBA exams like CAT and XAT. We talked about XLRI, the first business school in India established in 1949 and ranked among the top 10 institutes in all rankings, even rated as number one by some private ranking institutes above the top IIMs. It felt like a dream that nobody else was chasing.

Collegedunia: How many interview calls did you get?

Siddharth: I received interview calls from several institutes including all 9 cap IIMs, Amritsar, Nagpur, and Visakhapatnam. I also received an interview call from XLRI and converted NMIMS Mumbai for the core MBA program. I had interview calls from IMT Ghaziabad, Goa Institute of Management, XIMB Bhubaneswar, and IIFT, which I recently gave an interview for, although I am not particularly interested in joining IIFT.

Collegedunia: Did you get a call from Shillong as well?

Siddharth: No, I couldn't get a call from Shillong as I'm 93% percentile.

Collegedunia: What was your preparation strategy for the interview?

Siddharth: So, I didn't have a concrete plan for my interview preparation, since I felt confident in my communication skills. Instead, I focused on revising my achievements, experiences, and my profile, as these were likely to be the main topics of conversation. I also made sure to brush up on my final year project and made bullet points of my college event participation and work experience. While my work experience was recent, I kept in mind potential questions about my role in the project's success or my aspirations from that job. Overall, I didn't feel the need to learn too much new information beyond what was already in my repertoire.

Collegedunia: Did you take any mock interviews?

Siddharth:

  • It's not like they pressure you into giving mocks but they advised me to take a couple of mock interviews before my actual ones.
  • Received my first interview call from NMIMS in late January.
  • Scheduled an interview with an instructor at Indore.
  • The interview went well and lasted for 40 minutes.
  • Received detailed feedback on things I could work on, such as reading the newspaper more often.
  • Met with another instructor to verify my statement of purpose.
  • Took guidance on how to cut short or add more content to fit word limits for different institutes.

Collegedunia: Can you share your experience in the major interviews that you have faced?

Siddharth: I interviewed for SPJIMR's PGDM marketing and PGDM business management courses and got waitlisted, but I didn't have any stress interviews. SPJIMR's interview experience was unique because they had 2 group interviews, which made it more challenging as we were being compared to others. The questions they asked were different and focused on hypothetical situations like how we would handle a particular situation or whether we would take or give bribes. I found their interview structure really interesting.

Collegedunia: Can you share some more light about this group interview and what kind?

Siddharth:

  • SPJIMR has 2 rounds of interviews for each course
  • The first round is conducted online and involves a group of 3 to 4 candidates being interviewed by a panel of 2 to 4 members
  • Panelists take turns giving situations and analyzing how candidates would act in those situations
  • The second interview is similar and also revolves around ethics and how candidates would act in different situations
  • Current affairs and personal interests may also be discussed during the interviews
  • The interviews test the candidate on what they have portrayed to the panelists.

Collegedunia: Can you share situations or examples of questions that they ask you?

Siddharth: This is pretty common with SPJIMR as far as the second interview is concerned because it revolves around ethics, so I'll give you what situation we were given.

Collegedunia: Can you Share your experience in the XLRI Interview?

Siddharth:

XLRI Interview Summary:

Duration: 25 minutes

Panel: Three panelists (P1, P2, and P3)

P1: Can you please introduce yourself and provide some insights into your current professional status at Accenture?

Answered: I introduced myself and explained my decision to take a break from Accenture to prepare for MBA entrances.

P2: Why did you take the risk of leaving a stable job without having a fallback plan if your MBA plans don't work out?

Answered: I shared my reasons for seeking a congenial learning environment and my confidence in pursuing an MBA.

P3: You used some technical jargon during the conversation. Could you explain one of those terms in layman's terms and provide an example?

Answered: I provided a layman's terms explanation and offered an example to clarify the technical jargon I used.

P1: It's interesting to know that you have already secured a seat at NMIMS Mumbai and have interview calls from IIFT and SPJIMR. Could you tell us more about your decisions and preferences?

Answered: I shared my acceptance at NMIMS Mumbai and mentioned the interview opportunities at IIFT and SPJIMR, discussing my decisions and preferences.

P2: Let's talk about your extracurricular activities during school and college.Could you elaborate on your roles as a part of the Student Council, House Captain, and organizer of technical fests?

Answered: I provided details about my involvement in the Student Council, my responsibilities as a House Captain, and my experiences organizing technical fests.

The interview lasted for approximately 16 minutes, and despite feeling there was more to discuss, one of the panelists abruptly ended the conversation.

Collegedunia: Can you describe how each of the interviews you attended differed from one another and share some tips based on those experiences?

Siddharth: In my experience, most interviews follow a similar structure with 2 or 3 interviewers asking premeditated questions. Unless you say something controversial, the conversation flows smoothly. During MBA interviews, they tend to ask a lot of personal questions. It's important to remain calm and confident. Each college has its own set of values, and it's important to highlight those values during the interview. It's also important to be honest and not fake beliefs or values. It's better to focus on your strengths rather than trying to touch on everything.

Collegedunia: So once again, congratulations Siddharth. I hope our viewers will get amazing insights from Siddharth.

Siddharth: Thank you