CAT Result 2021: Topper Chirag Gupta says taking mock tests key to success

NEW DELHI: Common Admission Test (CAT) 2021 topper Chirag Gupta from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune managed to secure 100 percentile along with 8 others. The mantra behind his success was attempting mock tests among other strategies, he said.

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This was Gupta’s first CAT attempt and he said, "I attempted around 60 mock tests both from IMS and Time. A month before the exam, I took mock tests for the second slot only as my b-school entrance was in the second slot.”

Gupta started preparing for CAT exam 2021 in March this year, and he depended on self-study including following market-available books, notes besides taking mock tests. "The mock test actually helps me to find lacunae in my preparation, which I covered during the course of my study," Chirag said. He also suggested the MBA aspirants to try attempting mock tests as much as they can and to concentrate on their preparation not getting divided with too many resources.

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Chirag analysed the CAT 2021 paper as moderately difficult and said it followed the pattern of CAT. "I did not face any difficulty following Covid-19 protocol at the exam centre. My preparation was also not hampered due to the pandemic," the topper said.

Chirag aspires to get into any one of three Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) - IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta as these institutes top in placements every year. "I am not sure about the professional path, but to make a career in Consultancy," he said.

Chirag is currently studying BS-MS Programme at IISER, Pune. His father Dharmendra Gupta is a DGM in SBI Life, and mother Anita Gupta is a homemaker.

CAT result 2021 was announced on Monday, January 3. Nine candidates, all male, have scored 100 percentile marks. Seven of them are engineers, two are non-engineers. The most number of 100 percentile scorers are from Maharashtra (4), followed by Uttar Pradesh (2).