Advanc’edge MBA May 2014

www.advancedge.comStudent Silhouette

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‘Time management is the key to succeed in the CET’

Briefly tell us about yourself. I am a production engineer, an avid reader and a tennis enthusiast. I completed my 12th in Science. Watching my father in the manufacturing industry, I was always intrigued with the process and technology, so I decided to get an engineering degree and get some training at the factory simultaneously. Shifting base to Kolkata after graduation gave me a new perspective. I realised I wanted to start my own business and so the thought of doing an MBA seriously set in.

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?Self growth and career prospects are the two main reasons. Getting my MBA from one of the best institutes in India will help me unlock doors in the future. Even though I belong to a business family, I believe an MBA is very important. Times are changing and the business environment has become global and very complex.

I decided to do my MBA in India primarily because you can get a better MBA here at a fraction of the cost of what you would spend if you went abroad. Indian institutes have produced some of the finest MBAs consistently. There is no reason for me to look elsewhere.

Did you expect to do so well?I had been consistently scoring well in my IMS simulation tests. But the actual CET was a very different scenario, and I was a little nervous. I did expect to score above 140 since I got the toughest slot, but that’s it. Luck was on my side and I topped.

How did you prepare for the test?I had begun preparing for the CMAT since September 2013, but the CET was announced as the test for Maharashtra colleges, I had to shift my focus, as I was targeting JBIMS. I went through two grammar books, various vocabulary building exercises, solved my coaching class material diligently and focussed intensely on the mock tests. I had a “mock test every 2 days” plan, wherein I solved one test every 2 days and spent a lot of time analysing my performance. I had a daily schedule of solving an RC everyday, working on my calculation speed and reading extensively. I studied for two to four hours everyday and gave another four hours to the tests and their analysis.

CET 2014 topper

CHIRAG AGGARWALsays solving as many questions

as you can in the CET is essential

for getting a competitive score. In

an interview with Puja Shah, he

talks about how he prepared for

the entrance, his biggest hurdles

and how he overcame them to

top the CET.

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Advanc’edge MBA May 2014

student silhouette

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What was the biggest hurdle in your test preparation and how did you overcome that?Getting into JBIMS is very tough. Because of the quota and limited number of seats, I was eligible for only 27 seats out of 120, and there were around 50,000 students competing for those 27 seats. So, making myself believe that I would get into the college I wanted if I worked hard enough was my biggest hurdle.

In the initial stages of preparation, there is a lot to learn - basic things, vocabulary, getting to know various question types, grammar rules, etc. All this is a bit enervating. But the key is to push through.

Which section, according to you, is a decider in the CET?Time management, and not any particular section, is the key to succeed in the CET. At times, I would be stumped by the RCs, sometimes by the quant based questions and sometimes by the logical puzzles. You never know what the exam might throw at you. The issue isn’t whether you get a particular question set or section right, but it is maximising your score and that means focussing on solving as many questions as possible. Making the time to go through all the 200 questions is the key and will definitely improve a score by 10-15 marks.

How did you stay abreast of what is happening around you?I’m an avid reader, and read anything and everything under the sun. The only criterion is that it should be interesting. Reading helped me a lot. In the CET, I got a passage on inflation which I read in seconds and answered the questions with ease. This was possible only because of my extensive reading on that topic.

What’s next after topping the CET?I am planning to do an internship in sales and marketing since it is a new field to me. I have already started looking for companies where I could get the best learning experience and further hone my skills.

What other exams did you take?I strongly believe in what Will Smith said, “There’s no reason to have a plan B because it distracts

from plan A.” I made a commitment to get into JBIMS, no matter how tough that would be. So I focussed on the CET alone.

Which institute was your first choice? My first choice has always been JBIMS. It has one of the best returns on investment and an amazing alumni network. The faculty and industrial experience which we will get will be unmatched. They call it the “CEO’s factory”. With such a name who wouldn’t want to study there!

How did you find the CET?The CET is like a deck of cards. You never know what cards you will be dealt. Though the kinds of questions asked are similar to those in other exams, what distinguishes the CET is the number of questions and the time available. You have to be quick — not only in solving a question but also in deciding whether to attempt it or not. Some students get caught up in a particular question set.

They feel that since they have invested sufficient time in a question set they should persist further. This is a recipe for failure. The CET will always have difficult

question sets placed deliberately to unnerve the candidate. The key is to avoid such traps and focus on the other questions.

How important do you think training centres like IMS are in helping students crack tests like the CET?I think it is great because they bring out the best in us. They provide us with study material, practice sets, challenging quizzes and simulated tests which are replicas of the actual exam. What more can you ask for? And the best part is that everything is online these days, so you can study from the comfort of your home.

Your advice for other candidates?My advice would be to set high standards for yourself. Give 100 per cent and the results will take care of themselves. You should have a strong belief in your own capabilities. For the CET — make a study plan and divide it into small measurable goals. I had a small diary in which I wrote everything I had to do on a particular day. It was helpful in measuring my progress and boosted my confidence. A

THE C.E.T. IS LIKE A DECK OF CARDS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT

CARDS YOU WILL BE DEALT.