MindInsight:- What was your overall strategy for CAT?

Ashim Sharma:-
My overall strategy was 4 pronged:
Section sequencing:
I started with the DI section as I found it easier and I scored quite well in this section.Next I went to quant. as it was my weakest section and I didn't want to do it at the end when I was hard pressed for time.Finally the Verbal section was handled. I decided to follow this sequence after having experimented several times with all the possible combinations.
Question selection: I'll explain it section wise:
In the Verbal section, I started with the Jumbled sentences, went on to fill in the blanks, etc and finally did the RC in which I never attempted more than 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 4 as the case may be.
In the DI/DS/LR Section, I began with the DI questions in which the bar graph questions were the one's I did first, followed by pi charts, etc. A glance at the options also made me guess the difficulty levels eg. If the options were very different in value then , I knew it would be easier to reach the answer by approximate calculations whereas closely spaced options would require more of an effort. In the DS questions I never tried to attempt more than 70%-80% of the questions.
In the Quant section, I knew my strengths and weaknesses in terms of different topics and so I skimmed the entire paper to identify questions from each of these topics. I knew what percentage I would normally be able to attempt from each topic eg. 70% in Geometry, etc and so I never tried for more than that and so this enabled me to get a satisfactory score in this section.
Do it or leave it:
As you are aware, the CAT can have questions with different marks attached to answering them correctly. I had decided that if say a 1 mark question takes more than 45sec to even decide how to go about it, it was a speed breaker and must be left. Similar logic applied for higher/ lower mark questions.
Catch the surprise:
I knew the CAT paper would definitely have one surprise element; be it in the section division, marking scheme, etc. My idea was to identify it and accept it in the first 5min so that it was out of my head for the rest of the paper

MindInsight:- How did you manage your time?

Ashim Sharma:-
I started quite late or let me put it as I thought it was late. My preparation started in the first week of August as that was when I realised an MBA was needed. I joined PT Education, Nashik wherein I attended classes on alternate days of the week, however, at times I got late at work and had to skip these classes. I did study for one and a half hours each day before going to bed and I had six day working week with every alternate Saturday off so I used to put in around 8 hrs towards CAT preparation on the weekend.
October onwards, I had mock exams on the weekend and even took some tests on my own which helped me hone my strategy for the exam. The test analysis also enabled to concentrate my efforts on weaker sections and I even left some sections wherein my efforts were not bearing fruit, in a nutshell the tests enabled me to optimally use the limited time at hand.

MindInsight:-Is coaching institute a must for CAT preparation?

Ashim Sharma:-
I can't say whether it is a must or not because that would depend from case to case. In my case ; YES the inputs I received at PT Education, Nashik were very helpful in seeing me through SP Jain. I believe the coaching centre helped in the following ways:

• Routine: It made me get into a routine as every alternate day I attended classes and thus kept preparing in some form or the other.
• Guidance: With limited time at hand, it would not have been possible to focus my efforts on the right areas and it was with the help of the individual counselling sessions I had with the faculty, that I was able to streamline efforts to maximise my score.
• Support: There are times during the preparation period when things might seem to be going out of hand. The faculty was again available to help tide over such problems and boost morale.
• Course material: The course material was very comprehensive and in fact it was the only thing I referred to for my preparation.

MindInsight:- What will be your advice to MBA aspirants?

Ashim Sharma:-
Be clear on why you want to do an MBA. Believe me this is what pushes you to prepare especially if you are working.
Remember the often quoted saying: "Work expands to fill the time available". The key to success is higher productivity i.e. smart work and striking the right cord between Work and MBA preparation.
Make the most of ever minute:Maintain a pocket vocabulary list and you are sure to have 10 words in your head by the end of the day. While at the grocer or a petrol pump, etc make calculations in your head about totals, averages, etc. It really helps in increasing your calculating speed.
Maximise output on the weekends.Newspapers will see you through.Remember MBA preparation is also a test of stress management. Don't ever let the workloads at office or bad scores in mocks bog you down.Experiment in mocks, analyse, analyse and analyse the tests to finalise a strategy and then fine tune it.

MindInsight:- What do you think are the three things you did well, that landed you in at SPJIMR?

Ashim Sharma:-
a) A well planned preparation.
b)Confidence and faith during the preparation as well as on the D day.
c)Confidence and clarity of goals during the interview.

MindInsight:- How did you prepare for GD/PI?

Ashim Sharma:-
I attended two mock interviews. Besides this, I read about my organisation, industry and home town. I had a clear cut idea about my goals in life and as regards SP Jain, since specialisations had to be chosen, I knew very clearly which specialisation had a good fit with what I had done and what I wanted to do in future. I think that was the key.
Besides this, I was able to keep my confidence level high during the interviews. Since SP Jain has Group Interviews (GI), one needs to be a good listener also .You must be aware about what the other person has said as you might be counter questioned on the same. Lastly, I do feel that if you speak the truth, you don't need to remember anything which automatically makes your answers spontaneous and your language fluent which naturally works to your advantage.

MindInsight:- How helpful is academic background for MBA?

Ashim Sharma:-
This question can be interpreted in two ways. One is your degree and the other is the institution you have studied in and your grades in the degree. If you have worked, your work experience had a role to play in the selection and not say your stream of engineering, however, the institute and the grades were given importance.
On the other hand, I think for a fresher, this is a very important determinant in the selection procedure.

MindInsight:- How did being at SPJain change you?

Ashim Sharma:-
It's changed me in a number of ways and I believe the change was for the better. On a professional front, my perspective is several times wider than it was when I was only an engineer. It has made me aware about so many different areas which I had been totally ignorant about before coming here. Thus I believe I have been enlightened in several ways by all the different courses I have undergone at SP Jain.
On a personal front, it has been extremely conducive to the growth of my talents and faculties. I have acted, compered and even tried Salsa during the course of my stay at SP Jain. I had never been a great sportsman but it was here that I participated in the biggest sporting event of my life (if I may call it so), The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon'09, I practiced a lot for it and finished it in 2 hrs and 1 minute.
Lastly, I feel I have become a much better team player and a more responsible person after having studied at SP Jain.

MindInsight:- A few things about Life at SPJain ...

Ashim Sharma:-
Well, it is much more than just studies. It is an all round development programme and when all round development I don't just mean becoming smart. The education at SP Jain makes us conscious about the value that we must live by as we enter into the corporate world. It also teaches how to give back to society and work for the common good by enabling each participant to work in the social sector.
Coming to the fun part (not that all of the above does not have fun in it), there are parties, musical evenings , plays and the Bhartiya Vidyta Bhawan’s cultural society has programmes throughout the year and most of those are a delight to watch. Added to all this is the central location of the institute, being in the heart of Andheri, the moment you step out, you have several restaurants, coffee shops , etc and the institute is also close enough to the Juhu beach which can be a great spot to spend the evenings (though one might not get time quite often to go there) . The lake in the institute is another great place especially during the cultural evenings at the amphitheatre next to it.

MindInsight:- How much work experience matter in getting an SPJain?

Ashim Sharma:-
It does carry sufficient weight age for all candidates who have worked.

MindInsight:- What do you think about MindInsight.com as a portal for MBA preparation?

Ashim Sharma:-
I think it's evolving into a complete solution to the problems, doubts, worries, etc of MBA aspirants across the country.
The advantages for the aspirants living in small towns wherein the coaching institutes are either not there or are not as good as the ones in the big cities are that they can make use of MindInsight to be bridge this gap arising out of their locations constraints.
For the people in big cities, I feel MindInsight shall also go a long way in helping aspirants who can't pay the exorbitant fees charged by coaching institutes get access to quality information. Besides this, with large intakes in these coaching centres, individual attention is not given to any student. I feel Mindinsight shall also help address this need.
Mind insight seems to be all set to become one of the favourite sites for all MBA aspirants.

Thank you Ashim for your wonderful tips which will be helpful for all MiGhts.

Credentials

B.E Mechanical, NIT Hamirpur.

21 Months Work Experience at Mahindra & Mahindra.

Will be joining "Tata Strategy Management Group" as a consultant.