Success Story of Manoj Kumar Cleared CAT 2023

Please brief us on when did you start preparing for the competitive exams and how was your preparation journey

Hi, I’m Manoj Kumar Aguru, and I hail from Andhra Pradesh. My journey has been full of twists and turns. Three years ago, I did well in the CAT exam, scoring 94 percentile with only 10 days of preparation. But instead of pursuing an MBA, I focused on preparing for civil services. Looking back now, I realize it was a big decision with its own consequences.

But the path to civil services wasn’t easy. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t crack the exam. With my family’s financial situation in mind, I needed a stable job. So, I decided to explore other options and landed a job as an Scale-1 officer in CGGB. It wasn’t what I initially planned, but it provided stability and security.

As time passed, I couldn’t shake off my dream of civil services. I realized I couldn’t wait forever. So, I took a risk, resigned from my job, and started preparing for civil services again. While preparing, I came across the CAT exam notification. Out of curiosity, I applied for it, not really planning to pursue an MBA anymore. Surprisingly, I scored 97.4 percentile without much preparation.

Even though I did well in CAT, my heart was still set on civil services. It was a wake-up call for me to follow my true passion and not get distracted by other opportunities.

Before concluding, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the practice mock for providing invaluable free resources during my CAT preparation three years back. Your resources played a significant role in shaping my foundation and guiding me towards success. Thank you for your dedication to helping aspirants like me achieve their goals.

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Which exams did you appear in till date and what were their results?

I have participated in several exams such as GATE, CAT, Bank PO, NIACL AO, Group-1exam, and UPSC CSE. While I qualified in some, I couldn’t succeed in others, specifically state and central civil services exams, despite attempting the mains for both.

How did you prepare for the English section?

I prepared for the English section by watching YouTube videos in English and reading books like “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius, “The Republic” by Plato, and “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins etc. These readings, chosen out of interest, helped me improve my language and critical thinking skills for the CAT exam.

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How did you prepare for the Quantitative Aptitude section?

For the Quant section, I didn’t dedicate much time to preparation as I felt comfortable with math. Instead, I focused on reviewing formulas for different topics but didn’t practice extensively.

How did you prepare for the Reasoning section?

For the Reasoning section, my preparation was straightforward. I watched one video for each topic on the reasoning section available on YouTube and stuck to it. I didn’t practice much because I found the questions from previous years quite manageable.

What was your strategy for the General Awareness section?

Not Applicable

What was your strategy for the Computer Awareness section?

Not Applicable

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What was your overall strategy? Did you follow a study schedule? If yes, please share the details

My plan was to finish studying topics quickly and plan how to approach the exam. Even though I only studied for about ten days, I was fully dedicated. I didn’t have a strict schedule as such, but I made sure to understand key concepts and strategies for the exam.

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Did you face any hurdle as well? How did you overcome it?

Yes, I faced hurdles, mainly distractions from social media. Despite trying various methods to avoid them, I struggled to stay focused. Some days, I spent more than 12 hours scrolling through YouTube and other platforms, wasting time on nonsense. What I learned is that we can’t completely avoid social media right away, but we can gradually decrease the time wasted through self-analysis and proper scheduling. For instance, allocating specific times, like one hour at night, for using mobile helps. We need to learn how to manage social media alongside our studies without compromising our focus.

Did PracticeMock help you in your success? Please elaborate

Yes, PracticeMock was instrumental in my success, especially with its free practice quizzes and YouTube videos, which provided valuable insights and helped me prepare effectively

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What’s your message for the fellow aspirants who are preparing for competitive exams?

Master the syllabus thoroughly. Despite numerous distractions, strive to stay on track. In a world filled with distractions, maintaining focus is crucial. To outperform others, prioritize what most people neglect. Many waste time on mobiles and unnecessary activities, so prioritize your studies to stay ahead.

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This brings us to the end of the article. We sincerly hope that these success stories keep motivating you at all times so that you keep working hard to achieve your goal of clearing these competitive exams.