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Generic : How did CAT toppers improve their VARC score?
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CAT toppers improved VARC through daily reading of diverse articles and a fixed number of RCs every day. About 40% named VARC their weakest section. In the exam, they skimmed all passages before choosing, eliminated wrong options, and some skipped Verbal Ability questions that were costing them marks.
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How did CAT toppers improve their VARC score?
Generic : Is it normal to crack CAT on a second attempt?
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Yes, cracking CAT on a second attempt is common. About one in three toppers interviewed by MBAUniverse.com succeeded on their second or third attempt, including most of the CAT 2025 toppers interviewed. They usually fixed one weak section and improved their mock analysis between attempts.
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Is it normal to crack CAT on a second attempt?
Generic : Can a non-engineer become a CAT topper?
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Yes, a non-engineer can become a CAT topper. About 40% of the toppers interviewed are non-engineers, including commerce, management, law, psychology and tourism graduates. In CAT 2025, three in four of the 100 percentile scorers came from non-engineering backgrounds. Non-engineers usually rebuild Quant from the basics first.
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Can a non-engineer become a CAT topper?
Generic : How many hours a day should I study for CAT?
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CAT toppers who shared their schedules typically studied two to three hours a day on weekdays and more on weekends, since about three in four were working. Consistency mattered more than long hours: toppers used fixed slots such as early mornings, travel time and lunch breaks, and kept weekends for full-length mocks.
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How many hours a day should I study for CAT?
Generic : Which books do CAT toppers recommend?
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CAT toppers most often recommend Arun Sharma's books for Quant, DILR and VARC, named by more than one in four toppers. Others used Nishit K. Sinha's books, Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis for vocabulary, and coaching material, before moving to mocks and previous year papers.
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Which books do CAT toppers recommend?
Generic : Can I crack CAT without coaching?
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Yes, you can crack CAT without coaching. About half of the CAT toppers interviewed by MBAUniverse.com prepared on their own, mostly with a paid mock series, and nearly three in four of them scored 99+ percentile. Self-study works best for disciplined aspirants who need flexibility around work.
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Can I crack CAT without coaching?
Generic : How many mock tests did CAT toppers take?
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CAT toppers typically took 35–40 full-length mocks, and about two in three took between 20 and 45. Several scored 99+ with fewer than 20 mocks because they analysed every mock thoroughly. Toppers agree that mock analysis matters more than the number of mocks you take.
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How many mock tests did CAT toppers take?
Best CAT Online Coaching Institutes 2026: Fees, Section-Wise Picks, Ratings for Rodha, Cracku, Elites Grid, IMS, others in Top 10
Best CAT 2026 Online Coaching Institutes: CAT 2026 will be held on November 29, 2026. Aspirants aiming for IIM admission through CAT exam should choose the right coaching platform now and start their preparation. In recent years, CAT online preparation and coaching has become more popular than traditional classroom coaching for a large segment of aspirants, offering top-quality faculty, flexible schedules, comprehensive mock series, and course fees that are 40-50% lower than offline alternatives.
Generic : How do CAT toppers manage time in each section?
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CAT toppers plan each 40-minute section separately. In VARC, Sanjiv Kumar (99.99) capped each RC at 7.5 minutes; in DILR, Pranshav Shah (99.80) used the first 4–5 minutes to select sets; in QA, Shubham Bajaj (99.98) checked that he was solving about 5 questions every 10 minutes.
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How do CAT toppers manage time in each section?
Amaan Hussain
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CAT 2025 Topper 99.47%
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amaan-hussain
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IIM Calcutta
Introduction
My CAT preparation was built around free CAT Youtube video lectures.
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CAT 2025 Topper Interview: How Amaan Hussain Went from 95.94 to 99.47 Percentile with Consistency
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Amaan Hussain, a student of Maharaja Surajmal Institute, Delhi, scored 99.47 percentile in CAT 2025, up from 95.94 percentile in CAT 2024. His sectional percentiles were 99.38 in VARC, 98.04 in DILR and 96.71 in Quantitative Ability.
What changed between his two attempts? Amaan fixed his weakest section, Quants, where he had scored only 71 percentile in CAT 2024, by spending about 80% of his preparation time on it. He built the rest of his preparation on daily consistency and careful mock analysis. He did not use any books and prepared mainly through free YouTube video lectures. In this interview, Amaan shares his section-wise strategy, his exam-day plan and his advice for future CAT aspirants.
CAT 2025 Topper Profile: Amaan Hussain
| Detail | Amaan Hussain |
|---|---|
| College | Maharaja Surajmal Institute, Delhi |
| CAT attempts | 2 (CAT 2024 and CAT 2025) |
| CAT 2024 percentile | 95.94 (Quants: 71) |
| CAT 2025 overall percentile | 99.47 |
| VARC | 99.38 |
| DILR | 98.04 |
| Quantitative Ability | 96.71 |
| Preparation period | 1.5 years |
| Mocks attempted | 35–40 |
| Coaching | Mock test series only; self-study using free YouTube lectures |
| Target institutes | IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, FMS Delhi |
Last Description
Read more CAT topper interviews, CAT exam guide and take free CAT mock tests CAT 2026 Exam, CAT Registration, CAT Preparation 2026, CAT Syllabus, CAT Pattern and take CAT Mock Tests on MBAUniverse.com
Most Common Question answered by the topper
Q: Congratulations on your CAT 2025 result. Are you satisfied with your score?
Amaan: Yes, I am very happy with my CAT score. I worked really hard for this exam, and I was expecting somewhere around 99.2 percentile. I am happy to score 99.47 percentile.
Amaan: Yes, I am very happy with my CAT score. I worked really hard for this exam, and I was expecting somewhere around 99.2 percentile. I am happy to score 99.47 percentile.
Q: Congratulations on your CAT 2025 result. Are you satisfied with your score?
Amaan: Yes, I am very happy with my CAT score. I worked really hard for this exam, and I was expecting somewhere around 99.2 percentile. I am happy to score 99.47 percentile.
Amaan: Yes, I am very happy with my CAT score. I worked really hard for this exam, and I was expecting somewhere around 99.2 percentile. I am happy to score 99.47 percentile.
Q: When did you start preparing for CAT, and what was your overall preparation strategy?
Amaan: I prepared for CAT for about 1.5 years. My strategy was clear from the start. I was weak in Quants, having scored only 71 percentile in that section in CAT 2024, so I dedicated about 80% of my preparation time to Quants. VARC came naturally to me, so it needed less time. For DILR, I practised consistently throughout my preparation. I strongly believe that consistency is what takes you far in life, even more than hard work or smart work.
Amaan: I prepared for CAT for about 1.5 years. My strategy was clear from the start. I was weak in Quants, having scored only 71 percentile in that section in CAT 2024, so I dedicated about 80% of my preparation time to Quants. VARC came naturally to me, so it needed less time. For DILR, I practised consistently throughout my preparation. I strongly believe that consistency is what takes you far in life, even more than hard work or smart work.
Q: Please share your section-wise CAT preparation strategy.
Amaan: For VARC, I prepared only through the sectional tests of IMS and Career Launcher. Regular sectional mocks helped me improve my speed and get into the right mindset for the section.
For DILR, I practised hundreds of sets from sectional tests and YouTube. My advice is to never look at the solution before trying the set on your own, no matter how long it takes. This habit sharpens your problem-solving skills, especially for DILR.
For Quants, practice is the only thing that helps. I focused only on Arithmetic and Algebra, as they carry the maximum weightage. This strategy worked for me, but it may not work for everyone. Every aspirant should build their own strategy while taking mocks.
Whatever the section, the most important thing is to prepare with CAT mock tests and then analyse each mock carefully.
Amaan: For VARC, I prepared only through the sectional tests of IMS and Career Launcher. Regular sectional mocks helped me improve my speed and get into the right mindset for the section.
For DILR, I practised hundreds of sets from sectional tests and YouTube. My advice is to never look at the solution before trying the set on your own, no matter how long it takes. This habit sharpens your problem-solving skills, especially for DILR.
For Quants, practice is the only thing that helps. I focused only on Arithmetic and Algebra, as they carry the maximum weightage. This strategy worked for me, but it may not work for everyone. Every aspirant should build their own strategy while taking mocks.
Whatever the section, the most important thing is to prepare with CAT mock tests and then analyse each mock carefully.
Q: Were there any specific books that helped you in your CAT preparation?
Amaan: No, I did not use any books. My CAT preparation was built around free CAT Youtube video lectures.
Amaan: No, I did not use any books. My CAT preparation was built around free CAT Youtube video lectures.
Q: Did you join a coaching institute?
Amaan: I did not join a regular coaching programme. I only took a mock test series from a coaching institute, and for everything else I relied on self-study using free YouTube lectures.
Amaan: I did not join a regular coaching programme. I only took a mock test series from a coaching institute, and for everything else I relied on self-study using free YouTube lectures.
Q: How many mock tests did you attempt, and how important is a mock test series?
Amaan: I attempted 35–40 mocks. For me, taking mocks and then analysing them properly made up about 75% of my entire preparation. Mocks show you exactly where you stand and what you need to fix before the exam.
Amaan: I attempted 35–40 mocks. For me, taking mocks and then analysing them properly made up about 75% of my entire preparation. Mocks show you exactly where you stand and what you need to fix before the exam.
Q: What was your strategy on the CAT exam day?
Amaan: I went into the exam with a clear plan. In VARC, I would attempt all the questions. In DILR, I aimed to solve at least two sets fully. In Quants, I would attempt every question I was confident of solving.
Every aspirant should have their own exam-day strategy based on their strengths. VARC was my strongest section, so I made the most of it, and you should do the same with your strongest section.
Amaan: I went into the exam with a clear plan. In VARC, I would attempt all the questions. In DILR, I aimed to solve at least two sets fully. In Quants, I would attempt every question I was confident of solving.
Every aspirant should have their own exam-day strategy based on their strengths. VARC was my strongest section, so I made the most of it, and you should do the same with your strongest section.
Q: What is your advice for future CAT aspirants?
Amaan: I have just one message for all future CAT aspirants: do not miss a single day of preparation. You may put in all your effort for three months, but someone who has been preparing steadily for a whole year will still be ahead of you. Consistency is the key to success. I am not saying this because it is a popular saying, but because I have experienced it myself.
Amaan: I have just one message for all future CAT aspirants: do not miss a single day of preparation. You may put in all your effort for three months, but someone who has been preparing steadily for a whole year will still be ahead of you. Consistency is the key to success. I am not saying this because it is a popular saying, but because I have experienced it myself.
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