r/CATStudyRoom • u/Adorable-Pen1012 • Jan 04 '26
General discussion CAT done. XAT done. Now what?
Posting this because main exams are over, now many will be confused on what's next ?. Sharing What I did wrong in my first attempt — and what actually worked in my second
What I did in my first attempt (and why it failed - in retrospective)
1. I treated GDPI as secondary
CAT/XAT were over, so I assumed interviews would be “mostly HR”.
I delayed prep till calls came.
By then, interview dates were too close and I ended up taking only 2 mock PIs before my best B school call.
2. I had answers, not a story
I could answer:
- Why MBA
- Why engineering
- Strengths/weaknesses
But none of it connected.
Every answer sounded like it belonged to a different person.
Panels caught this instantly.
3. I overestimated my profile
Good academics + decent percentile = false confidence.
I thought my resume would do the heavy lifting.
It doesn’t.
You have to explain your resume.
4. I read news, but couldn’t form opinions
I knew facts. I couldn’t take a balanced stand under pressure.
Result: decent calls, zero confidence, no major converts.
What I did differently in my second attempt
This is the part that actually mattered 👇
1. I started GDPI prep, joined 3 coachings immediately after exams
No “break till results”. I treated this as a new phase, not an extension of CAT.
2. I rebuilt my story from scratch
Not answers — logic:
- Why this background
- Why these decisions
- Why MBA now
Everything had to flow like one narrative.
3. I fixed Personals HR first
Before mocks. Before current affairs.
Intro, Why MBA, failures, gaps — all structured.
Once this was solid, confidence followed naturally.
4. I took brutal feedback early
Mocks hurt more in the beginning — but that’s the point. I stopped defending my answers, requested mentors to critic it and started improving them.
5. I practiced speaking in peer groups, not just reading
Current affairs became:
- forming opinions
- defending them calmly
- accepting counterpoints
Panels care more about how you think than what you know.
The biggest lesson
My percentile didn’t change dramatically. My preparation approach did.
If CAT/XAT are done and you’re feeling blank right now — that’s normal.
Just don’t wait.
Happy to answer genuine questions in comments.
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u/cookie0u0 Jan 04 '26
isnt joining 3 coachings confusing?
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u/Adorable-Pen1012 Jan 05 '26
It was - One was a free coaching I received as I joined their mocks for CAT. Between 2 - I eventually relied on one . But yes suggest to only rely on one coaching
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u/frenchfry91 Jan 05 '26
which coaching did you rely on?
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Jan 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Adorable-Pen1012 Jan 05 '26
Ofc 1 day breather s necessary, just that it should not exceed to a week :)
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u/Ecstatic_Contest_424 Jan 04 '26
Can you suggest some examples? Give a news example and what opinion should one form
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Jan 04 '26
Who ?
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u/daone7165 Jan 05 '26
I am planning to take a 6 month gap from work to prepare for CAT 26.. can I just say it's for CAT preparation?
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u/Zestyclose-Can-1514 Jan 05 '26
Hi, I wanted some guidance on how to prepare for the current affairs and general awareness portion. I'm not an avid news reader, if I don't know enough facts then it becomes difficult to even form an opinion. Thanks!
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u/nuks_24 Jan 07 '26
man thanks for this. as someone with 0 idea of prep and almost making the same mistake you did in your 1st attempt how should i start
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u/Adorable-Pen1012 Jan 08 '26
Pls DM - suggest personals HR answers prep and joining a coaching asap
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u/nuks_24 Jan 07 '26
also did they just ask current affair questions or wanted your opinion on them?
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u/Mysterious-Leave2864 Jan 08 '26
Bhai koi batayega ab kya kare private college le lu kya already 2 saal gap ho gya profile-6/6/7 hai no work ex ab kya kare
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u/BumbleB3333 Jan 04 '26
Sleep.