Scoring 99.05%ile in CAT After a 7-Mark Setback: How PW Guided Harendra Sharma to Success
Anjali .10 Feb, 2026
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Starting your CAT journey with just 7 marks in a section can break anyone’s confidence. For Harendra Kumar Sharma, his first CAT attempt ended at 81.1 percentile, with VARC being his biggest weakness. But instead of giving up, he chose to restart his preparation with the right guidance.
With Physics Wallah supporting him at every step, Harendra went on to score an impressive 99.05 percentile overall, including a 93.5 percentile in VARC, the same section that once pulled his score down.
When VARC Became the Biggest Roadblock
In his first attempt, VARC was confusing and unpredictable for Harendra. He was attempting questions, but accuracy was missing.
“Maine attempt to wahan par 10 kiye the aur saare galat ho gaye. Bas seven score aaya tha mera.”
Even though he had studied earlier, the lack of clarity made VARC feel intimidating. This is where many students lose confidence, but Harendra decided to understand why things were going wrong instead of ignoring the problem.
How PW Mentorship Helped Harendra Bounce Back ?
During his second attempt, Harendra joined PW but soon faced a major challenge. His college final exams created a 1.5-month gap, and practice completely stopped.
Mocks started reflecting the impact.
VARC scores dropped again, sometimes to just 4 or 5 marks. Instead of panicking, Harendra did something important, he asked for help.
“Phir maine mentorship li thi PW pe. Phir usmein unhone kaha ki ek kaam karo dobara se start karo. Previous year questions dekho… previous year aur basic se ek baar lectures dekh ke dekho.”
This simple advice changed the direction of his preparation.
Restarting From Basics: The Turning Point With PW
When Harendra restarted his preparation with PW, he genuinely felt things would be easy this time.
“Sir jab maine dobara start ki thi toh mujhe laga ki syllabus toh almost poora ho hi chuka hai, toh it will be a piece of cake.”
But as soon as he began attending lectures, reality hit hard. VARC still felt as weak as before, and the study gap had clearly affected his fundamentals.
PW’s structured lectures helped him slow down and rebuild from the basics, without any pressure to rush or skip steps.
“Haan phir maine wo dekhe lectures, ab toh concepts clear hone lag gaye the.”
This shift changed everything. Instead of guessing answers, he finally started understanding why an option was right or wrong. With concepts getting clearer, his confidence returned naturally, and his mock scores began to improve steadily.
How PW Helped Him Stay on Track and Push Quant to 99.5%ile?
Balancing final-year college exams and CAT preparation is never easy. Backlogs are almost unavoidable. Harendra didn’t rush through topics just to complete them. He used PW’s recorded lectures to stay systematic.
“Phir beech mein phir maine lecture backlog wagera lage wo bhi khatam kiye. Phir laga ki on track aa gaya hai.”
This flexibility ensured no topic was left incomplete. With concepts in place, his Quant preparation also peaked, helping him score 99.5 percentile in Quant.
“Toh direction mila basically… mentorship se fayda hua.”
“Ab toh concepts clear hone lag gaye the, phir scale hone laga score.”
He mentions how PW mentorship gave him clarity when he felt unsure about his preparation. Instead of randomly studying or switching strategies, mentorship helped him understand what to focus on and how to move forward. As he followed this clear direction and revised concepts properly, his understanding of Quant improved, and with regular practice, his scores began to increase steadily.
Beating Exam Panic Timer-Based Practice Strategy
Another major shift came when Harendra realised that panic, not concepts, was affecting his performance in LRDI. Through PW mentorship, he was advised to practise with time limits.
“Last mein maine ek aur mentorship session liya tha. Unhone kaha tha ki mujhe timer ke saath practice karni chahiye.”
He followed this advice strictly during mocks.
“Har set ko main around 8 minute deta tha. Agar 8 minute mein ho jaata tha toh bahut achha, nahi hota tha toh 2 minute extra de deta tha.”
This timer-based approach helped him stay disciplined and avoid jumping between sets. It trained his mind to think clearly under pressure, which proved extremely useful on the actual CAT exam day.
More Than Just Classes: How PW Supported Students Consistently
What made PW stand out for Harendra was not just paid batches, but continuous student support.
“Last year toh MBA Wallah ne har month ek alag se free batch start kiya tha.”
This constant availability of resources made preparation feel secure. Whenever motivation dipped, there was always something to fall back on- revision, practice, or guidance.
From Fear to Calm: Treating CAT Like Just Another Mock
By the time CAT arrived, Harendra’s mindset had changed completely.
“Mujhe us din aisa laga ki main ek aur mock de raha hoon.”
That calm approach reflected in his result. From scoring 7 marks in VARC, he reached a 93.5 percentile, with an overall 99.05 percentile in CAT.
What Harendra’s Journey Teaches CAT Aspirants
Harendra’s story proves that poor scores do not define potential. What truly matters is clarity, consistency, and having the right mentorship at the right time. With Physics Wallah, he was able to identify gaps, rebuild weak fundamentals, and stay confident even during setbacks.
While sharing advice for future CAT aspirants, Harendra kept things simple and practical. He strongly emphasised starting with the basics instead of jumping into too many resources.
“Main yahi bolunga ki pehle lectures complete karo aur DPP properly lagao.”
According to him, once the concepts start becoming clear through lectures and regular practice, confidence automatically improves.
He also highlighted the importance of seeking guidance whenever things feel confusing, instead of trying to manage everything alone.
“Jab bhi lagta tha ki atak raha hoon, toh maine mentorship li… usse direction mil jaati thi.”
For Harendra, success was never about doing everything at once. It was about doing the basics right, practising daily, and taking guidance whenever he felt stuck. For CAT aspirants struggling today, his journey is a clear reminder that you don’t have to fight this battle alone. With the right guidance, your preparation can completely change.