Why is PW the Best Online CAT Preparation Platform, explains Shubham Pandey? (99.16%iler)

Preparing for CAT is not just about studying more, it is about studying in the right way, with the right guidance and regular practice. Shubham, an engineering student who scored 99.16 percentile in CAT, shares how his preparation changed once he started preparing seriously with PW and what exactly helped him move from average mock scores to a top percentile.

From 94 to 99.16 percentile – Shubham Pandey’s CAT journey

Shubham had already appeared for CAT once earlier and had scored 94 percentile, but without any structured preparation. He took that attempt mainly to understand the exam pattern and pressure.

This time, he decided to prepare properly.

“Is saal maine March mein PW ke saath seriously start kiya.”

Initially, even after starting preparation, his mock scores were not very high. In his first mock, he scored only 25 marks, roughly around the 50 percentile mark. In VARC, he even got negative marks at the beginning. But instead of getting discouraged, he focused on improving step by step using the learning from each mock.

Over time, by adjusting his approach and practising regularly, his scores started improving steadily, finally leading to 99.16 percentile in the actual CAT exam.

How Online Coaching Gave Shubham’s Preparation a Clear Direction?

Before taking preparation seriously, Shubham used to feel that his attempts in the exam were random. He did not know how to approach the paper in a proper way.

After giving regular mocks and attending classes, he realised that the way he was attempting questions needed to change.

“Mocks dene se samajh aaya ki paper ko attempt kaise karna hai.”

For example, in VARC, instead of trying to directly pick the correct option, he learned to eliminate the wrong options first. Over two to three months, this change in strategy alone led to visible improvement in his mock scores.

This shift in mindset, from just solving questions to solving them with a proper strategy, played a big role in his final performance.

From Practice to Performance: How Mocks and DPPs Made the Difference

Mocks and daily practice became the main part of Shubham’s preparation.

• He gave a total of 45 mocks, including previous year questions as full mock tests.

• After every class, he solved DPPs (Daily Practice Problems).

• On weekends, he focused more on extra practice.

He admits that DPPs were initially demotivating because his accuracy was low, but they helped him understand his weak areas.

“DPPs demotivate karte the… but dheere dheere cheezein improve hone lagi.”

He also used the Infinite Practice feature a lot, especially for LRDI sets and VA questions. What helped him the most was that he could choose difficulty levels,  starting with easy and slowly moving to harder questions.

“Main difficulty level set kar sakta tha… easy se medium, phir hard pe gaya.”

This regular practice helped him improve in weaker areas.

How Faculty Support Helped During Low-Scoring Phases?

During preparation, there were phases when Shubham felt that his accuracy was not improving, especially in VARC. Instead of keeping doubts to himself, he regularly reached out to teachers on Telegram.

“Main Telegram pe message karta tha… aur replies bhi milte the.”

Apart from academic doubts, teachers also helped him stay motivated. After some classes, they would share small motivational lines that helped him stay positive even when practice sessions went badly.

“Class ke baad motivation milta tha.”

This support helped him stay focused during difficult phases.

Managing Multiple Commitments While Preparing for CAT

Shubham was in his final year of engineering while preparing for CAT. Along with college, he was also doing freelance work. Still, he managed to follow a fixed study routine.

• Attended night classes

• Solved DPPs after class

• Used weekends mainly for practice and revision

On average, he studied around 3–4 hours daily and more on weekends, reaching roughly 20–25 hours per week of focused preparation.

This balance helped him manage both studies and CAT preparation properly.

How the Preparation Strategy Was Fine-Tuned Over Time?

Shubham realised early that blindly attempting more questions was reducing his accuracy. So, he decided to fix his own attempt strategy.

In VARC:

• He limited himself to 16–17 questions

• Focused on parts where his accuracy was better

“Agar kam karta tha to zyada answers sahi hote the.”

In LRDI:

• He did not try to complete full sets

• Even solving 1–2 easy questions from a set was fine if accuracy was high

In Quant:

• During the actual exam, after initial panic, he slowed down and focused only on accuracy

“Main kam questions karunga but 100% accuracy ke saath.”

He attempted only 7 questions in Quant, but all were correct.

Finding the Right Balance Between Live Classes and Self-Study

Shubham felt that regular live classes helped him stay disciplined. During his JEE days, he used to get distracted easily by opening other tabs or browsing during lectures.

This time, he changed his study habits.

“PW classes ke time laptop side mein rakh deta tha.”

Live classes gave structure to his day, while self-practice through DPPs, mocks, and Infinite Practice helped him revise and improve at his own speed. This mix worked better for him than only self-study.

Starting Out with CAT Preparation: A Few Things to Get Right

For students who are just starting their CAT journey, Shubham’s biggest advice is about consistency and clear goals.

“Sabse pehli cheez consistency hai.”
“Agar goal clear hai to preparation bhi regular rahegi.”

He also advises students to try practising on different screens because exam centre computers may not always be comfortable for long reading.

Small practical changes like these can help reduce stress during the actual exam.

What Shubham Wants CAT Aspirants to Remember?

Shubham believes that improvement in CAT comes with regular effort, learning from mistakes, and staying mentally strong when scores are low.

“Consistent raho aur classes regularly follow karo.”

From getting negative marks in VARC to scoring 99.16 percentile, his journey shows that with the right guidance and continuous practice, big improvement is possible.