24-year-old Delhi girl cracks CAT with a perfect score
NEWDELHI: While many take time off, and spend years trying to crack the Common Admission Test (CAT) to get in to their Indian Institutes of Management of choice, Chhavi Gupta from Delhi, not only cracked the exam in her first attempt while holding down a full time job, she was also one of the two female candidates to be placed in the 100th percentile.
While the CAT 2017 also had 20 students in the 100 percentile like the previous year, this year saw two women and three nonengineer candidates made it to the list unlike the previous year.
Chhavi, 24, who completed her dual Btech and Mtech degree in Biotechnology from IIT Delhi, hopes to get into IIM Ahmedabad or Calcutta. She is aware that not many women make it to her spot but she believes it has more to do with society than calibre.
“If boys are studying, and I have seen this amongst some of my distant relatives, they will not disturb them. But a girl would still be asked to help out with household chores. Two, the priorities for many parents is to get the daughter married off after her graduation and so not many women really attempt the post graduate level entrance exams... Thankfully, I had a family that supported me 100%,” said Chhavi, the oldest of three siblings.
With a full time job as a business analyst in a technology and analytics firm, Chhavi found little to no time to prepare for the entrance exam during the week, and studied mainly on weekends, when she attended coaching classes too.
Despite the time crunch, strategising her study schedule, concentrating on logical applications of formulae and practising mock tests is what helped her crack the competitive exams.
Academic excellence is not new for the Paharganj resident. According to her mother, Anju Gupta, she sets a “strict routine” for her children and Chhavi has been participating in competitive exams since her fourth grade and even cracked her IITJEE in her first attempt.
Though she claims she was not stressed for the most part, there were times like when she
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2015 2016
If boys are studying... (no one) will disturb them. But a girl would still be asked to help out with chores... Thankfully, I had a family that supported me 100%. CHHAVI GUPTA
was placed first All India during a mock test conducted by her coaching centre, that she felt the pressure.
At such times, she either turned to her favourite author, Jeffery Archer’s books, or turned to her personal support system to cope.
“I talked to my sister, brother, or my mother. My family really helped calm me down,” Chhavi explained.
CAT was conducted in two shifts on November 26.
A total of 199,632 candidates appeared for the exam which was conducted in test centres spread across 140 cities.
After the result, various IIMS will announce their admission criteria largely based on the CAT score, writing ability, group discussion and personal interviews.
CAT 2017 saw the highest number of candidates in the last three years. NEWDELHI: The nursery admission schedule for applicants under the economically weaker section (EWS) category in around 1,700 private schools is likely to be announced on Tuesday.
Unlike previous years, this year the Department of Education (DOE) will conduct computerised lottery system for admissions for all schools.
Till last year, the nursery admission under EWS category were done online for around 1,100 schools, while the remaining used offline application forms.
All private unaided recognised schools, except for minority institutions, have to keep 25% of their total seats reserved for EWS category under the Right to Education Act. Children whose parents earn less than ₹100,000 a year are eligible for admission under the category.
“The schedule will be announced tomorrow for all schools. This year we will conduct the centralised computer lottery for all schools to ensure all schools follow a uniform system,” a DOE official said. “This means that parents will fill one online application form. The DOE will conduct a computerised lottery and allot school to applicants,” the official said.
The official said the department has collected information regarding number of seats under EWS category to finalise the total seats available.
EWS admissions in nursery classes have been under scanner due to large number of seats remaining vacant. For last academic year, out of the over 27,000 seats under the category, only about 19,000 seats were filled.
The nursery admission process for open seats started on December 27 last year. Parents can submit the application forms till January 17 this year and the first list of selected candidates will be out on February 15.
“The EWS admissions will most likely be over along with admissions on open seats on March 31,” the official said.
2017 2015 2016 2017