Interviewer: Dr Rav Singh
Topper: Ansh (Cognizant Technical Consultant)

The Single-Exam Dedication

Dr Rav Singh: Ansh, your story is powerful. Working nine hours a day at Cognizant and still hitting 99 percentile! Why did you choose to prepare only for SNAP, skipping the bigger CAT battle?

Ansh: I had to be realistic. I was working a full-time job—9 to 5, Monday to Friday. I only got study time on weekends. I realized if I tried to juggle three exams, I’d fail them all completely. So, I went all-in on SNAP for three to four dedicated months. It was two hours on weekdays, and then grinding for six to eight hours on weekends. That laser focus paid off.

Dr Rav Singh: That discipline is incredible. You actually lived near the campus, right? Did that motivate you?

Ansh: Absolutely! I used to work just 500 meters from here, at Cognizant. Every day, on my way back to my flat, I would pass the campus. I’d even visit on weekends just to see what life was like at an MBA college. That consistent exposure—seeing the campus and knowing “I want to be here”—was a massive motivator.

Exam Strategy: The 40-Second Drill

Dr Rav Singh: You cracked the time game beautifully. What was your strategy for tackling the 60-minute SNAP paper?

Ansh: My strategy was fixed and non-negotiable. I split the paper into six parts using a two-round approach across all three sections.

Dr Rav Singh: Tell us about the timing and order.

Ansh: I started with Verbal and allocated a strict 7 to 9 minutes—never more than 10. Then I moved to LR, followed by Quants at the end. The real trick was the speed round:

• Round 1 (The 40-Second Kill): I ran through the entire paper first, solving only the questions that took less than 40-45 seconds.
• Round 2 (The Cleanup): Then I came back to tackle the remaining questions that took more than a minute to solve.

Dr Rav Singh: That’s smart. It guarantees you pick up all the low-hanging fruit first. And you took all three attempts, but your first one was the highest?

Ansh: Correct. The first was my highest score, and I used the next two attempts purely to benchmark and ensure I could consistently hit that level. Since SNAP was my only option, I was serious and consistent across all three slots.

The Interview Focus

Dr Rav Singh: SCMHRD interviews are known for focusing on the candidate’s life. What did the panel ask you about?

Ansh: My interview was intensely personal. It revolved around my work experience—they wanted to know what my work as a technical consultant was, and why I chose that company after doing well in Electrical Engineering. They also focused on my personal interests, like playing Kabaddi at a high level, asking why I shifted from sports to an IT company. No hard “technical questions” from my engineering background, just questions about my decisions.

Dr Rav Singh: What’s the top advice for that two-week interview prep window?

Ansh: Use your friend circle! I used to prepare with my friends and my elder brother. The best preparation is when people ask you random questions based on your life.