Interviewer: Dr Rav Singh
Topper: Shivika (The Dedicated Fresher)
The Single-Exam Bet
Dr Rav Singh: Shivika, you had a gap year, which means the pressure to convert was huge. You made a conscious choice to skip the CAT preparation grind and focus entirely on SNAP. Was that scary?
Shivika: It was a calculated risk. I knew I couldn’t afford to waste another year. I had initially started with CAT, but realized quickly that SNAP was more achievable for me. I needed to get the maximum score possible, and dedicating my time to one paper—a paper that offers great colleges like SCMHRD—was the most logical bet.
Dr Rav Singh: Many students waste months trying to keep up with CAT, only to pivot in October/November. It sounds like you saved yourself that time and stress.
Shivika: Exactly. I saved those crucial two months. By focusing solely on SNAP, I was able to dedicate a solid five to six hours of study daily, ensuring I was consistent across all three sections.
Preparation and Mock Routine
Dr Rav Singh: Since you had the whole day, how did you divide your time to ensure consistency?
Shivika: I divided my time strictly: two hours for Verbal Ability, two hours for Logical Reasoning, and two hours for Quants. This balanced approach meant I never lost touch with any subject.
Dr Rav Singh: How did you use your mocks to ensure that 99 percentile success?
Shivika: I gave around 20 to 25 mocks, but the game changer was the analysis. Simply giving 20 mocks won’t help; you have to spend time analyzing each one, realizing your strong and weak points, and then working on them relentlessly. That’s how I gradually increased my score.
Dr Rav Singh: And what was your mock-taking method?
Shivika: Verbal was my strong suit, so I would usually complete it in one round in about eight minutes. For Logical Reasoning and Quants, I used the two-round strategy. Since the test is 60 minutes, you have to be tactical: solve the easy questions first in a speedy pass, and then come back for the difficult ones to maximize your attempts without sacrificing accuracy.
The Interview & Final Advice
Dr Rav Singh: You were a fresher, but they didn’t grill you on the lack of work experience. What was your PI built around?
Shivika: SCMHRD is great about that—they focus on what you have done. Since my background was BMS in HR and I wanted to shift to Sales and Marketing, the interview revolved around that career change. They were interested in my hobbies, any recent skills I learned (I mentioned a stock market course), and my reasoning for the shift. They want to interact about your life, not question your life choices.
Dr Rav Singh: What should students do in those two short weeks between the call and the interview?
Shivika: Focus on the three A’s: About Me, Academics, and Affairs.
- About Me: Be crystal clear on all the HR questions (Why MBA? Background? Education).
- Affairs (GK/Current): Stay updated. I was lucky to follow the admissions and PR page of SCMHRD, which has an “APR weekly” campaign. That helped me keep track and was relevant in the interview.
If you already have a good SNAP score, your confidence is high. You just need to channelize that energy into being prepared and genuine!
