Ajinkya Jain scored 99.99 percentile in Maharashtra Common Entrance Test for MBA admissions in 2014 and topped the examination.
He is currently pursuing his masters from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.
Here, he tells us how he prepared for the test whilst pursuing a full time job and reveals the strategies that helped him crack the exam.
The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MAH-CET) is a state-level entrance examination for admission to management courses in the state of Maharashtra.
In the exam that was conducted in March 2014 by the Directorate of Technical Education, Ajinkya Jain scored an impressive 99.99 percentile and emerged the topper.
Besides the CET, Jain also appeared for multiple examinations but scored the highest in the MAH-CET.
With a desire to specialise in finance, Ajinkya has opted for the management programme so as to acquire a comprehensive understanding of financial aspects of the corporate world.
He is currently pursuing Masters in Management Studies at the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.
He says "planning in advance and effective execution of his preparation" helped him crack the examination.
The ex-engineer who was employed with Persistent Systems Ltd, has also scored high marks in the Common Admission Test, Xavier Aptitude Test, Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade entrance exam.
Read on for Ajinka Jain's success mantras that led him secure an impressive percentile.
What inspired you to pursue an MBA?
Since my school days, mathematics has been my favourite subject and finance, my interest area.
I wanted to specialise in and gain in-depth knowledge in the field of finance.
I believe that pursuing a Masters in Management will help me better understand the financial aspects of the corporate world.
To an extent, my father, who is a management consultant for quality management certifications, also influenced my decision.
I aspire to achieve a global leadership position in the company of my interest.
Apart from MAHCET 2014, which other management entrance exams did you appear for?
Though MAHCET was my focus, but I also appeared for the CAT, XAT, SNAP and IIFT.
My percentile in all these exams was above satisfactory.
I cracked the CAT and XAT with a very good percentile but I scored the best in MAHCET.
Why did you choose to join the JBIMS?
The JBIMS is best known for its finance course and since that is my interest area it was a natural choice.
I also considered factors like location advantage and high Return of Investment (ROI) which further my decision. I also received final admission offer from SIBM.
What was your preparation strategy for the MAHCET 2014?
The most significant factor that helped me crack the exam was solving maximum number of mock tests.
At the end of last year, the Directorate of Technical Education declared that for the year 2014, MAHCET for MBA will be conducted in the online format over two days in two slots each.
So, it was necessary to get acquainted to this new format and study accordingly, which also contributed to my success.
How important is coaching or mentoring to crack these exams?
To crack any management entrance exam, self-awareness about your strengths, weaknesses and aspirations is the most important factor.
If you are confident about your goal, half the battle is already won.
Coaching and mentoring further help you groom your self-confidence.
You had a full time job. How did you manage to find time for studies?
It was extremely difficult. There was no time available during weekdays. My entire focus was to make the most of the free time during my weekends.
I strategised my preparation in such a manner that I solved at least six mock papers between Saturday and Sunday, followed by two more during the weekdays.
I would say planning in advance followed by effective execution of my study schedule helped me crack the examination.
How did you manage your time during the actual exam?
Given the format of the exam, I was practically left with no time to return back to any question in this exam.
So, whenever I attempted any question, it was very important to either answer confidently or leave that question.
This helped me maximise accuracy and total attempts in the exam.
What were your strong and weak areas? How did you improvise upon your weak areas?
My strong areas were Logical Aptitude and Quantitative Aptitude.
In Verbal Ability, reading helps significantly.
Reading newspaper editorials is the best possible thing one can do to improve Verbal Ability skills.
Thankfully I didn't have any weak areas; I was quite good in answering all the topics covered in the MAHCET exam.
How did you unwind?
I am an ardent sports follower.
Besides studying for the exam, I always scheduled time to follow different sports like tennis, football and cricket.
Sports' writing is my area of interest and I was passionate about it even during the preparation period.
What kind of movies do you enjoy watching?
I love animated superhero movies along with simple romantic comedy.
The character that inspires me the most is of Ram Shankar Nikumbh, which was portrayed by Aamir Khan in the movie Taare Zameen Par.
What is your advice for the Management aspirants who will take MAHCET 2015?
I would advise the management aspirants of MAHCET 2015 to follow this principle: Know yourself, your abilities and the reason why you want to get into the management field.
If you have a clear picture of your capabilities in your mind, you can work hard on your weaker areas and emerge a winner.
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