Meet woman, who aced JEE Advanced test in 2021, now secured 100 percentile in CAT 2024 exam, she is from...

Apoorva Rajadhyaksha, 21, achieved a significant milestone by cracking the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 with a perfect score of 100 percentile. Interestingly, she is the only woman candidate to have clinched a perfect score in the CAT 2024 exam. 

Let's dive into her journey 

Born and raised in Mumbai, Apoorva Rajadhyaksha's both parents are professors of medicine in government medical colleges, as per a report by The Indian Express. Apoorva shares that her upbringing was steeped in academic excellence, given a strong mathematical foundation and the opportunity to represent India in the European Mathematical Olympiad in 2020. 

“I’ve always had a strong mathematical foundation, and representing India in the European Mathematical Olympiad in 2020 was a milestone,", she said in a conversation with the outlet. 

Her success cannot be hailed without mentioning her past achievements. Apoorva appeared for JEE Advanced in 2021 and bagged an All India Rank (AIR) 681, securing admission into IIT Bombay - one of the most renowned engineering colleges in India. 

Shift from engineering to finance 

Despite her electrical engineering background, as Apoorva states, she had a proclivity towards financial literacy. She took up extra courses and projects in finance and economics. "I realised early on that investing wisely was crucial, so I took up extra courses and projects in finance and economics", Apoorva shared, adding that these courses inculcated in her a deeper interest, prompting her to pursue an MBA. 

CAT preparations 

Alongside a hectic schedule at the institute, Apoorva relied on a strict schedule to prepare for CAT 2024. Her preparations began in July, which gave her merely four months before the exam. 

“I created a strict schedule and managed to squeeze in three hours of preparation daily. These three hours included watching online lectures, solving practice papers, and revising key concepts,” she told The Indian Express. 

Sharing how she managed an active semester coupled with CAT preparations, Apoorva said that meditation and music helped her maintain her foucs. 

"Meditation ensured that I was fully present in whatever I was doing, whether it was studying or team meetings", she stated.