© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Patrick D’Souza enjoys the unique distinction being the top scorer — six times — in the Common Admission Test (CAT). In 2019, he figured among 10 candidates from across the country to have obtained a perfect 100 percentile in the nationwide competitive exam. However, the Thane-based 43-year-old teacher at a coaching institute has no intention of applying for admission to the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM).
READ | CAT 2019: Two friends from IIT-Bombay among top scorers
While many debate the morality of a teacher appearing for the exam, D’Souza points out that he is not hogging a seat from a candidate as he does not apply for admission to the IIMs, even when he can. “Teaching is my calling,” he insists.
IN VIDEO | CAT 2018: Toppers and their inspiring stories
Since the CAT adopts relative scoring, if one of the candidates scores better, he or she increases the percentile score. This year, 10 candidates scored 100 percentile, while last year, 11 candidates scored the same.
D’Souza appeared for CAT for the first time in 1996. While he cracked his exam then, he was not among the top scorers. After pursuing his degree, he worked for a couple of years in marketing and moved on to teaching in 2002, and has been a trainer since then. Nearly a dozen of his students have scored 99 percentile, however, none scored the coveted 100.
Read| CAT is easy to crack, if you follow a strategy: 2019 topper Rishi Mittal
He offered tips to future aspirants, “While preparing for English, reading is important and solving puzzles beyond books is critical for DLR. For Mathematics, try not to use formulas.”
D’Souza is not the only mentor to score a 100 percentile. Of the four toppers in Maharashtra, two are teachers.
