From the GRADSKOOL Team

Strategy. Insights.
Exam Intelligence.

Preparation guides, score improvement strategies, and exam analysis — written by Abhishek Leela Pandey for CAT, GMAT, GRE, IPMAT, XAT, Law UG, and every exam GRADSKOOL covers.

VARC
How to Crack CAT VARC — RC Strategy That Actually Works

RC accounts for 24 of the 40 VARC questions in CAT. Most aspirants read the passage wrong, attempt questions in the wrong order, and lose marks they should not be losing.

Abhishek Leela PandeyMarch 2026 Read article →
Mindset
Why most CAT aspirants plateau at 90 percentile

The jump from 90 to 99 is not about harder work. It is about thinking differently under pressure — and fixing specific behavioural patterns in mocks that most students never identify.

Abhishek Leela PandeyFebruary 2026 Read article →
GMAT
GMAT Focus Edition — what changed and how to prepare

The new GMAT Focus Edition has a shorter format, no AWA, and a completely different scoring scale. Data Insights is the section that surprises most test-takers.

Abhishek Leela PandeyJanuary 2026 Read article →
XAT
Decision Making in XAT — why it is not a reasoning question

XAT Decision Making tests ethical judgement and business sense, not logical deduction. Preparing for it like DILR is one of the most common and costly mistakes.

Abhishek Leela PandeyDecember 2025 Read article →
IPMAT
IPMAT Short Answer questions — the preparation most students skip

The 20 Short Answer questions in IIM Indore IPMAT have no options to guess from. Most candidates treat them like MCQs and run out of time.

Abhishek Leela PandeyNovember 2025 Read article →
Law UG
Legal Reasoning in CLAT — no law degree required

CLAT Legal Reasoning does not test knowledge of law. It tests the ability to apply a given principle to a new factual scenario — entirely learnable.

Abhishek Leela PandeyOctober 2025 Read article →
GRE
GRE Vocabulary — why flashcards are the wrong approach

Most GRE aspirants spend hundreds of hours on word lists and still freeze on Text Completion questions on exam day. The problem is not vocabulary — it is context.

Abhishek Leela PandeySeptember 2025 Read article →
CAT Strategy
Mock analysis is the most under-used CAT tool

Students take mocks, check scores, and move on. That is where 90% of mock value is wasted. Post-test analysis done right is what separates students who improve from those who accumulate attempts.

Abhishek Leela PandeyAugust 2025 Read article →
Mindset
The 27-student cap — why GRADSKOOL will never scale the cohort

Every year, people ask why GRADSKOOL does not take more students. Beyond 27, the interaction breaks down. Teaching becomes broadcasting.

Abhishek Leela PandeyJuly 2025 Read article →
Placements 2025
IIM Placements 2025 — All IIMs Overview & Comparison

Average packages, ROI, highest offers and top recruiters across all IIMs for 2025. IIM-A ₹35.22 LPA, IIM-B ₹34.88 LPA, IIM-C ₹34.23 LPA and more. CAT cutoffs included.

Abhishek Leela PandeyMarch 2026 Read article →
Placements 2025
IIM Ahmedabad Placements 2025 — Package & Top Recruiters

Average ₹35.22 LPA, highest ₹1.10 Cr, 100% placements. BCG led with 35 offers. Complete sector breakdown and what it means for CAT 2026 aspirants targeting IIM-A.

Abhishek Leela PandeyMarch 2026 Read article →
Placements 2025
IIM Bangalore Placements 2025 — Package & Top Recruiters

Average ₹34.88 LPA, 100% placements, 177 companies. Best ROI among old IIMs at 1.43x. Consulting dominated at 44%. Complete data for CAT 2026 aspirants.

Abhishek Leela PandeyMarch 2026 Read article →
Placements 2025
IIM Calcutta Placements 2025 — Package & Top Recruiters

Average ₹34.23 LPA, highest ₹1.45 Cr. 100% for 60th batch. The finance campus — JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Citi among top recruiters. Complete data.

Abhishek Leela PandeyMarch 2026 Read article →
Placements 2025
IIM Lucknow Placements 2025 — Package & Top Recruiters

Average ₹32.3 LPA, highest ₹75 LPA, 100% placements. BCG, ICICI, HUL, KPMG among top recruiters. Fees ₹23.5 lakh, ROI 1.37x. Data for CAT aspirants.

Abhishek Leela PandeyMarch 2026 Read article →
Placements 2025
IIM Indore Placements 2025 — Package & Top Recruiters

Average ₹29.57 LPA, highest ₹70 LPA, 100% placements. Consulting 32%, Tech 25%. Fee ₹22 lakh. Strong ROI for 95-97 percentile CAT aspirants.

Abhishek Leela PandeyMarch 2026 Read article →

Reading is good. Preparing is better.

Every insight on this blog is taught live in GRADSKOOL cohorts — with two-way sessions, mock tests, and post-test analysis. 27 students per cohort.

Explore CAT 2026 → Try RC 111 Free →