After 15 failed attempts, SBI PO cracks CAT with 99.86 percentile, joins IIM Calcutta

After failing three UPSC attempts and a total of 15 competitive exams for different posts, this IIM Calcutta student cracked CAT with a 99.86 percentile, finding success after years of struggle. Here's his story.(Image: Soumil Saxena/Linkedin)For nearly 5 years, Soumil Saxena's journey was filled with repeated setbacks. He appeared for more than 15 competitive examinations, faced three unsuccessful attempts in the UPSC Civil Services Examination, and saw several other recruitment tests end without selection.Today, the St. Stephen's College graduate has secured admission to the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta after scoring 99.86 percentile in the Common Admission Test (CAT). Before that, he had already joined the State Bank of India (SBI) as a Probationary Officer (PO), marking a turning point in his career.His journey reflects how changing direction after repeated failures can eventually lead to success.5 YEARS OF PREPARATION AND REPEATED SETBACKSSaxena spent several years preparing for competitive examinations, with 2023 becoming one of the busiest years of his preparation. Alongside UPSC, he attempted examinations conducted by RBI, NABARD, IBPS, LIC, SSC and other government organisations. His list of unsuccessful attempts includes:UPSC Civil Services Examination (2023, 2024 and 2025) RBI Grade B (2023 and 2024)NABARD Grade A (2022 and 2023)RBI Assistant (2023)AAI Junior Executive (2023)UPSC EPFO (2023)IBPS PO (2023)LIC AAO (2023)MPPSC (2023)NIACL AO (2023)CAT 2023Despite the setbacks, Saxena continued preparing while exploring alternative career opportunities.FIRST BREAKTHROUGHThe first major breakthrough came in 2023 when Saxena cleared SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) and SBI PO examinations in his first attempts. He also qualified the IB ACIO examination.He joined the State Bank of India as a Probationary Officer, giving him professional stability after years of uncertainty.However, according to Saxena, he still wanted to pursue management education and decided to prepare for CAT alongside his banking job.BALANCING WORK AND CAT PREPARATIONPreparing for CAT while working full-time as a banker meant studying before and after office hours.Sharing his experience, Saxena wrote that his routine consisted of "early mornings, late nights, studying after long banking hours."His efforts resulted in a CAT 2025 score of 99.86 percentile, earning him admission to IIM Calcutta's flagship PGP programme.'UPSC gave me resilience'Reflecting on his journey, Saxena said the Civil Services Examination did not give him the result he had hoped for but taught him resilience."I still remember sitting with my result, wondering if I had made a mistake spending years chasing a dream that wasn't meant for me," he wrote in a LinkedIn post.He added that repeated failures tested not only his preparation but also his confidence. Looking back, he believes those experiences helped him develop the resilience that eventually contributed to later successes.Saxena's journey includes both unsuccessful and successful outcomes:Failed: UPSC CSE (2023, 2024, 2025), RBI Grade B (2023, 2024), NABARD Grade A (2022, 2023), RBI Assistant, AAI JE, UPSC EPFO, IBPS PO, LIC AAO, MPPSC, NIACL AO and CAT 2023.Selected: SSC CGL 2023, SBI PO 2023, IB ACIO 2023 and CAT 2025 with 99.86 percentile.After joining IIM Calcutta, Saxena also shared glimpses of campus life on social media. He spoke about the academic environment, interactions with peers from diverse professional backgrounds and the learning opportunities available at the institute.According to his posts, the campus experience has been majorly different from his earlier preparation years, with classroom discussions, case studies and student activities becoming a central part of his daily routine.- EndsPublished By: Rishab ChauhanPublished On: Aug 5, 2026 14:17 IST