In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative original thinker unless you can also sell what you create. Management cannot be expected to recognize a good idea unless it is presented to them by a good salesman.
- David Ogilvy
CAT - Common Admission Test is one of the toughest and popular MBA entrance exams conducted in India. It is conducted every year in October/November/December. This is the 1st stage of the selection process consisting of an online examination usually for duration of 2.25 hours. The test is designed and administered by the Indian Institute of Management. It is recognized by all the IIMs and many top B-Schools across India. There are approximately 150+ B-schools which accept CAT scores.
Initially CAT was a paper based test. From 2009 onwards, CAT has become a computerized test. Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on the answer-sheet, a candidate reads the questions on a computer terminal and chooses an answer by clicking on the correct option. At the test venue, each candidate is seated at a desk with a computer terminal and he/she is provided with a scratch paper for calculations. CAT is a computer-based test (CBT) and not Internet based test (IBT). i.e. candidate does not take the test on an Internet site. Online testing or computer based testing is generally done through one of two patterns of tests:
Computerized Non-Adaptive Tests: These are similar to paper-pencil tests. You are tested on a "typical" test paper with questions covering full range of difficulty.
The candidates are scored on the basis of number of questions answered correctly within the stipulated time penalizing the candidate for every wrong answer through negative marking.
Computer-Adaptive Tests: These tests are tailored to the examinee's level of ability. There is no set question paper. The questions are decided while the examinee is attempting the test. If he is doing well, he is given more and more difficult questions, which are worth more marks; if he is not performing well, he is given easier questions, which are worth fewer marks.
CAT 2009 was a Computerized Non-Adaptive Test and is unlikely to be computer adaptive in CAT 2010. Actual format is expected to be communicated in the CAT Notification which is typically released in August. Earlier, CAT was conducted on the third Sunday of November. In 2009, it was conducted from November 28 to December 7, 2009. In 2010, it’ll be conducted from October 27, 2010 to November 23, 2010 over a period of 20 days.
To find out more about Online CAT and its preparation, click here
Yes. There are many other entrance exams. Mostly, these exams are institute specific and are acceptable only at the participating institutions. Some of most popular exams are: XAT for Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI and other Xavier's Institutes), Jamshedpur FMS for Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi IIFT for Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi Joint Management Entrance Test (JMET) for IITs and IISC, Bangalore Common Entrance Test (CET) for Management institutes in Maharashtra, SNAP for Symbiosis Institute of Business Management Management Admission Test (MAT) for AIMA registered Institutes (MAT is the only exam that is conducted 4 times in a year).
The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Differently Abled (DA)categories], awarded by any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The percentage of marks obtained by the candidate in the bachelor’s degree would be calculated based on the practice followed by the university/institution from where the candidate has obtained the degree. In case the candidates are awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, the conversion of grades/CGPA to percentage of marks would be based on the procedure certified by the university/ institution from where they have obtained the bachelor's degree. In case the university/ institution does not have any scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by dividing the candidate’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result with 100.Candidates appearing for the final year of bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. Prospective candidates must maintain a valid email account throughout the selection process.
Note for SC/ST, NC-OBC, and DA Candidates: If you belong to SC or ST categories, your caste/tribe must be listed in the Government of India schedule. The caste certificate that you send to IIM should be in the Government approved format and should clearly state: (a) Name of your caste/tribe; (b) Whether you belong to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe; (c) District and the State or Union Territory of your ordinary residence; and (d) the appropriate Government of India schedule under which your caste/tribe is approved by it as Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. A copy of the certificate must be sent to CAT Centre, C/O PGP Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Mangament, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, 380 015. Mention the Voucher Serial Number on the certificate. Failure to produce a copy of the caste certificate will result in the rejection of your CAT registration. The caste certificate must be shown and a photocopy enclosed at the time of interviews. Moreover, the caste certificate must be submitted at the time of joining programmes of any of the IIMs. If you belong to the Non-Creamy Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC), you must produce the NC-OBC certificate duly signed by competent authority and enclose its photocopy at the time of interviews. If you belong to Differently Abled (DA) Category, a copy of the DA certificate must be sent to CAT Centre, C/O PGP Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, 380 015. Mention the Voucher Serial Number on the DA certificate.
So, basically, graduate from all streams of Graduation are eligible to apply for the CAT and other MBA entrance exams (exception is JMET that requires an Engineering degree). (For more details, refer to the list of Institutions that is available with our counselors.)
Primarily, all the Exams conducted test the aptitude of the students in 4 key skill areas that are:
Apart from the above four areas, some Exams also tests students on their General Awareness and English Writing skills.
Broadly, CAT is similar to all other MBA entrance exams. But CAT's prerogative in the past shows that there is a greater emphasis on testing the 'Reasoning' ability in all the 4 key skill areas including English. Hence, our experience shows that if a student prepares for CAT, he/she is mostly prepared to attempt the other entrance exams.
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Not all institutions have their own entrance exams. Many institutions accept CAT and others have their own entrance exams.
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There is no factor that determines the success of either a fresher or a working professional. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. A fresher is more in touch with the academic requirements and prepared for intense learning mode. Whereas, a working professional brings along the real world knowledge and reasoning that is a key requirement to succeed in the entrance exams.
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The cut-off is the minimum required marks that a student needs to score to secure a call for the second round of selection process.
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Yes. Every institute releases its own cut-offs for individual sections as well as for the overall test. A student has to clear both the sectional as well as the overall cut-offs set by the Institutes to receive a call for the second round of selection. The cut-offs vary for every institute.
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Yes. To maintain the academic as well as the professional environment of learning most institutions have a slight relaxation in cut-offs for Working professionals, women and other reservations. This is done to give the students a multi-level-knowledge and interactive learning environment.
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The 'percentile' is relative standing of a student in comparison to the group of students taking the exam. For example, if a student secures 80 percentile - this does not mean the student has attempted 80 percent of the paper. This shows that out of all the students who have taken the exam, 80 percent of students have scored lesser marks than this student.
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The recent trend in CAT shows that there is an increasing emphasis on testing the accuracy to logically interpret the given information. Even though the number of questions is limited, the level of difficulty and negative marking makes it prerogative to work on improving the speed. There are many other tests that still require you to solve a lot of questions in a limited time. So balance has to be achieved in both.
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The duration and amount of preparation is subject to individual capabilities. We recommend an ideal preparation time of 18 months to a minimum of at least 3 months depending upon the understanding of the exams, the concepts tested, and awareness of one's own strengths and weaknesses.
If you are a student wanting to prepare for CAT and want to know where you stand among the best of the students appearing for the CAT, our expert teaching panel will assist you with this process.
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Even though, the statistics shows that higher number of Engineers make to it to the top ranks in entrance exams, it's a myth that Engineers have an advantage in clearing the entrance exams. The concepts in Quantitative Ability tested in these exams are only those that we study up to class X. Our experience shows that, mostly, Engineering students are more familiar with the entrance exams because they have already gone through a competitive entrance by way of IIT-JEE and other entrance exams before their graduation. Also, we find these students to be more inquisitive and prepared to put in more hard work that pays in the end. It is the approach to the exam that makes the difference. So, if you are ready to build the right approach, then your chances of success increases manifold.
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Some of the important things that you should look for are -
Quality of the Faculty who will be teaching you.
Amount of individual attention given to you while preparing.
Updated materials.
Guidance fromany former student of the institute as they have already been there and done what you are planning to do
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This question has relevance only if IIMs decide to have a non-adaptive CAT. In that case, it has to be the section that you are confident about. But, this can sometimes be misleading if you are not able to diagnose the difficulty level of the section. Our Faculty experts will advise you from time to time on the recommended strategies to use while attempting the test through Analysis and Feedback sessions.
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There are two ways of looking at this question - One: if you are already enrolled at an institute and want to add on to the preparation by self-study, then, you would have to decide depending on the content provided to you by the institute.
Two: studying completely through self-study. Yes, this is possible. We have the correspondence course 'Guru Disha' that provides the same content and on line analysis and feedback that should help you in improving your performance. But, you would be missing the competitive classroom environment and doubt clearing sessions, which plays a vital role in a students' success. But, if you are not able to give so much time for a full fledged class room preparation, a planned approach and focus with our Guru Disha module would be a great guide.
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Most of the MBA/PGDM programs offer the following specializations - Finance, Marketing, Operations, Human Resource Management, and Systems. There are few others who offer International Business or Strategy/ Project Management as well. Some Institutes offer dual specialization. Mostly, the first year of the course is general because students from varied background such as Medicine, Engineering, Commerce, and Arts pursue this course. The second year consists of the elective units that one wants to specialize.
A student must choose the specialization based on the interests and abilities. Our faculty and mentors will assist you in this process, as ideally you should be choosing the specialization before you start the course. But, you can choose mid way through your first year of study. Our prospectus gives information on the recommended abilities to pursue these specializations.
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An MBA is a general qualification that develops overall understanding of business side of any organization. It offers a wide range of professional / career options. From Manufacturing to Services all industries requires Management professionals at all levels starting from Management trainees, Floor / Departmental / Branch Head, Senior Managers to Vice President and so on. Depending on the undergraduate qualification acquired, the students can choose to specialize in a specific field of study within the MBA and acquire skills that complement the previous qualification or acquire a general management program that is more popular abroad. For example: An IT professional can decide to specialize in Operations or Project Management; A Doctor or a Dentist can specialize in Health Management; To start an own venture, a person can specialize in Entrepreneurial Development program and so on.
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This is subject to the current level of Knowledge. More than the number of hours it is the planned study that will make a difference. A better understanding of strong / weak areas will help build speed and accuracy.
For Rooters, we recommend that proper utilization of the classroom sessions (6 hours a week), regular reference to assignments and worksheets and taking the tests as an ideal preparation.
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Most entrance exams test your Math skills (Quantitative Analysis) on concepts that are taught up to Class X only. More than the formulas and the rules, it is the application of the concept that is tested. So if you are able to brush your basic Math and develop the logical approach to attempting the questions then, there should not be much of a hurdle in clearing this section of the test. For this purpose we provide extra basic sessions in Maths through our Power Guru Module. A strong foundation in Maths goes a long way in building the skills required to crack the Quantitative section in B-School Entrance Exams. Top
The B-Schools rankings are conducted by different organizations. Most of them rank these institutions on the basis of the Faculty, Research undertaken, Placement records, Quality or updated course contents, infrastructure facilities, and Industry interface. The weight age given to individual parameters differ with organizations. So use the Rankings as only a guide.
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The uniqueness of most MBA programs is their flexibility to take graduates from varied fields of study and provide them with an insight and understanding of the general Management principles that govern the working of an organization.
An MBA has a special place abroad in a way that most top B-schools require students to possess a minimum of 2 years supervisory or managerial work experience as the delivery of the course is not academic in nature. But in India there is a fine balance achieved in providing an academic and professional learning environment, where classroom lectures are enhanced through Case studies, corporate internships, management development programs, seminars and project work.
Usually, other academic programs like M.Tech, M.Com, or M.S. requires students to have undergraduate degree in the same field and increases the knowledge base in a narrow specialized area of study.
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In India there isn't specific requirement on having experience to apply for most MBA programs. Also, it is found that 85% of undergraduates in India are found not capable of taking management responsibilities and are trained on the job for most jobs. So an MBA as a qualification for a fresher adds a lot of weight age and increases chances of having a head start to career.
An advantage of doing an MBA after gaining experience is that you are able to relate more to the practical application of the concepts being taught by virtue of first hand understanding of the corporate world.
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Yes. If you have just started your career then you will have to pursue a good MBA through either distance learning or those institutes that accept fresh graduates for their part time course. Most other institutes offering part time or Executive MBA require students to have at least 2 years experience.
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The mentors are very helpful and at the same time friendly. They make you feel positive and confident at every step.
