Most people rush into their graduation after school is over. This often leads to people choosing the wrong stream to study. A new trend that has recently become very popular in India, is to get an MBA degree after graduation in any stream. MBA is a degree that can offer the widest range of options, in terms of a career. Any and all sectors welcome MBA students.
Equipped with graduation in a certain field and an MBA degree can result in a certain form of specialization. MBA is the most preferred post-graduation option for most students in India. More than anything else, an MBA is a perfect degree for anyone who wants a career that will sustain one’s monetary requirements. Studying well for CAT exams and getting into an IIM and performing well will lead to a bright future and a solid and stable career.
The best MBA colleges in India
There is no doubt that the best colleges for MBA in India are IIMs. IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta are the top three colleges for MBA. These are followed by IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, and IIM Kozhikode. Private universities like XLRI Xavier School of Management, S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Faculty of Management Studies also appear near the top of the list.
CAT entrance exam
CAT stands for the ‘Common Admission Test’. It is the entrance exam for MBA and PGDM. It is conducted by the IIMCAT body. It is an online exam that is conducted once a year, online in English. The duration of the test is 180 minutes. The exam fee is INR 1900 for General category applicants and INR 950 for reserved category applicants. It is conducted every year in November and the results are released in January.
In 2019, over 2.44 lakh students appeared for the exam. The exam features 100 questions that are a blend of MCQ type and non-MCQ type. The syllabus of the exam features the following categories – Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Quantitative Ability (QA) and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR). Taking the CAT exam is the only way to get admission into the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) and other top management colleges.
How to prepare for CAT?
Many people spend thousands on getting coaching for CAT. But you can successfully take the exam without coaching too. The Internet is the best study guide for CAT. You can find online mock tests, sample papers, details about the syllabus and question pattern, cutoffs and trends. All on the Internet. People who have taken the exam previously give valuable advice on sites like Quora related to study materials and even solve doubts.
Why take a CAT?
The CAT exam is one of the most challenging entrance exams. It tests intelligence and ability at the same time. Most people find the Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) very difficult. This is why it is important to have good language skills for this exam. CAT tests general intelligence and language and communication abilities. Both are crucial for any management student.
CAT cutoffs
CAT 2019 cutoffs will be published on January 6th, 2020. Each college decides its cutoff. Usually, the cutoff ranges between 80-95. There are lower cutoff rates for reserved category students. Cutoffs are set by IIMs and other MBA colleges that accept CAT scores. Some of the most popular IIMs have high cutoffs. IIM Calcutta has a cutoff of 85, IIM Bangalore has a cutoff of 80, IIM Ahmedabad has a cutoff of 80, IIM Visakhapatnam has a cutoff of 90, IIM Trichy has a cutoff of 95, etc. Usually, actual cutoffs are raised by colleges after the declaration of results. Therefore, it is very difficult getting into an IIM. Most people who do not have a cutoff for admission in an IIM opt for other MBA colleges accepting CAT scores.
How to find out CAT cutoffs for different colleges?
Most colleges declare their cutoffs soon after the exam is conducted. Cutoffs can be found on respective college websites. The cutoffs of different colleges can be found on various websites. Websites like Shiksha, Collegedunia, Careers360, and many others compiled a comprehensive list of the cutoffs of various colleges. This is helpful for students to look at so they can get an idea of where they can apply based on their estimated score.
Cutoffs are based on category (General/SC/ST/OBC) and sections (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension and Overall). IIMs usually have the highest cutoffs. Private colleges have lower cutoffs and most students who don’t qualify for IIMs can apply in other colleges that require CAT score.
According to most students who appeared for the CAT exam in 2019, the paper was relatively easier than last year’s. However most found the Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) section very difficult. Cutoffs can change based on how many students appeared for the exam, how the marking was executed and the average total score.
