EXCLUSIVE TEST ANALYSIS(FOR MBA360DEGREES) OF CAT PAPERS FROM 2004 BY ARUN CHOWDARY(ALUMNI IIM AHMEDABAD)

Pattern of the test paper

CAT (as it is most commonly known across India) has evolved from a speed based simple test into a test which demands more proficiency in concepts and fundamentals rather than just speed.

Earlier CATs used to have 180 questions to be solved in 2 hours. The cutoff (minimum marks needed to get an interview call from the IIM) for such a paper was generally 20 each in the three sections (Mathematics + English + Data interpretation and Logic).

For the years 2001, 2002, and 2003 the paper consisted of 50 questions per section * 3 sections = 150 questions. The cutoffs were around 15 marks for individual sections and approximately 55 for whole paper.

CAT_2004

The first big surprise for CAT takers was in 2004, when the IIMs introduced the concept of differential marking for the first time. The paper had just 123 questions in three sections with the following distribution: (the decimal numbers are marks allocated to each question)

• English - Total: 50 (10 * 0.5 + 5*2.0 + 35 * 1.0) Cutoff - approx 12
• Mathematics - Total: 35 (15*2.0 + 20*1.0) Cutoff - approx 12
• DI (Data Interpretation) and LR (Logical Reasoning) - Total: 38 (12*2.0 +26*1.0) Cutoff - approx 17

Overall 123 Questions : 10 of half marks + 32 of 2 marks and 81 of 1 mark each. The overall cutoff for the paper was nearly 51-52 marks.

CAT 2005

CAT 2005 was an even bigger surprise. There were just 90 questions - 30 in each section. Each section was further divided into two subsections:

• Math

• Section 1A -10Questions of 1 mark each
• Section 1B - 20 Questions of 2 mark each
• The final Cutoff for this section was nearly 11

• English

• Section 2A - 10 Questions of 1 mark each
• Section 2B - 20 Questions of 2 mark each
• The final Cutoff for this section was nearly 15

• DI and LR

• Section 3A - 10 Questions of 1 mark each
• Section 3B - 20 Questions of 2 mark each
• The final Cutoff for this section was nearly 10

CAT 2006

CAT 2006, which was conducted on November 19, was a 2.5-hour exam instead of the traditional 2-hour exam. It is speculated that this change was made by the CAT exam committee to decrease the level of predictability of the exam and to relieve the stress caused to students in a two-hour time limit.

CAT 2006 had 75 questions, 25 questions per section and 4 marks per question, making it a 300-mark paper. There was a penalty of 1 mark for a wrong answer. The paper also proved to be a break from the previous pattern in that it had 5 answer options instead of the usual 4. The English section was generally perceived as very difficult, whereas the quantitative aptitude section was relatively much easier and basic than previous CATs as also in comparison to the other two sections.

CAT 2007

In 2007, the CAT exam was held on Sunday, November 18th. The exam had surprises for the past years for the changing pattern/number of questions etc. But this year the number of questions remained the same. There was 1 mark negative for each wrong answer. The duration of the test was 2.5 hours

Quantitative Ability

• 25 Questions each of 4 marks
• This is widely considered the toughest section this year

English

• 25 Questions each of 4 marks
• The reading comprehension part was tougher than that of last year

Data Intrepretation

• 25 Questions each of 4 marks

The solution key was published by various coaching institutes.

CAT 2007 results are published on IIM's CAT website as well as on SMS on Indian mobile phones by rediff.com's mobile short code 57333. More details can be obtained by sending an SMS "CAT" to 57333.

Notable incidents

In 2003, the CAT paper was leaked. This was a first in the 28 year old history of the test. A retest was held on 14th February 2004. Most news publications attributed the leak to logistical difficulties.

Besides the change in test format, CAT 2006 was also notable due to some printing errors that had crept into the question paper. The IIMs accepted the errors and formed a committee to look into the matter. The committee ruled that the wrong questions would be ignored. This leads one to a scenario where the different paper sets have a different number of "valid" questions. The difference will be made up by appropriately changing the denominator in the respective sets. For example, set 333 had 2 incorrect questions in quantitative ability. In this case a student scoring x/100 marks would now score (x/92)% marks. The idea of a re-test which was proposed by some quarters has been set aside by the authorities.

The results for CAT 2006 were declared on January 2nd 2007 among much confusion, as the server hosting the results was inaccessible for prolonged periods of time. Also, for the first time, the IIMs declared the actual key to the question paper along with the results.

here was a case of impersonation for the CAT 2007. Two persons tried to appear on behalf of the original candidates in chandigharh. The police arrested them on the day of the exam.

Non IIM Colleges accepting CAT scores

Many colleges in India, other than the IIMs, also accept the CAT scores for admission. This has contributed to CAT gaining an extremely high level of popularity.

Some of the more prominent colleges which accept ones are:

• S.P.Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai
• Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon
• Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA), Ahmedabad
• Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM), Trichy
• National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai
• International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi
• Amrita School of Bussiness (ASB), Coimbatore.
• T.A.Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal.
• Fore School of Management (FSM), New Delhi
• Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad
• Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad.
• National Insurance Academy School of Management (NIASoM), Pune

The importance of a good CAT score to a student in India aspiring for an MBA has led to a burgeoning and immensely profitable coaching business. Some major national players (who have branches in major cities in India) in the tutoring business are Career Forum Limited, Career Launcher India Private Limited, Professional Tutorials Education (PT), Triumphant Institute of Management Education (T.I.M.E.) and IMS Learning Resources Pvt.Ltd.

Self-Assessment: The Real Edge

Self-assessment should be the first step in any major career or life change, including the decision to apply to MBA programs.

But what is pre-MBA self-assessment? Before you commit to earning an MBA, you should take time to reflect on your work experience, your abilities, and your ambitions. You should ask, Am I where I want to be in my career and my life? And, What would it take to get there? Assuming an MBA will help you achieve your goals, think about what specifically you want to learn and gain in an MBA program.

Why should you self-assess, and how? With sufficient self-assessment, you will stand out in the MBA admissions process as someone who is prepared and motivated. These qualities can help give you a real edge over the competition.

If you self-assess well, you'll be better able to articulate your career and educational goals in relation to your strengths and experience; you'll also be able to say exactly how an MBA at a particular school will help you meet your goals, and how you will contribute to the program.

Good self-assessment will also help you answer the following important questions:

• Why am I sure an MBA is right for me?
• What do I have in common with MBAs and business professionals?
• What post-MBA careers fit my personal strengths, interests, abilities, and work-related values?
• What kinds of business schools, companies, and corporate cultures seem to suit me?

IIMs declare final results!!!

Relief came in the form of declaration of admission results, for thousands of MBA aspirants waiting to get into the prestigious IIMs. The results were declared for General quota, SC, ST and PWD categories but OBC category results have been delayed. Find links to all results below, and network with other successful candidates.

http://www.pagalguy.com/index.php?categoryid=56&p2_articleid=1253

The XIMB Director's Interview

Preference to Orissa domicile candidates doesn't affect the batch quality at Bhubhaneswar's Xavier's Institute of Management, says its Director Fr PT Joseph in an interview to PaGaLGuY.com. He also throws light on XIMB's Rural Management program and how it compares with that of IRMA.
What are the top 3 advantages of XIMB’s MBA programme that no other business school in the same league offers?

The top 3 advantages are:

a) Higher Industry Interaction and Corporate Linkages for the XIMB students by using platforms such as Immersion Courses, CEO Talks, etc. The Immersion Courses are specific course modules which are delivered by top Industry experts within a short span of 1-2 days while CEO talks are a series of seminars with top CEOs of the country and beyond.
b) Rigorous and intensive course curriculum which is highly adaptive and consistently upgraded and is extremely compatible with the industry needs and therefore provides the highest degree of relevance for study of the students and turns them into industry ready management professionals. Further, Technology intensive facilities like VSAT and Video Conferencing Platforms are used in order to augment learning process of the students.
c) Thrust and focus on establishing and maintaining high ethical standards in business and professional life and ensuring social sensitivity for the underdeveloped sections of the society and being a professional manager with a “Human Face”.

Which functional management areas has XIMB built its best strengths (academically and infrastructure-wise) in?

XIMB does not focus exclusively on a specific functional management area for priority. Rather, the focus has been on developing academic and infrastructure resources for the holistic development of the students as a whole. However, XIMB has also built competency in the field of Rural Management by offering PGDM programme in Rural Management, which is an AICTE approved programme and provides immense focus on the social sector. Apart from that XIMB is usually rated as one of the top ten B-Schools of India and provides for all round development of the students along with the best IT infrastructure, learning resources, online databases, state of the art academic infrastructure and a wonderful teaching-learning ambience on campus.

What were the XAT cutoffs at XIMB for the 2005 and 2006 PGP and PGPRM admissions? How does XIMB use sectional cutoffs for short listing candidates?

The XAT cutoffs at XIMB for PGP programme in 2005 and 2006 were 87.45 and 91.74 percentile respectively. PGPRM admissions are conducted through IRMA Entrance Test. For the year 2005 and 2006, IRMA has not released the cutoff marks. XIMB has an Admissions Committee comprising of Senior Faculty Members which every year scrutinizes analyses and then sets sectional cutoffs for short listing candidates as it relevant and necessary for that year.

How do you evaluate candidates selected for the GD-PI round? Does a candidate’s XAT score still affect his chances during final admission once he/she is shortlisted for the GD-PI?

During the GD-PI Rounds, the candidate is evaluated by an experienced and highly knowledgeable panel of Faculty members and the evaluation is based on the candidate’s personality, communication skills, confidence level, and ability to grasp and conceptualize and present the subject in a meaningful manner. Yes, the XAT Score influences the candidate’s chances during final admission as a composite score totaling the XAT score, GD-PI Score and academic excellence is used to finally select the candidate for admission.

How much is the quota for Orissa domicile students at XIMB and what is the XAT cutoff for this category?

The Institute gives some preference to domicile candidates to fulfill its social contract with the State of Orissa. The XAT cut off was close to 90 percentile for the domicile candidates for this year.

How would you address the concerns of a non-Orissa candidate with an admission offer about the dilution in batch quality due to the quota?

There is no dilution in standards of intake. The learning process imparts very high value and outcome is evident when 100 pc placements are achieved on Day-1 itself. Some domicile students who graduate from here do secure top 10 positions in the merit list.

What is the batch profile for the PGP class of 2009 in terms of number of years of work experience? Does XIMB consciously strive towards maintaining the share of experienced and fresher students in a PGP batch?

For the PGP Class which would graduate in 2009, the average work experience of the batch is 28 months (2 Years 4 months). Yes, XIMB does provide for a fair share of experienced and fresher students for in a PGP batch.

How many full time faculty members does XIMB have? How does XIMB retain its best faculty?

XIMB has 47 full time faculty members. XIMB retains them by providing them the best compensation packages seen in India today, providing financial incentives for publications, paper presentations and other research work. Apart from that XIMB provides an excellent Quality of Life for them and their families on campus as well as supports them financially and institutionally for their PhD work, Research, and Consultancy as well as for undertaking Training and Development Programmes.

What are the pros and cons of being located in a relatively less-developed state like Orissa?

XIMB is located in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa. Bhubaneswar is extremely well connected by airlines, railways and Highways. Apart from that many IT majors like Infosys, Satyam, etc. as well as manufacturing entities like POSCO, Vedanta, NALCO, etc. are based out of Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar is considered to be one of the most rapidly developing cities in India. Therefore, there is no negatives but rather the presence of such high concentration of corporates makes Bhubaneswar and extremely viable and beneficial place for an institution like XIMB to grow.

What are the top 3 value propositions of studying Rural Management in XIMB as opposed to dedicated rural management schools like IRMA?

The top 3 value propositions are:

a) In Orissa, where more than 47 pc of people live Below the Poverty Line, the value of a Rural Management programme is highly relevant and necessary.
b) The practical and experiential aspect conducted in the PGPRM programme which is known as RLLE (Rural Living and Learning Experience) is extremely productive and highly acclaimed in the social sector.
c) CENDERET (Centre for Development Research & Training) is the social wing of XIMB which has pioneered and implemented successfully hundreds of social development programmes in the state of Orissa over the past decade. This on-campus exposure for the Rural Management students with CENDERET provides a practical basis for their learning which is unparalleled in any other organization across India.

How have the placement patterns evolved in PGPRM over the last two years?

Placements have evolved in PGPRM over the last two years in the following manner;
a) Number of placement offers has gone up from 68 in 2007 to 75 in 2008.
b) The mean salary has risen from 5.10 lakhs per annum in 2007 to 6.01 lakhs per annum in 2008.
c) The median salary has risen from 4.60 lakhs per annum in 2007 to 5.85 lakhs per annum in 2008.
d) The minimum salary has risen from 2.40 lakhs per annum in 2007 to 4.50 lakhs per annum in 2008.
e) The maximum salary has risen from 8.00 lakhs per annum in 2007 to 8.50 lakhs per annum in 2008.

Please tell us about student life beyond academics at XIMB.

High degree of interaction among the faculty, students and corporate visitors is a way of life. Life at XIMB is competitive, co-operative, friendly, helpful, impressive and stimulating. As members of this community, students forge deep and lasting friendships during their stay here. The quality of life as well as learning is enhanced in the company of such energetic, ambitious, interesting and committed people. The Institute has a rigorous screening procedure for admitting students. Hence, our students are drawn from prestigious institutes and a variety of backgrounds. A large section of the students have over one year experience with blue chip companies. Our students are completely focused on learning through the classrooms, group projects, encouraging each other, debating each other, providing each other a stable intellectual context and social network.

The students have shown their zeal to learn beyond the class room and entrepreneurial streak by managing associations and event. The Institute has 5 active student managed associations, each of which organises seminars, guest lectures, management games, quizzes and other events dealing with its specific functional area.

MAXIM: The Marketing Association
X-FIN: The Finance Association
X-SYS: The Systems Association
X-OPS: The Operations Association
XIMAHR: The HR Association
RMAX: Rural Managers Association of XIMB
Rotaract Club: A Rotaract Club-XIMB joint venture
Apart from this, the students organise "Xpressions" -the annual inter-B-school meet which enjoys participation from top corporate and B-Schools.

SOURCE:PAGALGUY

MBA students from countries around the world are starting to represent a wider range of education and career backgrounds than the traditional marketing, consulting, accounting, and banking professions. While of course a massive number of MBA candidates come from such backgrounds, the likes of doctors and lawyers are now turning to MBA education to venture beyond their core skill set.
Table 1 depicts the employment sectors in which MBA candidate respondents are currently employed.

Table 1: Current Employment Sectors of MBA respondents – Worldwide (expressed as a percentage)

Accounting -Banking- Consulting -Consumer Products- Education- Engineering

3.9 -6.0 -9.3 -5.0- 5.5 -8.8

Financial-Services-Industry-Information Technology-Media-Non-Profit

---7.4 -5.5 -14.1 -2.6- 2.7


Pharmaceuticals-Public Sector-Retail-Telecommunications-Other

-2.1 -3.8- 2.0- 4.0- 18.2

Source: 2007 QS TopMBA.com Applicant Survey

As reviewed in the above table, 18 pc of respondents to this survey listed ‘other’ as their current field of employment. What’s interesting is that many professionals not conventionally grouped under the commerce field are taking up MBA studies. Some doctors and lawyers, for example, are now turning to business education to improve career prospects and propel them in a new direction.

As a result of increasing interest in MBAs among non-businesspeople, progressive schools have begun combining postgraduate degrees with the MBA. Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem has developed a five-year program in which students can earn a joint MD/MBA degree. McGill University, in Canada, offers a joint MBA/Law degree program designed ‘for those students who are interested in both the legal and administrative aspects of business. It gives them the opportunity to prepare themselves for careers in both private and public enterprises, government service, large corporations, and as management consultants.’

An MBA is seen as the perfect way forward by many looking to change career, and 34% of MBA applicants surveyed reported ‘career change’ as their leading motivation to undertake an MBA, according to the 2007 QS TopMBA.com Applicant Survey expressed in Table 2. In some regions like North America, almost 60% of MBA candidates are turning to MBA education in their quest for a new career.

Table 2: Reasons for MBA – Worldwide (expressed as percentage)

Education 22.0


Boost salary 26.9


Build professional network 41.1


Enable career change 33.8


Improve career prospects 69.4


Learn new skills 53.3


Start own business 23.9


Other 2.6

Source: 2007 QS TopMBA.com Applicant Survey

So can business school really give you all the necessary skills to succeed in a completely new realm of work?
Unlike other Masters courses that may provide the graduate with a theoretical understanding of a particular topic, like history, for example, the MBA prepares the graduate for the ‘real’ business world through practical applications like case studies that teach the student all aspects of running a business. Skills learned in MBA courses are therefore far more transferable to the business world than those one may learn in other Masters courses.

“A vast majority of our hires have MBAs,” explains Georgia Foley, Recruitment Manager at AT Kearney. “We certainly have a preference for candidates with MBAs, as they offer a passion for learning, academic and communication abilities and a strong entrepreneurial spirit. They also have energy, rigour and a breadth of understanding of general management principles.”

If you’re a new MBA without much applicable experience in the sector in which you intend to work, graduate programs may be your answer. Sony Europe, for instance, runs the European Graduate Program which takes on new MBAs. Tom Verbeke, HR Manager of Sony Europe, says, “we are looking for internationally minded, highly-skilled and intelligent people that want to take on a development course in order to complement their business education (MBA) with the experience of working in different cultures, different organizations and in different functions, supported by on-the-job and off-the-job development initiatives, aimed at fully developing highly-talented students to later take on a key role within the Sony organization.”

When it just might not work

Your choice of field, however, may work against you if you choose an area typically requiring extensive experience that you just don’t have. Consultancy, for example, is one field known for demanding its undertakers gain prior work experience. Damir Latte, Recruitment Consultant at Global Workplace (a specialist in Management Consultancy) says, “candidates for consultancy roles ideally need 3 to 5 years relevant work experience. For those with none or very little relevant experience, consultancy positions are out of the question; however, if they are good they could be considered for analyst roles.”

Of course, this all depends on your career intentions. If you’re a chef trying to become an account and lack exceptional numerical proficiency, it may take more than an MBA to put you in the right direction. All in all, it takes time to evaluate your options and research the enormous range of careers out there. If you’re a lawyer taking an MBA to become a management consultant, business education would probably provide you with the practical skills to accompany the ‘softer’ skills learned in the law realm.

Source: www.TopMBA.com

Seeing through misleading salary figures in B-school placement reports

Newspaper reports in the year gone by have been rife with b-school placement stories of a rather disturbing kind. It appears that quite a few well-known business schools have been lying about their placement salary figures in public! Here's how you can see through the salary hype when you make that important admission decision.

The names of these MBA institutes have remained a well-guarded secret, because most of the time, the whistleblower in these stories is a fresh MBA graduate who, invoked by his conscience but under the condition of anonymity, decides to ride against the tide and divulges to the media the inaccuracies in the average salary, highest salary and median salary figures quoted by his institute on its website and released to the Press.

The names of these b-schools really become inconsequential, given that many business schools in India’s top 20 list have been known to inflate their salary figures somehow or the other. But thanks to negative media coverage, there is now growing awareness that clubbing international and domestic salaries together to calculate the single ‘average salary’ figure is one of the few tricks that b-schools use to inflate their placement data and improve their marketability. It is only when an MBA aspirant cracks the school and joins it does he become aware of some of the best kept dirty secrets of the Indian business school industry.

You’re probably wondering where all this is leading to but no, this article does not mean to rake up controversy on this rather sensitive issue. But, it surely aims to inform what you, as MBA applicants aiming to be in the best MBA programs of the country need to do to ensure that you get the right facts and figures about b-schools, and not what the b-schools want to feed you.

Come September, and most of you flock to the newsstands to buy magazines that pull out b-school rankings, or are scouring the resources in your coaching institute or the Internet to decide which b-schools to apply to this year. Even as I write this, there are half a dozen forms for admission into b-schools live. Because each form burns about one-grand-big a hole in your pocket (or in your parents pocket depending upon your situation), it’s a good idea to research the schools and their placement performance well before investing the moneys.

It becomes especially important for you in February, when you ought to choose between three schools that have more or less similar brand perception and their placement salaries would turn out to be one of the tie-breakers (along with location, expenses, etc).

Why do some b-schools tend to report inflated salary figures? It works out well for everyone, if you really think about it. Since the salary package is the most glamorous and easily perceptible parameter to judge the quality of a job offer (as opposed to other parameters like the job profile description, future growth prospects, etc), by showing inflated salary figures to MBA aspirants the b-school can attract better quality students, sell more forms and gain a few notches above a rival b-school.

By showing inflated salary figures to companies through the media, the school is able to attract better and even higher paying companies for next year’s placements. The companies whose pay packages are reported in an exaggerated manner by the institute don’t mind, because they get free press and become a desired company in other b-schools. Everybody wins!

Two standard tricks are applied to manipulate numbers and arrive at the inflated salary figures. Compensation packages offered by companies come in a fixed and a variable component and a Cost-to-Company factor (CTC). So say, the annual fixed component amount is Rs 6 lakh, then you’ll take home Rs 50,000 home every month for sure. However, the variable component, which includes performance-based bonuses or e-sops may or may not come to you depending on your performance. Placement committees in b-schools, however add the highest possible variable component to the salary figure. So let’s say, your variable component, which you get if you perform really, really well, comes out to Rs 2 lakh per annum. Add to it the most controversial component, the CTC. The CTC simply, is the amount of money the company needs to spend on your maintenance. In reasonable CTC calculations, companies might add the cost of putting you through training and induction programs, your mobile bills and official travel expenses and your tax liabilities. But it starts bordering on the absurd when the floor space rent of the employee’s cubicle in your Gurgaon office is added to the CTC. The CTC component then shots up to as much as another Rs 4 lakh, and the total salary paid by the company shoot up to Rs 6 lakh + Rs 2 lakh + Rs 4 lakh = Rs 12 lakh! So even though you’re getting paid only Rs 50,000 each month, b-schools are pros at showing your salary figures as Rs 12 lakh!

The other way to inflate salaries is by playing around with the wonderful tools of averages. Many b-schools include both the Indian and international placement packages in their average salaries by converting the dollar amounts of the international salaries to rupees. It’s unfair, because they do not normalize the purchasing power parity in different countries during the conversion. So earning € 3750 in London converts to Rs 30 lakh, but is hardly a lot because the cost of living in London is extremely high!

On top of that, when all the salaries offered to students are calculated inflated by adding the CTC and variable components, the average salary is bound look very, very attractive.

Other b-schools calculate average salary by including only the highest offers made to each student, regardless of whether those offers were accepted or not (these days, many students prefer to take up jobs that pay half a lakh less because the profiles are more interesting).

One can go on and on about this, but the important question is, how do you as an MBA aspirant see through all this and get the right data about a b-school’s salary figures to make an informed decision for yourself?

The key lies in asking the right questions. The next time you read a b-school placement report, take it with a pinch of salt. While most of the data in there would be accurate, you just need to dig a little deeper to be sure that the placement data figures are correct. When you contact a b-school or want to know more about a b-school by reaching out to its students through your coaching institute or social communities like Orkut, Facebook or Pagalguy, keep the following things in mind:

1. Ask for the average salary figures without the CTC component. If they do not have the exact data, ask for an estimate. A b-school is obliged to do this much if you’re spending a thousand rupees on their forms.
   
   
2. Ask for separate average salary figures for domestic and international salaries.
   
   
3. If you’re getting into MBA with a specific goal in mind (for example, you want to join the media industry in a business development role), ask specifically for a list of offers made in that domain in the last two years. If the b-school does not arrange those kinds of placements, it makes little sense for you to join it!
   
   
4. Ask for the lowest salary in the placements. In many cases, a b-school’s placements look good only because of a couple of really high packages that shoot the average up.
   

You owe yourself at least this much, because one wrong choice about a b-school could change your life!

SOURCE:WWW.PAGALGUY.COM

HOW TO PREPARE EFFECTIVELY FOR MBA ENTRANCE

If you ask students what they dislike most about school/college life, probably nine out of ten students will say - ‘exams’. The reason is pretty obvious. Students spend days and nights slogging over books preparing for exams. Once the exams are over, they spend their time agonising over the results. More so if it happens to be an entrance exam. MBA entrances seem to have gained popularity of late. Everyone seems to be going for them these days. Quite a few of the aspirants are clear about their objective and go towards it with a proper action plan. Many others are just putting their luck to test, or are confused on how to go about preparing.

If you are a student planning to take the entrance, follow the steps below and exams will no longer torment you. Besides the MBA entrance exam, these steps will help be of interest to anyone taking an exam, be it a school level exam, college level exam, or a competitive one.

Step 1: Start early
There is no point in procrastinating. If you start studying early for your exams then you will have more time to study. When you have plenty of time at your disposal then you can study at your own pace. You will not have to cram extra hours. Think of it as a 100m race. The student who starts early has that much of head start over the others. If need be, join a coaching class. There are a many reputed coaching classes that specialise on MBA entrances, and boast of many successful stories.

Step 2: Be clear about the sections
Don’t waste your time reading something that will not even be asked in the exam. Find out exactly what the exam syllabus will be. Make a list of all the topics that might be asked. Most of the MBA entrances have sections on:

1. Verbal ability

2. Reading comprehension

3. Quantitative ability

4. Data interpretation

5. Analytical ability

6. General awareness

The numbers of questions under each section vary from exam to exam, but the kind of questions is similar. Next, get a list of the books that you would like to refer. Make sure that you have all the course material ready well before the exams. Don’t waste your time hunting for reading material at the eleventh hour.

Step 3: Find out what you are comfortable with
O.K, so now you know the sections that appear in a typical MBA entrance exam, what next. Your next task is to find out what you know and what you don’t know about these sections. What are the sections you are comfortable with? Where do you need to spend more time? Don’t waste precious time studying topics you already know. This may be tempting as it gives you comfort but your time will be better spent if you study topics which you don’t know. You will improve only when you work on your weaker points. If problem solving is a weak point for you, spend more time on that compared to the section you are comfortable with.

Sample tests track and evaluate your results. They isolate your weaknesses and thus highlight what you need to practice most. A commercial course or an MBA preparatory program will help point out to you what practice questions also reveal. That is, there are many shortcuts and tricks that can help you to find the right answer more quickly, and help improve your ability to eliminate the wrong answers. Knowing the question format and taking practice tests will train you for success.

Step 4: Formulate a plan
After you find out exactly what you need to study, your next step should be to form a plan as to how you will study. Start with a broader plan and then break it down to smaller tasks. Smaller tasks can be better managed. Make the plan as specific as possible. Give deadlines and try to stick to these as much as possible. Don’t fix deadlines that are too ambitious and may not be achievable, as you might get discouraged.

Step 5: Execute the plan
You now know what to do and how to do it. But you still have got to do it. This is the most crucial stage. Even the best of plans if not properly implemented are useless. You should periodically monitor your progress to know how you are doing with respect to your plan. If you are not able to meet a deadline, then you have to buckle up. Finally don’t lose steam towards the end. You may start-off with all the enthusiasm but get complacent later. A good way to avoid this is to study along with a friend. This way you and your friend can motivate each other.

Take practice tests. For best results, try to simulate exam conditions as closely as possible when taking sample tests: no unscheduled breaks or interruptions, strict adherence to time limits, and no use of outside aids. Familiarising yourself with the test taking conditions will prepare you for the day of the test and help eliminate any impediments to your success!

There are two basic elements to preparation – study and practice (good luck for those who do not follow these two). The numerical ability (arithmetic, geometry, algebra, probability, sets etc.) is of a high school level, and that is the reason many of us will have lost touch with these subjects. Moreover, a little revision and practicing numerous time savers and short cuts will enhance your performance. The verbal section will pose a lot of traps to catch even the most confident people, so some brush up on your grammar will not go waste.

There is no substitute for practice in your preparation for the MBA entrance test. The time limits that are present in the test will be very difficult to adhere to without practice. Practice makes a man perfect. Also, there is not substitute for hard work. Plan the schedule of your preparation ahead. Maintain consistency throughout your preparation. Do it on a regular basis and when time comes give it the best shot.

You can improve your performance at the entrance test quite considerably by putting a little (or a lot of) effort into preparing for the test. With this, you should be able to improve your score, which will make a noticeable difference in the options you have for choosing a business school.

A few more tips . . .

· Before the exam day, make sure you have everything you need. Double check before leaving for the examination hall. If you are writing an exam that requires you to carry a hall ticket or an ID card, then make sure that you have it with you. The worst possible start you can give yourself is to arrive for the exam without the things needed to write the exam.

· It is important to relax. Don’t indulge in last minute reading. You will gain nothing, on the contrary you will get more nervous.

· Reach the exam hall well before time so that you have plenty of time to settle down.

· Read the question paper very carefully. Do not forget to read the instructions. Don’t assume that the model of the question paper will be same as last year.

· Attempt the easier questions first. That way you can allocate more time for the difficult questions.

· Manage your time efficiently. You must attempt all the questions in the stipulated time.

· Write your name and roll number legibly and neatly. Do not scribble. Avoid scratch marks on the paper.

· If you have some time left in the end then revise your answers once. Verify the numerical calculations.

· Follow the other instructions properly

You probably knew most of the points discussed in this article. So practice them now and see the results. In case you had feel that you were going wrong in your preparations earlier, rectify them now and get set for the exam of your dream course.

Here are some of the GD topics of leading institutes:

For more and for old CAT papers EMAIL to:

VAMSIPALREDDY@YAHOO.COM

Group Discussion Topics of Various Institutes

After getting the call letter from the IIM's or any other premier B-institute for the GD, the first question that rushes through you is what kind of topics you can expect. Yes, ok, you need to be abreast of all current affairs-this has been drilled into you from DAY 1 of preparing for CAT, but exactly what kind of questions? How can they be phrased? Well, check out the following GD topics of the IIMs and other institutes of the yester years-maybe they can help...

TOPICS OF IIMB IN 1999

X Managerial skills learnt in the classroom can never match those learnt from experience
X Democracy is hampering India progress
X MBA in India is highly overrated.
X Religion is a private affair and should be of no concern for the state
X Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the need of the hour

TOPICS OF IIMC IN 1999

X MBA in India is highly overrated.
X Religion is a private affair and should be of no concern for the state
X Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the need of the hour
X Efficiency and corruption go hand in hand
X Advanced mathematics is of no use in every day life
X Welcome back socialism
X To survive in a civilized world one needs to be a hypocrite
X TV Commercials should be banned
X Politics and economics go together
X Winning is not the important thing, it is the only thing

OTHER GD TOPICS OF 1999

X The money being put into cricket is harming the development of other sports. (SCMHRD, Feb'99)
X You want to be one of the 6 persons in the ship (out of 7) who are to survive. State your case. (TAPMI - April'99)
X Democracy has hampered India's progress (IIMB, March'99)
X The formation of European Union has a drastic effect on India's trade. (IIML, March'99)
X Open book examination system would eliminate all the ills of present system. (Dept. of Fin. Studies, DU, March'99)
X Women's empowerment will lead to social development (IIM Kozhikode, March'99)
X Computers result in unemployment (FMS Delhi, March'99)

SOME GD TOPICS OF 1997

X Are we raising a generation of burnt out children? (IIMB, Mar 97)
X Advertising is all glitter and little truth. (MICA, Apr '97)
X Is bureaucracy a hindrance to economic reforms in India?
(IIMC,July '97)
X Film-makers are indulging in cinematic Fortitution in the name of folk culture. (IIML, Mar'97)
X Under Indian parliamentary democracy it is impossible to ensure balanced regional development. (IIMC, Mar '97 ) Corruption is the main outcome of democracy in India. (IIML, Mar '97) In an over-regulated society corruption is inevitable. (MICA, Apr '97) For the poorer sections of society, a state-controlled economy is better than a liberalised economy. (IIMC-PGDCM, March'97)

With IT replacing middle level management, software jobs are more lucrative than MBAs (S.P Jain, March'99)
Do you think accent holds you back? Would you prefer everyone speaking uniformly? (XIM Bhubaneswar, March'99)
Men resent women power at work place (NMIMS, March'99)
Youth in India are becoming greedy by the day (MICA, March'99)
MBAs should be taxed at higher rates in the country (IIMB April'99)

Here are the leading management institutes of the country including IIM'S

For a complete and detailed information on that school you can visit the website mentioned along with the name. Details regarding the entrance examination of each of the school, you can visit the Important Dates section.

· Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIM-A) - Founded 1961. IIM-A is perhaps the most reputed management institute in the country. It also figures among the top management schools across the world. The institute is actively involved in management development programmes, research, consulting, and publishing.
http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/

· Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIM-B) - Founded 1973. IIM-B is one of the top management schools of the country. Besides education, IIM-B is actively involved in management development programme, research, consulting, and organizing seminars & workshops.
http://www.iimb.ernet.in/

· Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta (IIM-C) - Founded 1961. IIM-C is also one of the top management schools of the country. It is one of the first two IIMs established in the country. Besides education, IIM-C is actively involved in management development training, research, consulting, and publications.
http://www.iimcal.ac.in/

· Indian Institute of Management - Lucknow (IIM-L) - Founded 1985. IIM-L is actively involved in management development training, research, and consulting.
http://www.iiml.ac.in/

· Indian Institute of Management - Indore (IIM - I)- IIM-I is the youngest of all the IIMs. Its initial focus is on teaching, management development training, research and consulting. Currently, IIM-I is offering Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) at its makeshift facility in Indore. Very soon, IIM-I will shift into its 150-acre campus just outside Indore.
http://www.iimidr.ernet.in/

· Indian Institute of Management - Kozhikode (IIM - K) - Founded 1996, fairly new, IIM-K is the older of the two newly established IIMs. The institute aims to impart quality management education to facilitate its students in problem solving and decision making.
http://www.iimk.org/

· Xavier's Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) - Established in 1949 in the steel city of Jamshedpur, XLRI was born of the vision of Jesuit Priest Father Quinn Enright. Today, the institute is ranked amongst the top management institutes in the country. The courses offered are post-graduate courses on personnel management, labour relations and business management.
http://www.xlri.ac.in/

· Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) - FMS was established in 1954 by Delhi University. It was the first institute to introduce part-time MBA in India. Today it is one of the top six or seven management schools in the country and offers a number of courses in management including MBA. FMS is also actively involved in management development programmes, research, consulting etc.
http://www.fms.edu/

· Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS) - JBIMS has the distinction of starting the first full - time two years' Masters Programme in Management Studies in India in 1965. Situated in the heart of India's commercial capital Mumbai, the institute is amongst the top six or seven management institutes in the country. The institute is also rated amongst the top 20 in the Asia-Pacific region.
www.mafatlal.co.in/guests/jbims/default.htm

· S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) - Inaugurated in 1981 by the then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, S. P. Jain is one of the top ten management institutes in the country today. Situated in Mumbai, SPJIMR offers courses in management at post-graduate level.
http://www.spjimr.ernet.in/

· Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) - NMIMS completes the trinity of well know institutes in Mumbai (along with JBIMS and S. P. Jain). It is the only recognised institute to be accorded a permanent recognition by the University of Bombay; it is also among the top 10 management schools of the country. Courses offered include post-graduate courses in management, advertising & communication and rural marketing.
http://www.nmims.edu/

· Institute of Management Technology (IMT) - IMT was established in 1980 (in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh) under the aegis of Dr. K. Nath Public Trust to foster management education. Rated amongst the top 15 management schools of the country, IMT is known for its post-graduate programmes in management and its highly professional and successful placement cell in the field of information technology in the country.
http://www.imt.edu/

· Management Development Institute (MDI) - MDI was established in Gurgaon in 1973 with the support of the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI). Today, the institute has become a leading institution for education, training, research and consultancy. MDI offers post-graduate courses in management and is rated amongst the top 15 management schools of the country.
http://www.mdi.ac.in/

· Xavier Institute of Management (XIM) - Established in 1987, XIM has established itself as one of the leading centres for post-graduate studies in management in Eastern India. The institute ows its origin to a 'social contract' between the Govt. of Orissa and the Orissa Jesuit Society. XIM offers post-graduate level courses in management.
http://www.ximb.stpbh.soft.net/

· Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) - SIBM is the most prominent member in the long list of institutes that come under the Symbiosis umbrella. It is part of the highly acclaimed Pune University. Besides offering post-graduate level courses in management, SIBM is also well known for research, consulting and organizing workshops and seminars on management.

· Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD) - SCMHRD is part of the Symbiosis family of educational institutes, it s also amongst the top fifteen or sixteen management institutes of India. Situated in Pune, SCMHRD has rapidly grown into a sought after institute for post-graduate studies in general management and Human Resource management.
http://www.scmhrd.edu/

· Bharatidasan Institute of Management (BIM) - Established in 1984, BIM is one of the leading management Institutes in Southern India. It was setup through the joint efforts of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and Bharatidasan University. BIM offers post-graduate level courses in management.

· Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) - IIFM was born in 1974 when the concept of professional management of forests was conceptualised by the Government of India. Situated in Bhopal, the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh, the institute offers specialized post-graduate courses in forestry and natural resource management.
http://www.iifmb.ren.nic.in/

· Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) - IIFT was established in New Delhi in 1964 with the main objective of evolving and advancing international business education and research in the country. This Government of India enterprise offers several part-time and full-time programmes at post-graduate level related to the field of International Business/Foreign Trade. IIFT is perhaps the first choice for these types of courses in the country.
http://www.iift.edu/

· Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) - Established in 1936 in Mumbai by Tatas, one of the leading industrial groups in the country, the institute is one of the premier institutes for social sciences and management education in the country. The institute offers postgraduate courses on personnel management, labour relations and social work.
http://www.tiss.edu/

· Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) - IRMA is an autonomous institution with the mandate of contributing to the professional management of rural organizations. It was founded in 1979 (in Anand, Gujrat) at the initiative of the National Dairy Development Board of India and with the support of the Government of India. Ever since its inception, IRMA has been working closely with Co-operatives, NGOs, various state Governments, National and International agencies. IRMA offers courses post-graduate level courses in rural management.
Irma.irm.ernet.in

· National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) - Established in 1987, NIFT was conceived by the Indian Government to cater to the manpower requirements of the rapidly growing Indian Fashion industry. With centres at Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gandhinagar and Mumbai, NIFT churns out professionals in several areas in related to fashion and clothing. It offers under-graduate as well as post-graduate programmes in fashion, garment manufacturing technology, accessory design, jewelry design etc.

· Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) - Situated in Ahmedabad, MICA is the premier institute for post-graduate level courses in Communications and Advertising. MICA is an autonomous institute conceived by the well known advertising agency Mudra Communications, its objective is to meet the need for professionals in the highly specialized field of advertising and communication.

CAT MATERIAL

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Personal Interview Tips (PI)

What to Expect in an IIM Personal Interview?

The focus of a B-school interview can range from specific questions about your job to broad discussions on life. Approach the interview as a conversation to be enjoyed, not as a question-and-answer ordeal. It may be about your hobbies - your recent cross-country trip. This doesn't mean that the interviewers are not serious. It just means that you're being sized up as a person and a future professional in all your dimensions.

Try to be your witty, charming, natural self. Donot try to put on. The interviewers will be able to see your masks through. Students, faculty, admissions personnel and alumni conduct interviews. Don't dismiss students as the lightweights.

It is important to have a good idea of "What you consider to be your greatest strength, why and what are some examples that show this", before you go into an interview. Although the interviewer will most likely ask some pointed questions, you may also encounter something as broad as "So, tell me about yourself." These open ended questions are usually the ones that help you lead the interview.

Either way, you should have in mind what you want to convey about who you are before you go into any interview. Lack of preparation is a common complaint among interviewers, and if you are prepared, you will stand out among your competitors.

First steps on how to approach an interview?

Do your homework

Have well thought out answers for questions such as "What are your strengths? Why are you right for that particular business school? Why is that particular program right for you?"

It shows organization and forethought if you know some specifics about the program to which you are applying and can explain why those features fit well with your career goals. For example, if you are applying to the Xavier Labour Relation Institute (XLRI), through some simple research you will discover that they are strong in Human Resource Development. Perhaps, you have worked with a recruitment company or have been a trainer in an institute. Relate these in the interview.

Don't Waste Time

Don't waste time discussing things that are already indicated on your application. You can elaborate if the topic illustrates something about your character and preparedness for the b-school experience, but do not be redundant.

Remember that the first impression you create is very important. When asked to say "something about yourself", most candidates just blurt out their schooling, college, marks and qualifications. All this is already there in the application. Why tell the interviewer something he/she already knows. Ideally, you would want to use this opportunity to show how you are different from the thousands of other applicants, not to blend in to the crowd.

A final word on approaching this question. After you have said what you have to say - don't venture any further. Don't drone. You just might say something foolish. Sometimes interviewers don't interrupt in order to give the candidate the impression that he has not spoken enough. This is just a stress/error inducing tactic. Don't fall for it. If the pause gets too awkward for your liking, just add something like, "Is there something specific that you would like to know about me"

IIM CAT Group Discussion Tips (GD)

A group discussion (GD) is a simulated exercise, where you cannot suddenly put up a show, since the evaluators will see through you easily. In this page you can find tips on GD and how to handle them to ensure a positive outcome.

Here's how most group discussions work

• Normally groups of 8-10 candidates are formed into a leaderless group, and are given a specific situation to analyze and discuss within a given time limit.
• The group may be given a case study and asked to come out with a solution for a problem.
• The group may be given a topic and asked to discuss on the same.

A panel will observe the proceedings and evaluate the members of the group.

OBJECTIVE
Lets start from the basic. One needs to know what one's objective in the group is. A good definition of your objective is - to be noticed to have contributed meaningfully in an attempt to help the group reach the right consensus. What does this essentially mean?

1. The first implication is that you should be noticed by the panel. Merely making a meaningful contribution and helping the group arrive at a consensus is not enough. You have to be seen by the evaluating panel to have made the meaningful contribution. What does that mean in practice?

· You must ensure that the group hears you. If the group hears you, so will the evaluator. That does not mean that you shout at the top of your voice and be noticed for the wrong reasons.

· You have to be assertive. If you are not a very assertive person, you will have to simply learn to be assertive for those 15 minutes. Remember, assertiveness does not mean being bull-headed or being arrogant.

· And most importantly, you have to make your chances. Many group discussion participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak. The fact is that in no group discussion will you get a chance to speak. There is nothing more unacceptable in a GD than keeping one's mouth shut or just murmuring things which are inaudible.

· Participate in as many practice GDs as possible before you attend the actual GD. There is nothing like practice to help you overcome the fear of talking in a GD.

2. The second important implication is that making just any sort of contribution is not enough. Your contribution has to be meaningful. A meaningful contribution suggests that

· You have a good knowledge base

· You are able to put forth your arguments logically and are a good communicator.

· The quality of what you said is more valuable than the quantity. There is this myth amongst many group discussion participants that the way to succeed in a group discussion is by speaking loudly and at great length. One could not be more wrong. You must have meat in your arguments.

Therefore, think things through carefully.

Always enter the room with a piece of paper and a pen. In the first two minutes jot down as many ideas as you can.

When you jot down points, keep these pointers in mind.
If it is a topic where you are expected to take a stand, say for example, "Should India sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty?" note down points for both sides of the argument. It will be useful on two counts -

· One, if you do not start the GD and are not amongst the first five speakers and find that everyone in the group is talking for the topic, then it makes sense to take the alternate approach and oppose the topic even if you initially intended to talk for the topic.

· Second, it helps to have a knowledge of how group members who take a stand diametrically opposite to yours will put forth their argument and to be prepared with counter arguments.

3. Everybody else will state the obvious. So highlight some points that are not obvious. The different perspective that you bring to the group will be highly apprecaited by the panel. Some pointers on being relevant while having a different perspective are:

· Be careful that the "something different" you state is still relevant to the topic being debated.

· Can you take the group ahead if it is stuck at one point?

· Can you take it in a fresh and more relevant direction?

4. The last implication is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus.

· Gaining support or influencing colleagues is the mantra adopted by many a successful Business Leaders.

· Nobody expects a group of ten intelligent, assertive people, all with different points of view on a controversial subject to actually achieve a consensus. But what matters is "Did you make attempts to build a consensus?"

· The reason why an attempt to build a consensus is important is because in most work situations you will have to work with people in a team, accept joint responsibilities and take decisions as a group.

· You must demonstrate the fact that you are capable and inclined to work as part of a team.

ISB Ranks Top 20 Globally !

Within 6 years of operations The Indian School of Business (ISB) has been ranked in top 20 in the global B-school rankings released by Financial Times, London - notably in league with likes of Wharton, London Business School and Columbia Business School !

Interestingly none of the IIM’s were able to make it even to the top 100 while global b-schools from likes of China have found a place in the top 15 ! The ranking is calculated on the basis of 20 criteria covering specifics like career progress of graduates, diversity of the MBA experience, international mobility of alumni, ideas generation and research, among others

Rajat Gupta, Chairman, ISB, said, “This is great news. The ISB graduated its first class in 2002 with a vision to establish an internationally top-ranked, research-oriented B-school in India. I am extremely proud that the students, faculty and staff have achieved this in such a short time. I am also delighted that the ISB has brought such academic and international recognition to India.”

SOURCE: news.mbanetwork