CAT ’14 is just a few months away and all serious aspirants are pursuing their preparation with a lot of dedication and sincerity. Yet, one question troubles many CAT ’14 aspirants – after 5 years of controversial Prometric-CATs (CAT ’09 – CAT ’13), will TCS and the IIMs deliver a non-controversial CAT ’14? The Prometric-CATs were plagued by multiple issues and detailed analyses of the issues connected to CAT ’09 and CAT ’13 are available at Ajab CAT ki Gajab Kahani and at Ajab CAT ki Gajab Kahani – Dobara respectively.
Two issues that have disturbed students the most are:
(i) repetition of questions and
(ii) the process of normalization and scaling.
These two issues are interconnected – since Prometric was conducting CAT in about 40 slots, it needed a process to normalize raw scores across different slots. Also, it did not know the competence of students in each slot. Hence, it had to keep a few questions common across slots in order to compare the performance of students who appeared in different slots. The result was that, after the first couple of days, every CAT ’13 aspirant knew about the ant that was trying to find the shortest path from one vertex of a solid cube to the diagonally opposite vertex! No wonder the normalization process has been questioned.
No normalization in CAT’14?
The good news for CAT aspirants is that, with TCS conducting CAT ’14, the process of normalization may not be required at all. TCS conducts IBPS papers for Banking (PO and Clerical) and has conducted tests for more than 10 lakh candidates over two weekends (4 days), with two slots daily – in other words, TCS has the capacity to handle about 1.25 lakh candidates in one slot. Hence, CAT ’14 is likely to be a one-day, two-slot exam, which means that leakage of common questions in the two slots will not matter.
One feature that reduced the five years of Prometric-CAT to a lottery was the variation in not only the level of difficulty of questions but also the topics from where the questions were asked. While some tests had an overdose of algebra, some others were full of geometry. Some CAT ’13 candidates reported questions from trigonometry while others reported questions from set theory. A few lucky candidates had easy questions from their favourite topics while others struggled through the paper. Comparing these 40 different papers of different difficulty level and with a significant variance in the topics from where questions were asked again brought us back to the black box of normalization. Also, while it is difficult to prepare forty papers of similar difficulty level, it can comfortably be achieved for 2-4 papers. Hence, normalization may not be required in CAT ’14.
Overall, I think that CAT ’14 conducted by TCS will lead to:
- CAT being conducted over 1-2 days with 2-4 slots only.
- Standardisation in the topics being tested with all tests covering all the topics.
- With standardisation in the topics, the level of difficulty of the questions will also be maintained across the various slots.
- Normalization may not be required at all.
- TCS has enough experience of conducting tests to ensure little or no technical glitches.
- Given the reach of TCS, the number of test centers might go up. Prometric had cut down on the number of centers, possibly due to its inability to find good quality testing venues.
What else should IIMs/TCS do?
In addition to the normalization process, the biggest fear that candidates have is that their responses may not have been recorded by the system. CAT authorities might laugh at this concern but, given the high stakes, I see no harm in letting candidates know their section wise attempts at the end of the paper – an email to candidates confirming the same will also be helpful.
I have seen almost all CAT exams of the last 20 years and can confidently state that almost all of them (including the 5 Prometric-CATs) had at least a few errors. To ensure that no candidate suffers due to an error in the question paper, CAT authorities should, after conducting the test:
- Release the question paper(s) along with the answer key. Answer keys for JEE, CLAT, etc. are released by the respective bodies that conduct these exams. This ensures greater transparency and provides greater clarity to candidates regarding their marks.
- Give candidates three days to report any error that they identify in the question paper(s).
- Release a final answer key after considering the errors reported by candidates.
- Release the OMR-equivalent for all candidates, i.e. the answer marked by the candidate, and the correct answer for all questions.
This will ensure that CAT ’14 and subsequent editions of CAT are free from controversy and students do not doubt their results. However, considering that CAT officials tend to treat every piece of data as an “Official Secret”, I am reasonably confident that none of the above will be implemented. But, I hope to be proven wrong.
Click here to read CAT ’14 Notification
All the Best
GP
Sir, m an obc candidate, manged to score 49 percent in my graduation. I have chance to improve my percent before cat 18, still i want to knw if an obc candidate with 49 percent is eligible to give cat or not?
It will b a great help if i find my answer and b very thankful to u.
Pawan, an OBC category aspirant should have a minimum 50% or its equivalent to be eligible for CAT.
0.5
Hi I am VINEET SETHI
10 th -89.2
12 th- 84.4 (non medical )
Graduation B com -65.27
I hv recently qualified my Chartered Accountancy in JULY 2015 .. So is it ok to sit at home for 1 year and prepare for CAT 2016 without any work experience and prepare to get good percentile n get a call from top B schools IIM s n all .. Is it really ok or considered fair enough!
Vineet, an year gap will not be an issue. Every year there are many students who take an year gap to prepare. However, you should be well prepared to give a logical explanation for the same in the interviews.
Sir,
I have got 67% in cls 10, 70% in cls 12 and 84.2% in b.com. I am currently doing my m.com. I have started to prepare for CAT in the last week of july. Is it possible for me to crack CAT and get a call from IIM? Please provide me some tips and how much minimum marks should i score section wise to get 99%tile?
Mayu, it is possible to get a 99%ile in the 4 months to CAT’15 but you will need to consistently put in about 30-35 hours per week.
Sir,
My academic profile
10th : 65.3%
12th : 78.5% (science )
B.Sc Botany honours 1st sem 83%
I want to do MBA. At the same time I have a fear being a botany student will I be able to do good in MBA course. I have already started preparing for CAT since June. Sir please suggest if it will be better to do MBA. What should be the minimum percentage I should get?
I m from OBC caste.
Will look forward for your suggestions.
Thank you.
Sushmita, Botany in graduation will not impact you adversely in MBA, many students with non-engineering and non-maths background make it to IIMs and other top institutes every year and also do well in MBA and their careers.
For the institutes that you can get a call from, please refer to the IIM Profilizer.
Hello Sir,
My profile is as follows:
X (ICSE) – 86%
XII (CBSE) – 80%
B. Tech (Civil Engg from a State Level College) – CPI 8.6
M. Tech (IIT) – CPI 9.5
Since my M. Tech, I have had 2 years of work-ex as a Lecturer till now. By CAT 2015, I would have 3 years of work-ex.
I would like to know if CAT is a viable and good option given my profile, what percentile I should target in CAT, and the colleges I should target for?
I don’t have much extra-curriculars.
Could you please guide me?
Awaiting your reply.
Thanks,
Rahul
Rahul, CAT is a viable option for you and with your good academic record plus work experience all IIMs and other top B schools are possible for you.
As a general category candidate you should target CAT score over 99.6% for IIM A, C and FMS, other old IIMs will need over 99%ile and new IIMs are possible at 97%ile.
my profile is 10th-75,12th-60.5 from state board b tech-6.79/10
disabled category is there any chance of getting into iim a b c ? if yes approximate percentile required
Rupam, you have a chance of making it to all IIMs and should target a sectional score of over 80%ile and an overall score of over 90%ile.
sir,
i have very avg academics background(76% -10th,82%-12th nd 73% in my b.tech so far(uptill 5th sem)), so still can i get a call from most of the top 30 b-schools in india? (keeping practicle condition of 98 percentile in CAT2015)
Saurabh, except for IIM B and Indore, almost all other IIMs and other top B schools are possible for you if you. While IIM A and C will need over 99.6%ile, most of the other older IIMs will need over 99%ile and the new IIMs will be possible at 97%ile. At 98%ile almost all top B schools (non-IIMs) will be possible.
Respected Sir,
My ultimate aim is IAS. But since things can go wrong so I have to prepare for a backup. I have two choices- 1) Directly preparing for IAS after B.Tech. and if not get selected after 2-3 attempts then appear for CAT and do MBA ( my aptitude is quite good) 2) Do MBA ( and maybe job for 1 year) and then appear for Civil Services , in case I fail then get back to corporate sector. I have my own perceptions about pros and cons of both but I would like to know it from senior players . I am currently in mood of 1st method. Please enlighten me.
Vishnu, when will you complete your engineering?
Sir I am currently about to complete my 3rd year of B.Tech Civil Engineering. Will be starting 4th Year from July.
The thing is that
1) If I do MBA after failing in Civil Services first, then my previous years of gap after B.Tech. will be taken in account during the selection process at IIM.
2) If I do MBA first, then attempt for IAS and then failing in IAS I go back to find a job based on my 3-4 years old IIM degree, then my Industrial gap after MBA will be taken into account by the respective company.
I suppose that second one is a more deadly situation. That’s why I have (almost) made up my mind for first.
Moreover, will doing MBA prior to Civil Services fetch me more marks in Civil Services Interview. ( As per my knowledge it doesn’t make any difference)
Vishnu, I too am more inclined towards option 1 because an MBA will not give you any advantage in Civil Services Exam.
Given that final year is reasonably relaxed in most engineering colleges hence you should start preparing for Civils immediately to ensure that you are well prepared for CSP in Aug 2016 and the Mains in Dec’16. Most people will tell you that this is not possible but if you are serious then you can do it.
Thanks for your most valuable suggestion sir and specially for the fact that this question was beyond the scope of discussions of this blog and you still answered it. Thank you very much sir.
Sir,
My academics score as following
10- 52% 12- 53% b.com-53.75%
My question is my past academic record is too low and i m fresher to take cat 2016. How much i have %iel in cat to selection in iim, mdi ,fms, and all top 10 colleges. Is the impact of my academic scores on these colleges. Plz suggess me sir,
Shubham, unfortunately a call from any of the IIMs is unlikely due to your low marks in X, XII and graduation.
Most of the other institutes have a low/no weight for academics and hence are possible for you. However you should target over 99%ile for a call from most of the top 15 MBA institutes and a score of less than 97%ile will rule you out from most of these.
Dear GP Sir,
I am currently a first year student in one of the top 4 IIMs and I plan to pursue a career in Investment banking. I have planned to take up finance specialization in my next year but my first 2 semester CGPAs have been around 7. Since most IB banks have cgpa cut-offs around 8, will my low cgpa become a barrier? If so, what should I do to overcome this? Should I write more finance related certifications such as CFA and FRM so that recruiters can overlook the cut-off mark and focus on my other abilities related to finance?
Anurag, try and ensure a high grade in the finance courses and yes extra certifications will be helpful.
Sir,
My CAT 2014 score is :
Overall-83.34 percentile
Quant-83.52 percentile
Verbal-76.84.percentile
Can you please let me know a few MBA colleges to which I can apply?
I had a profile based call from SPJIMR but it was invalid due to insufficient overall percentile.
Naren, Please refer to the post Cutoffs of CAT allied institutes for information on the institute cutoffs.
Respected sir,
I have a score of 98.31 percentile in CAT’15. My academics before that are as follows:
Xth: 91.83% CBSE
XIIth: 76.4% State Board, A.P.
B.tech: 8.71 CGPA
I have not received any calls from any of the older IIMs, predictably so because of my score in 12th grade. I got a call from S.P. Jain and was able to make it through to the second round of interviews. What I would like to ask is, how much of an effect will the 12th marks have on my application now for S.P.J.I.M.R.? And which institutions can I expect calls from.
Thank you.
Sambhav, hopefully you would have got calls from new IIMs, MDI etc and the XII marks will not be a problem in the these and other institutes, it is only that IIMs that are hung up on past academic performance.
Dear sir,
My cat score is:
2013-96.3
2014- 95.57
I am currently working with a package of 6 lakhs but now want to go for mba. Please suggest me which college I should target considering the ROI factor and all.
Thanks
Ayush, MFC is likely to be the best in terms of ROI.
Will come out with a post on institute cutoffs in a couple of days.
Sir I want to know that.. How much I have to score in cat if I want a good college for mba..?
My marks are
10-76%
12-67%
Graduation-58%
I am able to get a good college or not? If yes please tell me how much I have to score in cat exam
Prabal, Please refer to the post Cutoffs of CAT allied institutes for information on the institute cutoffs.
Dear sir, my academic result is x-61% xii-59% b.sc 2’nd yr-58 all from (BSEB) BOARD I am in final yr and I am newly for CAT but I want to crack CAT with good percentile so plz suggest me how I am preparing for that and which city is best for that….and I am very weak in English also so plz help me sir…..
Tousif, which city are you from?
Sir my aggregates are good in academics..I attended CAT 14 On 22nd November..I was fully confused,so I attended only 9 questions,how percentile can I expect..atleast above 50
Kishan, I do not think 50%ile is possible in CAT with only 9 attempts.
Sir, what if one score good percentile in CAT but fails to complete graduation in 3 years? is there any chance to get call from the top 20 institutes?
Harsh, except for NMIMS you can get admitted to all other top 30 MBA institutes even if you have taken more than stipulated time to complete your graduation.
Dear Sir,
My Acads are
10th-87.6%
12th-87.8%
BTech-8.32 CGPA
MTech-8.26 CGPA(ongoing)
I am going to write CAT 2014 and have been preparing for the same.Will MTech dampen my chances of getting admissions in IIMs?I am comfortable in Quants but i am weak in VA…My accuracy is also on the lower side in both…How to improve upon this in three weeks time to CAT??
Mohamed, M.Tech will not dampen your chances of getting a call from the IIMs or other MBA institutes.
To improve your scores in the limited time available you should focus on practice and revision, please check up the post 4 Weeks to CAT’14 – Ab billi door nahin for the details.
Sir,
My Academics are as follows:
Class 10 – 88 %
class12 – 68%
b.com- 55%
work exp 13 months
SC category
Do I stand a chance to get a call from IIM A and C if I secure 90 %ile in CAT 2014 ?
The sectional cut off for IIM A is 75 percentile. What is its equivalent Raw CAT score on an average ?
Thank you.
Gaurav, a 90%ile in CAT should get you a call from all IIMs including A & C. My estimate is that a raw score of a 45 should be over 75%ile in a section.
sir can u plz suggest a systematic and targeted study plan for cat 15 ?
I am working currently, so I can spare 2hrs a day on weekdays…
also I wanted to know the best books and material I could refer ….I have ample of time I guess, for preparation
As a ‘Working Professional’, you should try to find around 15 – 20 hours a week of study time. Give a Diagnostic & find what your strong / weak areas are.
For the next couple of months ie till March focus on Quant/ Verbal Basics
Atleast one day for RC/ LR/ DI as this is 45% of your paper so you should practice questions of various RC / LR / DI.
General Awareness & Vocabulary are two areas that need worked daily.
Hello sir, hope you are doing fine !
I have the following profile:
General Engineer Male
Xth: 89.07
XII: 87.33
Grad: 78 (UDCT Mumbai)
work ex till July, 2015 : 2 years (Chemical Engineering)
1) What percentiles to aim for for IIM ABCLIK, FMS, SP (targetting these 8 colleges only) ? Kindly advise.
2) What scores should fetch 99 and 99.5 (approximately) ?
Punit, The score required for interview calls is:
1. over 99.5%ile for IIM A, B, C (Raw score in excess of 155)
2. over 99%ile for other old IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai (raw score in excess of 140)
3. over 97.5%ile for new IIMs, SP Jain, MDI, NITIE and other IITs.
Given that you are from Mumbai University you should JBIMS also for which you will need to appear for CET.
Hello Sir,
My profile is as follows:
10th- 80%
12th-69%
B.Tech.-62%
Work Ex-14 months
Sir I have given 5 CL mocks and I am sure of getting 90%ile plus score in CAT 14….
Sir plz tell me that with this Acad Score should I apply for MDI Gurgaon, IMI Delhi , SP JAIN, GIM, IMT,JBIMS and other private colleges….
Sir also tell me the what %ile should I aim for getting admission in these colleges…
Abhijeet, JBIMS will need over 99.9%ile, MDI and SP Jain will need over 97%ile. Others are all possible at over 90%ile in CAT’14.
Hello sir,
I am currently working and I wish to appear for cat 15 so that I achieve a work experience of 2yrs by the time I face interviews. My academics is as follows :
Xth – 80.6 %
Xll th- 83.5 %
graduation (BE) – 71.11%
work ex (till 2016)- 2 yrs
do I stand a chance for IIM ABC ? what is the cat score required?
Sahil, yes you have a good academic record and all IIMs are possible for you. Your work experience is an added bonus for IIMB. Target 99.5%ile for A and C but IIM B is possible at 99%ile also due to your work experience.
Sir, in the new pattern of 170 minutes and 100 questions, what score do you think will fetch a percentile of 97 ? Only someone as experienced as you could answer this.
– Thanks.
Jayant, these are my estimates, a score of 125-130 should be over 97%ile.
Sir,
what percentile do i need to target to get into IIM C or IIM L?
Class X- 67.4%
Class XII- 84.7%
Graduation (Bsc Economics Honours from Calcutta University)- 55%
category- SC
Anand, a score of 90%ile can get you calls from all IIMs despite a not so good academic performance.
Sir my profile is as follows:
10th: 87%
12th: 81.66%
B.Tech :61.61 %
23 months of work experience in my core Discipline (Bio-Chemical Engineering)
General Category.Girl Candidate.
Do I even have a chance at IIMA,IIMB,IIMC ?
Preparing for CAT 2015.
Shrishti, you have a good chance in all IIMs including the top ones. IIMC considers only X and XII marks, IIM A has relaxed its academic criteria and your academic rating score is above the threshold and in IIMB you work experience will compensate for the graduation marks. So focus on your CAT preparation and do not let your graduation marks pull you down. You will need over 99.5%ile for ABC and over 99%ile for other old IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai.
Suggest that you do not wait for CAT’15 but take CAT’14 also, prepare for the next 45 odd days and hopefully things will work out for you.
SIR ,
I HAVE A DECENT PERCENTAGE IN 12TH 10TH ND OTHER EXAMS .BUT IN FINAL YEAR OF GRAD. I JUST TOOK THE CALCULATOR WITH ME AND THE SCOT PUT THE UFM CRITERIA ON ME . DUE TO WHICH I MAY HAVE TO GIVE PAPERS AGAIN .
SIR AFTER THIS WILL I BE ABLE TO GET INTO GOOD B-SCHOOLS ?
Akash, I have not understood the situation, please call me at 9811155160 to discuss.
Sir,
I am a student of CL Mumbai. I’m a female non engineer (Mass communication with concentration In journalism) degree, I graduated this year. My VALR score in mocks is consistently in the 95+ range, but my QADI percentile just does not rise above 50. This is horribly demotivating, especially this close to CAT. Can you please tell me what to do In order to raise my percentile In Quant in the next month and a half?
Chinmoi, please call me at 9811155160 to discuss the issue.
Sir
I have scored
10th-9.4CGPA
12th-87.4%
1st year-79%
and i m in second year
how much percentiles should help me to get admission in best college of iim
and sir my english and general awareness is very weak so what should help me to make these things better for GD PI
Please help me to sort this problem
thankyou
Renu karhana
Renu, a general category candidate should target the following for a interview call:
1. 99.5%ile for IIM A, B & C
2. 99%ile for other old IIMs, FMS DU, IIT Mumbai
3. 97.5%ile for new IIMs, other IITs, NITIE and MDI. Also an equivalent score for IIFT (in IIFT entrance test) and XLRI (in XAT)
4. 95%ile for other good MBA institutes.
Sir, I have got my B.Tech extended by one year till 2015. I am very confused about filling the academics section in CAT form.
Please help me fill my bachelor degree section.
When I select the radio button of ‘Yes’ for “Are you in final year?” , It asks me for my current semester & total duration of degree. What to mention in those fields..? It’s a four year degree but for me it’s five years now.
I am also confused about the “Probable month/year of course completion” , I should fill the month when my result will be announced or the month when my exams will be over.
This confusion has got my form submission delayed. I couldn’t find anyone sure about it because I am preparing myself. I am expecting a helpful reply at this website. Thank you very much.
Deep, the degree is for 4 years and you will be taking 5 years hence you should mention it as a “4 year degree”. Your probable month and year of course completion will be the month of 2015 when you will take the last exam of engineering.
Respected Sir,
In SNAP 2014 will academics marks will be taken into account for shortlisting the candidates for PI&WAT like in SNAP 2013 ?
In SNAP 2013 i got 95%tile+ in SNAP exam but due to only 30%tile in acads i was not shortlisted for PI&WAT.
I am aiming for SIBM-P & SCMHRD.
Should I apply for SNAP 2014 ? (as my acads %tile was just 30%tile in SNAP2013)
Hello sir ! I recently realized that the company I’ve worked with for around 23 months is not registered with MCA.Do IIMs consider work ex from registered organizations only? Will that mean my wrk ex will be counted as zero? I am very upset.What can I do about it if that is the case.Sir please help.
Prutha, Registration with MCA is not a requirement. Credit for work experience is given for work in all kinds of organisations.
Sir,
I have some queries.
my acads :-
x – 76.40 %
xii – 77.40 %
graduation (BCA) – 74 % ( from distance mode )
work experience – 1 year exp as assistant manager at RBI by the time i will appear for cat.
queries :-
I want to do mba in banking and finance from iim a, b or c… how much percentile would help me to go through these iims.
and graduation from distance mode will be a issue for these iims or not.
thnx..
Shruti, as a general category candidate you should target over 99.5%ile in CAT to get a call from IIM ABC. Your work experience, gender and non-engineering background could help you get calls at a slightly lower score also but my suggestion is to target 99.5%ile only. Graduation via a distance mode is not an issue for the IIMs, the only institutes that have a problem are NMIMS and Symbiosis.
Sir,
I gave CAT- 2013 and got 94 percentile. I got calls from 5 new iim’s but unfortunately couldn’t convert any.
My profile
Work-ex- NIL
X- 73.4
XII- 58
Graduation- 63 ( B.com.)
Post Graduation- 60.67 (M.Com.)
Category – NC-OBC
I just wanted to know whether is it anyhow possible for me to convert any of the iim’s in view of my low academic score. Please help me sir, as I’m going to appear for CAT this year also. Shall I hope for the IIM’s or move to any other college??
Thanks
Dear Raj,
Your marks in XIIth are low. Otherwise, your acads scores are okay. You certainly have a good chance of securing a seat in the IIMs. Aim for improving your CAT percentile in order to maximise your chances of getting selected. A CAT percentile of 97+ should be your target.
Sir,
I have 4 years of experience as a Software Engineer. Currently I am working in a US consulting firm. I am a girl with normal academics – 88.4% in 10th, 71.6 in 12th and 78.38 in BTech from State University. I am planning to crack CAT 2014. Could you please help me in identifying the colleges where I should apply keeping my experience in consideration.
Dear Yogita,
The older IIMs, FMS, XLRI, SPJIMR, MDI would be good choices for you. Considering your work experience, you may also think about the top b-schools abroad.
Sir, I’m a CL Test Series+Test GYM Student. I’ve a query regarding SQC Workshop….As I’m not staying at the places where the workshops are being conducted….Could you please arrange an equivalent e-SQC , so that the session can reach out to a larger target audience….
Dear Pardita,
Such a session is indeed being planned. The schedule for this will be announced in due time.
Sir,
I am a classroom student of CL kolkata.I am aiming for CAT 2014 or 2015 (If I fail this time) and am working in Exide RnD since July 2013.However,due to some reasons I want to switch over to IBM(I already got an offer).Would this sudden change to IT be a spoiler during my interviews?Are there any plausible manner of explanation for this sudden change?
Please help out!
Dear Shivam,
Switching over to an IT company should not be an issue at all. If you are asked a question regarding this in your interview, you can share the benefits/opportunities/advantages that you perceive in this switch. That should be good enough.
Sir,
what %ile should I score in CAT to secure a seat in any of the IIMs/IITs.
10th: 88%
12th: 70%
BTech: 79%
Gen Cat. 42 months tcs wrk ex.
Thanks,
Chandan
Dear Chandan, You have a good academic profile and also have very good work experience. You should aim for the top IIMs. Target 99.5 percentile+ in CAT to maximise your chances of making it to one of the top IIMs.
Hello Sir,
My stats are class X- 81%
class XII – 79%
Graduation – 75%
Two year work experience in IT capital markets sector.
I have been selected in IDBI as PO this year.
I want to make an career in investment banking (capital markets, M&A) for which i think MBA in finance is a prerequisite.
I have no specific preparation for CAT and i am quite confused whether i should join IDBI or try for MBA in a top B school.
Will IDBI give me some hands on experience on investment banking sector as PO.
Please provide your valuable guidance.
Dear Anurag,
Yes, MBA in Finance is very useful for a career in investment banking. Many investment banks recruit candidates primarily from the top b-schools. IDBI PO may not give you good experience of investment banking. But the experience of working in a bank as a PO will certainly come in useful when you apply for investment banking roles. At the same time, you have said that you are currently working in the IT capital markets sector. This experience may also be valued by investment banks. Ideally, you should opt for MBA in finance if you are very sure that you are only interested in a career in investment banking.
Sir, I have the following credentials-
91% in 10th and 12th.(CBSE)
8.2 CGPA (IIT Roorkee)
Currently in Final Year
I want to go for MBA in Finance from a top Indian B-School. (Top 20)
Plz tell the scores/percentiles reqd. (CAT/XAT)
And one more thing which confuses me is the B-School rankings, they are different everywhere.
So, if you can give 20 top ranks, it will be really helpful.
Thank You
Its B.Tech and General Category.
Dear Varun,
The 13 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, XLRI, IIFT, JBIMS, IIT Bombay, NITIE, SIBM, NMIMS are some of the best b-schools in the country. A CAT percentile of 99.5+ will give you very good chances of getting in the top IIMs.
Dear Varun,
The 13 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, XLRI, IIFT, JBIMS, IIT Bombay, NITIE, SIBM, NMIMS are some of the best b-schools in the country. A CAT percentile of 99.5+ will give you very good chances of getting in the top IIMs.
SIR;
I am targeting cat 2015,but I am totally confused,,,as my XII and b tech..percentage is to low…X:82%,XII:64% and b tech:61%;moreover I don’t have any work experiences;;I just want to know whether I can get admission in any of the iims or any renouned b school with this acedamic performance..??
also I am having a 1yr gap after my betch….and thinking of joining a cat coaching institute for cat 2015…please guide me …
Purushottam, you can get calls from all IIMs except IIMB. For IIMA and C you will need over 99.75%ile but the other top IIMs are possible at over 99%ile. Most of the institutes (outside IIMs) have a low/no weight for past academics ad hence a good CAT score is all that you need. A drop year is not an issue but I would suggest that you pick up a job and prepare simultaneously.
Dear Purushottam,
Your overall acads scores are low. You should focus on scoring well in CAT in order to ensure that you get calls from most top b-schools, including the IIMs. Aim for 99.5 percentile and upwards.
Sir i am having the following academics:
Xth-87.6%
XIIth-87.8%
BTech-8.32 CGPA.
What percentile is required for me in order to get into IIM’s?
I am a general category candidate
Rameez, as a general category candidate you will need:
1. over 99.5%ile for top IIMs
2. over 99%ile for other old IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai
3. over 97%ile for new IIMs, XLRI, IIFT, MDI, other IITs and NITIE.
Respected Sir,
I have completed my B.Tech in Computer Science and have joined Cognizant. I have prepared for CAT-13 and got 86%le. Now I am thinking to work for 2 years at Cognizant and then persue my MBA in HR.
My concern is though I have below average scores in my aceds.
10th : 64%
12th : 55%
B.Tech : 6.44/10 (64.4%)
Work Ex : 2-3 years (Future)
With this scores will I be getting through the Campus Placements ?
I am targeting
1) SCMHRD -HR
2) NMIMS- HR
I am very much confused regarding the same. Kindly provide some insides.
Thanking you
Ayush, a good CAT/NMAT/SNAP score can cover up for your not so good academics. Joining CTS is a good decision but suggest that you take CAT’14 also since the earlier you do an MBA the faster is your career growth.
Post-MBA placement is a function of your performance in MBA and not your school/college marks.
hello sir,
Could you please tell me what is the minimum percentile required to get into IIM A,B,C.
X-85.2
XII-83.4
graduation(BE)-74.5
experience – 3 yrs (Engineering – TCS)
Also i belong to Creamy layer-OBC (equivalent to General category)
Allauddin, since you will be considered as a general category candidate you should target over 99%ile in CAT for the top IIMs. IIMC will need over 99.5%ile.
Dear Sir,
I have done second year of graduation in Private with 51% aggregate. I am final year student. Am i eligible to give Cat 2014 ?
Thanks
Kunal, with over 50% in till 2nd year of graduation you are eligible for CAT.
Sir,
I am preparing for CAT 2014 ,my academic results are
X-87%
XII-79%
Btech-8.49 (WBUT University)
WE-17 months as of August 2014 in a IT company.I wrote CAT once in 2012 and got 95.2 percentile .For IIM s and other top 20 colleges what is the percentile that i will require to convert ?Will 99 percentile get me calls from A,B,C inspite of poor academic results?Please advise.
toop, your academic record is good and with a 99%ile in CAT you can get calls from almost all IIMs. For IIMC you will need over 99.5%ile.
sir, I’m pursuing B. Tech in IT field. Myacad background are-
1)10th- 90.4%
2)12th-83.4%
3)overall grade point- 7.25(till 5th sem)
i want to ask about how mouch %tile do i have 2 score for IIMs(esp. Indore or Banglore). And 1 more problem is,till now my course is not over,most probably it’ll b ovr by the end of this month.What strategy i should follow to get gud scores in mock as i got variable score in mocks,generally between 30 to 45. My speed is very slow & i’m not able to understand how i should study. None og my section is very strong,all are just ok ok.
And 1 more query is if i get good %tile in cat,then also my fear is cleaaring the WAT & GD-PI part. I’m not that in spoken & writing,& not given any of the interviews till now.My GK is also very poor. What funda u suggest me to overcome my all the fears of cracking CAT n its post phases also.
Aditi, as a general category candidate you will need over 99.5%ile for IIM B and C while Indore will be possible at 99%ile. Variable scores in Mocks usually is a function of good practice but without revision. Please refer to the post Things you must-do after every mock you take and work out a regular revision schedule for yourself.
Do not worry too much about the interview, WAT and GD, there will be sufficient time for you to prepare for these, meanwhile do read newspapers regularly and also a current affairs magazine.
thanks a lot sir…
Hi Sir,
My profile is as below :
1) Xth: 88.8%
2) XIIth : 69.75
3) B.Tech : 6.3 GPA
Workex : 1 Year in IT
I had given CAT 2012 and got 93.47 with balanced sectionals but couldnt get into many colleges due to low acads.
Can u tell me what percentile will help me convert calls from top Instis?
Also, will my low academics affect placements and career after joining a top MBA Institute?
Please guide me.
Kiran, as a general category candidate you will need:
1. over 99.5%ile for top IIMs
2. over 99%ile for other old IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai
3. over 97%ile for new IIMs, XLRI, IIFT, MDI, other IITs and NITIE.
If you do well in MBA then your past academics will not matter.
Sir, an article on newly adopted CAT pattern and the strategy and approach one should have while attempting Q:s would highly be appreciated.
Always a great admirer of yours.
Anmol, a video will be released tomorrow and the article in another couple of days.
Dear Sir,
I Spent Too Much Time On LR/DI to solve the Questions.Can you give me some advice or tricks for less time consumption on these questions & I think i also have some problem about my mathmatics basic. can you me some advice about my problems..
please sir…
Gaurav, speed can be increased in these two by practice and revision. Suggest that you solve all the LR and DI sets a couple of times to get familiar with the various kinds of data sets, identify the ones that you would or would not like to attempt in future and revise the ones that you want to attempt in future once a week.
Hi Sir,
2 very simple things i want to ask.
1.is there any “IIM” who do not consider any previous acads at all?
2. which top b-school do not consider the same?
Thanks a lot
Vinay, except for the top IIMs most of the other IIMs and almost all non IIMs have a low/no weight for past academics and hence getting an interview call from these institutes is a function of your CAT score. The criteria of IIMs also changes regularly and hence it is possible that for CAT’14 the top IIMs may not consider past acads at all.
thanks a lot
hello sir,
sir can u please tell me what is the minimum percentile i shud get to get into IIM A,B,C , FMS, MDI and UBS chandigarh. My profile is
X-91.8%
XII-93.4%
graduation(btech)-83%
Also i belong to OBC category. thankyou so much in advance.
smriti, as a NC OBC with very good academic record you can get calls from all IIMs at a CAT score of 95%ile but my suggestion is to target a 95%ile in each section which will convert to a 97%ile overall.
Dear Sir
I am having experience of 50 months. I would like to go for CAT 2014. Is it possible to crack the CAT 2014. with 3 months time frame.
My academics are not so good.
X : 67.2
XII : 65.2
BTECH :70.70
Is it worth to go for CAT 2014?
Thanks
Apoorv, if you are disciplined, do not need regular faculty guidance and can prepare on your own then go for Smart CAT Cracker Comprehensive Plus else go for a classroom program. Since CAT has been scheduled for 16th Nov you have over 3 months which is sufficient for preparation. You will however have to work put in at least 6-8 hours daily for the first 45 odd days to be well prepared.
Your past academic performance is great but with your work experience and a good CAT score you can get calls from a few IIMs. However you should also take GMAT and target the 1 year MBA program ISB Hyderabad and IIMs also.
Hi Sir
I am new to this forum. I would like to write CAT 2014, As only three months are left .Could you please suggest which course i should opt from your coaching to go ahead for preparation. Also. Is three months are enough to crack it, if I start preparation from your material.
Thanks
Apoorv, if you are disciplined, do not need regular faculty guidance and can prepare on your own then go for Smart CAT Cracker Comprehensive Plus else go for a classroom program. Since CAT has been scheduled for 16th Nov you have over 3 months which is sufficient for preparation. You will however have to work put in at least 6-8 hours daily for the first 45 odd days to be well prepared.
Thanks a lot Sir. I will go ahead with your course.
Sir , i’m a CL classroom student (General category , Male )for CAT 2013 and scored OA :91.88 [converted imt Ghb(DCP) & Kj Somaiya (IB) but not joined ] . I have joined a company as Mechanical Design engineer and continuing my preparation for CAT 14 (Enrolled for smart cat cracker)
My profile:
10th – 90.3
12- 93.1
Graduation – 77 ,
(B.tech Mechanical engineering)
i have joined the company in May 2014(Don’t know till what date work ex should be calculated)
So what is the CAT %le and sectionals required for my profile being General -Engineer-Male -with very less work ex and decent acads to get calls from Top iims , fms ,mdi,spjain ,nitie Ximb etc ?
Pradeep, you are unlikely to get any weightage for work experience and should work on an assumption that you will need over 99.5%ile for calls from top three IIMs. A 99%ile can get you calls from FMS, IIT Mumbai & the other older IIMs. New IIMs, MDI, SP Jain, other IITs and NITIE will need a 97%ile. XIMB will need a 94%ile in CAT.
hi gp sir ,
my academics are
10th-72.8%(cbse)
12th – 89.4%(cbse)
btech-81.38%(non reputed college)
so is it possible for me to get admission in iim-a,b,c with 99%ile in cat.
and if i got 99%ile in cat and my interview does go well…. is there any chance to get admission in top b-schools.
Gaurav, while your X is low but with a good performance in XII and graduation you get calls from all IIMs. For IIM A, B and C you should target over 99.5%ile, other top IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai are possible at over 99%ile while the new IIMs, MDI, SP Jain and other IITs are all possible at 97.5%ile. Your past academics performance is important essentially for interview cals and has a low/no weight for final selection which is primarily a function of your performance in the interview.
Respected Sir,
I am consistently scoring 89-92 percentile in the mock CATs. My academic record is >90% in both 10th and 12th and 8.8 GPA in engineering. And I belong to GEN category. Please suggest as to which institutes I should apply to ? I am worried because the no. of ques in CAT has gone up this year…So I am not sure if I would be able to improve my score enough to get calls from IIMs.
I am also planning to write GMAT and have 1 year of work experience, please help me with which institutes I should apply to with my GMAT score..(expecting a score in the range 600-650).
Thanks!
Deepti, a 89-92%ile at present could easily convert to a 99%ile at the time of CAT. Do not bee worried about the increase in the number of questions as it will give you more choice and also most probably lead to a simpler paper.
Given your excellent academic record, 1 year work experience and good performance in Mocks you should consider only those institutes that are in Cluster 1, 2 & 3 of the post Jayein toh jayein kahaan 2014: Which Institute?.
You may not get a good institute at a GMAT score of 600-650, you should target over 700.
Sir,
My scores are
10th – 74%
12th – 82%
I was doing CA and has undergone audits of various large corporates like essar steels, national fertilizers, hindustan aeraunatics, air force, crisil, central audit of bank of india and many more audits during my training period. I have not completed CA..sir how much percentile do I need to get through iim a,b, or c. I m second year student of graduation with avg of 50% marks
Thanks
Kunal, with 50% in graduation you are almost ruled out of IIMA and B unless you get a 100%ile (for IIMB) or are among the top 50 students in your category (for IIMA). For IIM C you will need a CAT score of over 99.7%ile. Other top IIMs & FMS are possible at over 99%ile and new IIMs, SP Jain & MDI will need a score of over 97%ile.
With the change in pattern of CAT, you have changed your mock pattern too.
Will there be any change in pattern of test gym adaptive? (easy questions in very less time)
Also, there will be change in pattern of RCs in cat (supposed to be like before 2008)
From when you will change the pattern of RCs asked in test gym adaptive?
Vikrant, changes are being made in all areas – time limit in test gym is being reduced. While the length of the RC passage is unlikely to go up significantly but we do expect 1-2 more questions per passage and more passages are being added.
Hi sir,
I am a student of CL and i have never taken CAT before.As the CAT pattern has got pattern has got changed i am not sure how much percentile(approximately) would i have to score to get calls from IIMs,FMS and other top institutes. Can u pls help me out with this?
My Profile:
10th-89.6%,
12th-89.8%,
B.E-7.76CGPA,
Work ex- 15 months(on Jan 31st,2015) in an IT MNC
Category- NC-OBC
Looking fwd to your reply.
Dhanapal, as a NC OBC candidate with good academic record and a 15 month work experience you can get calls from all IIMs, FMS and IITs at a CAT score of 95%ile. My suggestion is to target a 95%ile in each section which will lead to an overall score 97%ile. The new pattern will not lead to change to cutoffs.
Thanks for ur suggestions sir. But being an NC-OBC candidate will make a significant impact on converting those calls as well?
Dhanapal, each category has a specified number of seats and you will be competing with other OBC candidates.
sir ,
i have completed my btech but my grades are not good.
xth — 73%
XI th –75%
btech –57%
do i have chances to get good colleges or may be any of IIMs.As i am getting good scores in your cl mock test . Can i see myself getting into a good college.
Waiting for your reply. hope you will do soon.
thank you.
Neha, given your marks in graduation IIM A and B are unlikely but all other IIMs are possible. IIMC will need over 99.5%ile while the other top IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai will need over 99%ile. New IIMs, MDI, other IITs and NITIE are possible at a score of over 97%ile. Most of the institutes outside IIMs have a low/no wight for past academics so focus on tour preparation to ensure a good CAT score.
Hi Sir,
Greetings from my side :). My profile is mentioned below:
XTH:77
XIITH:65
BTECH:74
Working in a Top IT MNC and having a work ex of around 18 months (till JULY).
With such a kind of profile, which IIM’s and other top BSchools can I target and what should be the idea percentile for a guy like me.
Eagerly waiting for your reply :D.
Regards,
Karan
Karan, unfortunately with your academic record a call from IIM A, B & C are unlikely but your 18 month work experience could help you get a call from IIMB. Other top IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai are possible at over 99%ile while the new IIMs, MDI, SP Jain and other IITs are all possible at 98%ile.
Respected Sir,
Following is my profile:
Class 10: 86%
Class 12: 89%
CGPA (Upto 6th sem) : 7.43
CAT’14 will be my first attempt. I would like to know what should be the percentile I should be aiming at to get into institutes like IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJain etc.
Thanks a lot.
Shubhra, with a good academic record, marks for gender diversity (for girls) and from NC-OBC category you should be able to get calls from all IIMs, IITs and FMS at a score of over 95%ile. MDI and SP Jain do not have OBC reservations hence you will be considered as a general category candidate and will need a CAT score of over 97%ile.
Sir,
I belong to the General Category and would like you to answer my question accordingly.
Thanks a lot.
Shubhra, apologise for my mistake. As a general category candidate IIM A and B will be difficult unless you get almost a 100%ile, IIMC is possible at over 99.5%ile, other top IIMs, FMS & IIT Mumbai will need over 99%ile and new IIMs, MDI, SP Jain, other IITs & NITIE will need over 97%ile.
No need for apologies sir.
Thank you for your guidance.
Greetings Sir,
First of all congratulations on your analysis coming true. Especially when no one else took the pain of analyzing data as u rightly mentioned. In last year CAT i had a surprisingly low %tile in VALR whereas in XAT i had 98.99%tile in English and considerable high score in IIFT english as well. Also till last year I had this habit of attempting all questions in English section as i have good reading speed. I get my share of negative but i almost always managed to score high net positive score. However with CAT fiasco i assumed that accuracy had played spoilsport in my VALR score. This is based on this perceived notion that CAT / prometric penalizes heavily for negatives. Now my question is :
1. With this change of 4 slot pattern, can we assume that %tile will be based on raw score only. If thats true , I can assume my strategy of maximizing attempts will work.
2. If not and i need to remain low on negative, then i will need to curb on number of attempts which given this 50 question/section pattern seems unwise. I had done this while attempting proc mocks but this reduces my attempts. My main concern was penalization for higher negative. Kindly advise ??
Vaibhav, do not let the CAT’13 fiasco dictate how you take the test. Your method has worked almost every time and I believe you should continue with it. CAT/Prometric have not mentioned anywhere that they put a premium on accuracy and our faculty members with the same raw scores but different accuracy levels have same percentile scores.
In CAT’14 normalisation is unlikely and the percentiles will most probably be based on your aw score in your slot and you should go for your strategy of maximising attempts with a decent accuracy.
Appreciate your opinion sir. Will fine tune my strategy in coming mocks.
Hello sir.
Now as the pattern in CAT 2014 is going to change with an increase of 40 question.. What will be your call on the level of difficulty of the exam this time? will it be at par with last few yrs of CAT or will it get lower down a bit as the no of questions has now been increased..
Shray, the level of difficulty is likely to come down a bit due to the increase in the number of questions. The level of difficulty could be similar to that of CAT 2003 – 08 papers.
Sir, Can you Please explain normalisation in CAT ?
And Will it be in CAT 2014 ?
Sidhanshu, Normalisation is unlikely to be there in CAT’14.
sir, I got 86.8% (10th), 87.8% (12th) and completed my B.tech from one of the top NITs with a cgpa of 8.33. I have a work experience of 18 months and left my job to prepare for CAT 14. Could you tell me what my chances are for the top IIMs and other B-schools (General category) as I really want to join a program next year. Also, whether I should look for a job after the exam season..
Lastly, thanks a lot for these posts and analysis of yours sir! It’s extremely helpful and motivating to read them.
Cheers!
Mathew, you have a very good academic record and the 18 month work experience is a bonus. You can make it to most the IIMs with a CAT score in excess of 99%ile, IIMC however will require over 99.5%ile. You should pick up a job after the exam season.
Sir,
Greetings from my side.My academic record is
10th :90.8
12th:68.2
Graduation :74.5 %(B.E.)
Work Experience :Nil (I attended training for 1 week in a IT company, which I had to leave due to a backlog in 8th sem. Infact ,I am placed in 1 more IT company but I can’t join because of the same reason.)
I have enrolled for Smart Cat Comprehensive. My approach towards preparation is watching the video,understanding,noting down the questions and solving the exercise at the end.. Also, I appearing for mocks.My scores are : PRO-MOCK 7 (48.52 percentile) and PRO-MOCK 8(14.34 percentile). What should be the rectification in my approach? Which institutes should I aim for? What should be my preparation strategy? Should I focus on getting a job as well?
Thanks
Ujjwal, You are missing out on practice by not using the Test Gym. Moving directly from the sessions & exercise to Mock CATs without practicing questions from Test Gym is counter productive. The questions in Mock are of the top two levels of Test Gym. Suggest that you do not take any mock for a week and in this time practicde the topics that you have covered in Test Gym, you should also revise the two Mock CATs that you have taken so far.
Sir,
According to my profile and current status, what should be my target for this year?
Thanks
Ujjwal, IIMB and C may not be possible due to low marks in XII and no work experience but all others are possible.
Sir,Do you recommend IBS Business Schools?
Ujjwal, IBS Hyderabad and a couple of other IBS can be considered but it depends upon your alternate options.
Hi sir.Given that the pattern has changed and a lot of mocks have finished,Is CL planning to launch cat related test series based on the new pattern ??
Naksrocks, a new Test Series is being launched. All existing students of CL Test Series) get the new Test Series as a part of their existing program. The mock CAT scheduled for 1st to 10th August will be as per the new pattern.
Okay.Thanks a lot sir.One more doubt.I was just about to enroll for CAT Test series program( the one with 30 proc-CATs) when the notification came.Should i go ahead and enroll for the same and the thus the new test series which as u said is free for CL students will be made available in the new format or directly enroll for the new test series being launched ??
Naksrocks, enrol for the new test series. With the change in the pattern the older test series is not relevant. Go for the Test Series + Test Gym combo.
Sir
Please let me know if the patterns of the MOCK Tests,conducted by CL , will be made inline with the latest format of CAT i.e. 50 Qs in each section ,170 minutes time, etc.
Kindly look into this matter. It will be very helpful if we can write the actual paper after having some in hand experience of writing MOCKs in the revised format.
Regards
Kaustav Das
Student ID : 1015159
Kaustav, The Mocks CATs have been changed as per the new pattern, you will see this in the Mock starting 1st August. Will attempt a couple of the new patern papers and do a write up or make a video.
hello sir….i am prashant kumar patel. i am completed my graduation in bachelor of engineeering and my all acads are
1>> in 10th class is 80.60
2>> in 12th class is 70.00
3>> in B.E./B.TECH IS 71.30
AND I BELONGS IN OBC(NCL) category .
so sir ………….please tell how much % or percentile required in cat 2014 for only IIM”s
in cat 2013 i got 54 percentile in cat and also got 78 percentile in XAT14 and i also CL student of batch pin2year2 in 2013.
Prashant, as a NC OBC candidate with decent academic record you can get calls from all IIMs, FMS and IITs at a CAT score of 97%ile but my suggestion is to target a 97%ile in each section which will lead to an overall score 98.5%ile.
sir, i have given my 6th sem papers but due to a road accident have not given one paper, my university allows to reappear in an exam after an year so i have to give it along with my 8th sem exams. but the problem is, the results of 6th sem are declared in oct-nov. every yr. so will have result of this paper in oct-nov.
1)plz tell me how this will effect me as i am confident of getting atleast 97%ile in cat this yr.
2) as eligibilty for nmat states- ‘Full Time Bachelor’s Degree (10+2+3/4) in any discipline from a recognized University with minimum 50% marks in the aggregate in first attempt.’
shud i fill nmat as it wants degree in first attemt but i will have to give my 6th sem paper i 8th sem.
Himanshu, the result of your backlog being declared in Oct-Nov’15 could make you ineligible for some of the MBA institutes since they may need your results earlier. Will need to check this for each institute separately when they come out with the notification.
Regarding NMAT, as long as you finish your graduation (including the backlogs) within the stipulated 4 years you will be eligible and you can fill the NMAT form.
Himanshu, for IIMA the cutoff date is 31st Dec 2015 and it is likely to be the same for most of the IIMs, so it should not be a problem.
Hi Sir,
I’m a student at CL Mysore. I have a couple of queries.
1.) I saw some posts for the sessions for Quant & Vocabgiri on CL’s website although they were planned for some other cities. Are such sessions scheduled for some date in Mysore as well ?
It is a sincere request to have them scheduled in Mysore as well. Being a working professional, travelling to a different city to attend those sessions will be difficult.
2.) My profile is as mentioned below:-
a.) Class X : 90.2 %
b.) Class XII : 74.2 %
c.) B.E (CSE) : 84.8 %
c.) Work Ex. : Infosys Ltd., 29 months till December, 2014.
d.) Category : General
Although, the aim that I have set is for the IIMs but still would like to know the colleges & the corresponding percentiles that I should consider/aim as per my profile & work ex. while taking exams this year.
Kaushik, will try and have these sessions conducted in Mysore also.
With good marks in X, XII and graduation along with a 29 month work experience you have a good chance of a call from all IIMs. For IIM C you will need a CAT score of over 99.5%ile, IIMA, FMS & IIT Mumbai are possible at 99%ile, for IIMB a 98.5%ile could be enough and for new IIMs, MDI, SP Jain & other IITs you will need over 97%ile. Given your profile you should restrict yourself to the institutes mentioned in CLuster 1, 2 and 3 as given in the post Jayein toh jayein kahaan 2014: Which Institute?. The cluster 3 institutes could be your backup. Do take GMAT along with CAT and try for ISB Hyderabad also.
Thank You Sir !! Appreciate your swift & facilitative response !!
Hello Sir,
Academic Background
X: 76.6%
XII: 56.2%
Graduation:59.4% (Foreign Degree. Have equivalence letter from AIU for the same)
Work Exp: 43 months (Till Date)
Category: SC
I am appearing for CAT’14 and I want to know in which good colleges should I be looking for admission and target percentile required.
Sushil, a SC candidate with good academic record can get calls from all IIMs at 85%ile. However, while your performance in X is acceptable but with low marks in XII and graduation you may not get a call to top IIMs unless you have a CAT score of over 95%ile. Your 43 month work experience can help you get a call from IIMB. My suggestion is to target at least over 90%ile in each section.
Hello sir,
sir can u please tell me what is the minimum percentile I should get to get into iim-A,B,C, FMS, MDI and UBS chandigarh. My profile is:
Xth-91.8%
XII- 93.4%
BTECH- 82%
Also I belong to OBC category.
smriti, as a girl with very good academic record and from the OBC category you can get calls from all IIMs at a CAT score of over 95%ile. However my suggestion is to target a score of 97%ile. UBS Chandigarh is not recommended for someone with your profile.
Sir I have the following profile.
Xth – 87.7%
XIIth- 81.4 %
Btech- 61.37%
I belong to OBC NCL.
No work Ex
Based on my profile which colleges I can get at what percentile.
I know A B are out of my reach.Is L I K possible ?
Deepak, IIM A and B are difficult but not out of reach, as a NC-OBC candidate a CAT score of over 97%ile could get you calls from these. Other IIMs should be possible at 95%ile.
Hi Sir,
My class 10th and 12th percentages were 88.2 and 89.8% respectively. My graduation (BBA) percentage was 75.6%. I have a work-ex of a few months.
What is the minimum percentile that I must get in order to get through a tier A or or tier B institute for MBA?
Thanks.
Shruti, you have very good marks in X and XII but 75.6% i graduation is a bit low. However since you are a non Engineer you have a good chance of calls from almost all IIMs. For IIM A, B and C you should target over 99.5%ile, for other top IIMs and FMS you should target 99%ile and a 97.5ile is required for new IIMs, MDI. A score of over 95%ile will get you interview calls from almost all other MBA institutes.
Dear Sir, I have scored fairly low in my graduation, about 51%(Bsc Economics Gen) from Calcutta University. And have scored 81 and 70% respectively in 10th and 12th.
I have 20 months of work ex in a pvt sector bank in retail branch banking.
I am appearing for CAT 2014,
Please advise on the feasable options for B-Schools. Also do all IIMs consider graduation scores while selecting students?
Akansha, Unfortunately with your marks in graduation IIM A, B and C are difficult. However you are not ruled out and have a chance if you can get a CAT score of over 99.7%ile. Your work experience will be helpful for IIMB, your non-engineer status in IIMA and your gender in IIMC (also it does not consider graduation marks). Other top IIMs and FMS are possible at a score of over 99%ile, new IIMs, SP Jain and MDI at a score of around 97.5%ile. Also apart from the IIMs most of the MBA institutes have a low/no weight for past academics and should not be a problem if you get a CAT score of over 95%ile.
Thank you sir for your guidance.
Thank you sir.
This will motivate me to work harder to achieve that score.
Sir,
You are an absolute genius. You were spot on in predicting this change and the last time we met over the workshop conducted by you in B’lore, you cautioned us on such sweeping changes in the structure. I thank you on behalf of everyone who has been genuinely benefited, as I was mentally prepared for a chang-over by then.
Gopal, Thanks. Anyone who is willing to analyse data could have come out with this analysis.
Hi Sir,
I am an ex-CL student. I appeared for CAT 2013, got 99.04 percentile(97.23 in QA/DI and 98.43 in VA/LR).
My acads are :-
X- 91.2
XII- 89.2
B.tech- 76.2. Work ex- (now) 2 years in a software MNC.
Got all calls except A, B and I. Unfortunately, I could only convert MDI Gurgaon and all new IIMs. Now, I have started preparing again. Since little time is left, please guide me on how should I proceed with the preparation.
Neha, with a very good performance in CAT’13 your preparation this time should be based on Practice, Testing, Analysis and Revision.
Your CAT’13 scores indicate that you are conceptually sound hence start by revising your last year’s Mock CATs, this should be over in about 3 weeks. While revising these papers do identify the important questions and revise them regularly. After about 1 week you could start practicing fresh MCQs and after 2 weeks you should start with Mock CATs also. Every time you take a Mock CAT or practice questions do not forget to analyse the paper and identify important questions for revision as suggested in my post Things you must-do after every mock you take.
My suggestion is to go for the Test Series + Test Gym as it will take care of your practice and testing requirements. Being an ex CL student you will be eligible for a fee waiver. Use you CL enrollment ID as the discount code.
I have 3 queries as follows
1. When CL is going to upgrade their mock CAT pattern according
to latest pattern of CAT?
2. In previous mock CATs I needed to score 80 -90 mark(45QA & 45 VA) in order to get 99%. Now how many questions I need to get correct in both sections for same performance?
3. In your previous blog, you had mentioned that a person with only 27 marks in VA. had secured 98% in VA in which he only attemped logical reasoning. Will there be any change this year if TCS conducts CAT?
What I have understood from CAT 2013 that if two persons get same number of marks then the person with less negative questions is going to get higher scaled score & in turn percentile. Is this logic correct? If yes, is it going to be applied this year as well?
Thanking In advance
3.
ishwra, we were expecting this and are ready for the new pattern. All subsequent Mocks (effective the next Mock) in the test Series will be changed as per the new pattern. I will shortly come out with guidelines for handling the new pattern CAT along with target attempts and scores, as of now just work on the basis of your existing strategy and also work on increasing your calculation speed and reading speed.
I am not in agreement with your understanding of higher percentile for higher accuracy despite same net score, as per my understanding same net score leads to same percentile and accuracy does not have a role in this.
TIA
Sir, my communication skills are very poor and I am ambivert. one of the the problem is that I am very weak in group activities since childhood. I am just scared of high volume. But i want to do MBA from premier b-school and I am sure that I can score good percentile but people say that such type of personality can not survive in b-school.
What should I do sir??
Kallu, all of us can change and we adapt ourselves based on the situation. Fear of group activities and high volume can be overcome and the easiest way is to start participating in group activities. All kind of personalities are there in a B school and there is no reason why you will not be able to survive. If you are keen on MBA then start preparing for CAT and other MBA entrances and as mentioned above, start participating in group activities.
Dear Sir,
Im a Btech graduate 2014.I am appearing for cat this year and I have enrolled recently in CL .My academics are as follows :
X-95%
XII-95
DGPA-9.11(83.6%)
I did not join the companies that I was placed in as i was really keen to give cat this year with full concentration. I am giving the proctored CL mocks and I have scored as follows proc6-74 %;proc 7- 93% ,proc 8 -78%. I really wish to join a top B-school.Could you please tell me my chances and how much I should score exactly. Will not having a work ex really bring down my chances?will I be questioned on this 4 month gap and will joining a job after cat help in the interviews?As i am keen to pursue finance should I try for some internships in finance in the period between november to january or try for a job in IT?
Diksha, With your excellent academic record the only thing that is missing is a good CAT score. As a general category candidate you should target 99.5%ile to be reasonably sure of a call from the the top IIMs, other old IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai are all possible at 99%ile while the new IIMs, other IITs, NITIE and MDI will require a 97%ile+. A 95%ile is the minimum target score for a top B school. Not having a work experience is not a problem and this gap of 4-5 months will not impact you adversely. After the MBA entrances, you should pick up a job as it will help you in the interview and also act as a back up.
Thank you sir for your reply
Hello Sir, I have got 73% in 10th,74% in 12th and my agg. going on in Graduation is 60%……Do you think for me of getting call from iims if ill do my best in Cat.
Thank you
Veer, IIM A and B are unlikely unless you get a 100%ile in CAT but all other IIMs and other top MBA institutes are possible. As a genera;l category candidate you should target over a score of over 99%ile . IIMC will however require over 99.5%ile.
Sir sorry to interrupt
but my profile is also similar. And i have listened that company during placements also consider academics.
Please clear it to me.
Kallu, the most important part of academics for a company is your performance in MBA. They are usually not worried about your performance in X, XII and graduation.
sir ,will the percentiles to get calls from IIMs be higher in cat 14 due to the change in pattern or will it be somewhere closer to the prediction made by you on percentiles required by different categories students on the last year’s cat?
Vivek, it is early to comment since we do not know the pattern of the paper but my estimate is that it will be closer what has been mentioned in those videos.
Sir, I have 64% in 10th, 63% in 12th, and 5.75 cgpa b.tech graduation(upto 6th sem). I was scoring good in all mocks but then last week i came across with the fact that i have low scores in academics, I lost my concentration. So, please tell me whether I have serious chances of converting b-schools ranked as top-15, If I perform exceptionally well in CAT (or NMAT or XAT or IIFT or SNAP).
Cat Aspirant, unfortunately IIM A, B and C are not possible unless you get a 100%ile in CAT but fortunately calls are possible from most of the other IIMs if you get score of around 99%ile. Also almost all institutes outside the IIMs have a low/no weight for past academics and hence are all possible for you. You cannot change your past but a good score in CAT will help you improve your future so quit worrying about your maks and focus on your CAT preparation.
Sir, I’ve been following your posts for quite some time now and was a CL student as well. In CAT-13, I secured 97.11%ile but failed to make it to any of the IIMs. My profile is: General category Fresher, B.Tech. (CPI: 7.64), XII (81.8), X (88.8).
What would you suggest? Should I take CAT this year or get a job experience of about 2 years before appearing again?
Your opinion would mean a lot.
Thanks.
Lalam, you should do both. Get a job as well as take CAT’14. A 97.11%ile can be converted into a 99%ile by 2-3 of extra correct answers and a retake preparation, at your level, is more Practice on Test Gym and Testing via the Test Series. Start by revising your last year’s Mocks and other MCQ and also start practicing the Test Gym. After 7-10 days of revision of last years material you should start with the test series. Start with 1 mock test a week and after a couple of seeks make it 2 tests per week till CAT.
I’m a final year B.Tech student with a backlog from 5th sem.
I’ve recently made an attempt to clear the same.
In case I’m unable to clear the paper my only option would be to clear the paper in june next year.
Meanwhile if I manage a 99+ CAT 2014 percentile,how will the backlog affect my chances?
I am scoring well in the CL Mocks(highest 95 and median 86 out of 7 proctored and 3 unproctored) but I’m worried that the backlog might ruin everything.
Zakir, ideally you should clear your backlogs in the next attempt itself but even if you clear your backlogs along with your graduation it will not be a problem. A CAT score of 99.5%ile can get a general category candidate with good academic record calls from almost all IIMs, in the interview you can be questioned about your backlogs but it is not a reason for rejection and can be handled comfortably.
Thanks sir.Just to be clear,if I’m unable to clear the backlog in the recent attempt and have the backlog at the time of the interview,it won’t lead to rejection.Right?
Provided I get a 99.5+ percentile score and clear the backlog by June 2015?
Zakir, this is correct, as long as you clear your backlogs along with your graduation it will not be a problem.
Final exams will be over by may end and backlogs will be held in June.Is this considered “along with the graduation?”
Zakir, as long as your results come before the final date of submission of graduation results to the institute. However to ensure that there are no problems why don’t you target clearing the backlogs in the first attempt.
I did appear for the backlog papers a month back but the result is not out yet.There’s this one 5th sem paper I’m not sure of clearing.Previously we used to have back papers in FEB as well but that might not be the case this year onward so the next attempt I’l get will be in June next year.This is why I have been worried about it.
Thanks a lot though.Your guidance was really helpful and alleviating.
Sir I am targeting MBE and MFC via CAT 2014.
I heard that these colleges only consider CAT score to make interview calls, Is this a fact?
Please tell me how much CAT percentile they demand from a GEM candidate to short-list for an interview. I need this info to plan my strategy for CAT. How many questions I must attempt correctly to ensure a call!!
Profile: I scored bad in graduation (59%) and I had only 70-80% in X and XIIth. I have no work experience.
I need to start preparation for their interview also, please tell me what are some skills that I need to start developing to crack their interview. I have an start-up which is unregistered, will it be any help??
Also sir,
– What package can I expect from MBE/MFC and other colleges from cluster-4.
– Are there some more similar colleges which consider CAT score only??
– Because of lower academic scores I want to have only realistic expectations! This is one reason I am targeting these colleges! What are some other colleges I can aim for?
I also want to mention my B.Tech is one year extended because I was more focused on my start-up! If that’d be a problem?
Rohan, you can expect a package of Rs 8-9 lakh pa from these institutes. There are many other colleges that consider CAT scores, please refer to the following blogposts:
1. Cutoffs of CAT allied institutes
2. Jayein toh jayein kahaan 2014: Which Institute?
Most of the institutes outside the IIMs have a low/no weight for past academics and hence your not so good marks inn school/college are not a problem.
Your extension of Engg by a year will be questioned in the interview but it can be explained and your start up will be helpful in this case.
rohan, MFC and MBE consider only CAT score for admissions and their cutoff is over 90%ile, a target score of 95%ile is safe score for these institutes. At present just focus on your CAT preparation as you will have about 3 months after CAT to focus specifically on it. However you should start reading a daily newspaper (my suggestion is Indian Express or The Hindu) as it will help you in CAT and also in the interview. A current affairs magazine will be a good supplement to the newspaper. Your start up will be helpful in the interview and you should also claim it as a part of your work experience.
Thanks for suggestions sir! I will immediately start working on it! Thanks a zillion..!!
Hello Sir,
My question is irrelevant of the topic discussed here. While buying some books for CAT at the nai sarak, i stumbled across your book which has 25 solved cat papers including 2009-13 solved papers. Now, my question is how have you incorporated last five years papers considering CAT is online since last five years?
Dolly, 2009-13 would be sample papers since the actual papers are not available. Will have this checked.
Is that book helpful?Should i buy it..?Actually, I’m confused as there is one more book with topic wise last year solved questions by you again..
http://www.flipkart.com/25-cat-common-admission-test-solved-paper-entrance-exam-gautam-puri-1990-2013-5th/p/itmdx2f2xhzd2jjb?pid=9789351442851&srno=b_9&ref=1eec8f11-904f-4fda-83ac-627f4e02ac4c
Dolly, both are the same, one has topic wise questions from all papers and the other has full papers year wise. If you would like to practice full papers then this book is the right one but if you would like to practice on topic wise questions then go for the other one.
Hi Sir,
Academic Background
X: 86.6%
XII:89.8
Graduation:6.7(IIT Kanpur)
Work Exp: 6months
Cat’13 score 96.82
I am appearing for CAT’14 and I want to know in which good colleges should I be looking for admission and target percentile required.
Vishal, your B.Tech CGPA of 6.7 is a problem and IIM A,B are unlikely unless you get a 100%ile in CAT, other old IIMs and FMS will need over 99%ile. Aprt from IIMs and FMS you should also consider XLRI which will need over 95%ile in XAT with a sectional score of over 90%ile.
Good one sir. I have a query. You know like all other queries over here. Hope u ll answer this.
My profile :
10th : 97.38
12th : 91.16
BE : 8.4 cgpa ( equivalent to 76.6 %) until 4th sem
Will bring it up to 8.8 (eq to 80.5 %) until 6th sem end hopefully.
And now queries :
1. when should I start preparing for CAT 15 ..?
2. I still got some 20 days of holiday left. What should I do to use them productively…? I’m doing an android project ( non academic) right now. should I start prep relating to CAT or should finish the project….?
Because I’ll be able to put in more hours during holidays than college days. So from where should I start CAT prep…?
3. When do admissions and classes start at Career launcher..? (I’m from Mysore, Karnataka)…?
4. I’ll get 1.5 months of holidays after 5th sem ie in Dec n jan .
How should I use them productively…?
5. Please suggest some books to start with.
6. I had flunked 2nd sem math and cleared it in the very next attempt( in make up term). But I get a separate marks card for make up term with only a single subject in it. Will this be an issue during admission/interview? How far will black mark affect my chances in getting admissions to top notch colleges..?
I’m sure I’ll not commit such a mistake again.
7. My cocurriculars n extra curricular activities are NIL since my 10th grade. How would it affect me during admissions/interview..? Is it a must have thing ?
8.Also, please mention Fee for super long term course and it’s total duration(in months) at career launcher Mysore.
I know it’s quite long but I’m in need of some good guidance.
Thank you.
Bharath, In the remaining 20 odd days of holidays you should complete your Android project and your structured CAT’15 should start around Oct-Nov’14. Till then you should improve your reading skills by reading a good daily newspaper (Indian Express or The Hindu) and a current affairs weekly. This will help your in RC and the English Usage questions. Also start solving the puzzles that come in the newspapers. Additionally, if you have time, you can also go through the IX & X standard maths books. Classes for CAT’15 will start in most of the centers effective Sept’14, please contact CL Mysore center for the batch start dates. In the Dec-Jan vacation you should plan to complete the fundamentals of all areas in CAT and other MBA entrances.
Flunking Maths in 2nd semester is not an issue and will not not impact you adversely. Extra curricular activities are helpful but not essential and many students with make it to the IIMs without any extra curriculars.
For fee and other batch details I will forward your contact details to CL Mysore.
Hi Sir,
Kindly help me as i received admission call from MIB & MHROD, joining would be on Friday 18Jul.
I have 5 years of exp and a package (6+). Will MBA be a good move at this experience in MIB/MHROD or should i give CAT 2014?
Also if yes then which is better MIB or MHROD??
Regards,
Divya
Divya, hope our telephonic discussion has helped you resolve the dilemma. Do let me know what you finally decide.
respected sir, please give me an honest suggestion..
i have currently joined indian bank as P.O in tamilnadu 3 days ago & yesterday i recieved an email regarding admission at
MBE, Deptt. of Business Economics, university of delhi. what do i do. which is a better option.. please help sir.
Sahil, will need more information to suggest. Call me at 9811155160 to discuss.
Sir, I am preparing for cat 2014
10th -86
12th-79
B tech – 8.0 (till 5th sem)
I am a student of cl
1. I am taking the proctored mocks and scored a 86 nd 73 percentile in mock 5 &6 resp
However i have nt taken a single unproctored mock considering i hv just done 3 topics in quants
What is your advice about dealing with unproctored mocks?
2. I am an engineering student, female, general category, how much should I target for cluster 1,2,3?
Preferably cluster 1 and 2.
cat_2014, you may leave the unproctored Mocks till mid-Aug but do attempt all the Proctored Mocks as per the schedule.
Your target for the top three IIMs should be over 99.5%ile, other old IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai would need a 99%ile while the new IIMs, MDI, NITIE and other IITs are possible at 97%ile. Other cluster 3 institutes are possible at 95%ile.
Hello sir ! My acads are 87,81.6,61.6 in X XII and graduation respectively.I worked with an NGO for a year 2013-2014 and since I did not like the nature of my job I have joined IIT Kharagpur for MTech.I planning for a CAT retake.Please suggest which IIMs are possible with my acads and work ex.
Vidita, with a 611% in graduation IIM A & B are unlikely unless you get a 100%ile but the others are possible.
SIR MY %IL IS NT IMPROVING AT ALL.MY DI SECTION IS VERY WEAK,I HARDLY MANAGE TO SOLVE 1,2 QUE OF DI..plz help me
Pratik, Please refer to the following blogs:
1. 7 Rules to Excel in CAT QA
2. 7 Rules to Excel in CAT VA
3. The single-most unpardonable, gravest sin you can commit in CAT
Once you go through these posts work out the areas in which you need to take corrective action and then refer to CAT Ka Big Boss also.
hello sir,
I am a cl student at kailash colony,Delhi.I attended the workshop session on Percentages last week at kailash colony.
It was really very Helpfull.
my profile is as under:
Class X – 79 %
Class XII – 79%
Graduation – UTTAR PRADESH TECHNICAL University – 69 %(till 5 semester)
No Work-expeerience.
Sir atleast what percentile i should aim for IIM’S and
other reputed institutes.
Sir i would also like to ask that when we fill up the forms for cat,
we have to write the graduation percentage.
it will be considered till which semester or the semester for which the result is out.
Gaurav, IIM A and B are unlikely unless you get almost a 100%ile, IIM C will need over 99.75%ile, other old IIMs will need around 99%ile and the new IIMs are possibly at 98%ile.
thankyou sir.
Sir, for iit delhi,roorkee, ,fms n mdi,what percentile i should aim for.
Hey ! You are doing great work, taking up all quarries, even some of them are repetitive. I just have 2 questions ! Being NC-OBC what percentile is safe for fms and IIM L,K,I ? Plus how many correct attempts i need to make for that ? (Accuracy level around 80 %) and academic record : X : 86% XII : 79.8% B.tech : 70% (so far ) ..
Rajat, an OBC candidate with decent academic record can hope for calls from all IIMs and FMS at 95%ile but given your 70% in graduation you should target a 97%ile for IIM A and B. For FMS interview calls are possible at 87-88%ile also but for conversion of the interview call a 95%ile should be the target.
hello sir can u please suggest some good books to improve my RC skills as i am unable to make correct attempts due to wrong inferences and poor reasoning skills.
Diksha, you can try “How to Read Better and Faster” by Norman Lewis.
Hello Sir,
I’ve my B.Tech extended to 2010-2015 instead of 2010-14 because I had to skip a exams in final semester. I was targeting NMIMS (via NMAT) because they give very less weightage to past academics.
► I want to confirm the fact that will I still be eligible for NMAT ’15 or I shouldn’t register? The registrations are open from yesterday.
► I am also targeting IITs and new IIMs. Considering my following academics what percentile I should target in CAT’14.
X and XII both ~ 70% and B.Tech only 57%. And I am a GEM (General – Engineer – Male).without work experience. Although I have my start-up from 2 years which isn’t officially registered.
► Are there some other registrations open yet like NMAT because I am not aware of several exams like SNAP, XAT etc.
► I have recently started to preparing and I need your advice in setting my exam-strategy. I read your article that we’re also supposed to skip difficult questions in CAT and we need to be picky about it. If I target 97%ile I should attempt 35 questions correctly, or 40 questions with 3-4 incorrect. Is that right?
► I have joined a digital marketing company (Digital Vidya) as a research and writing intern. Will this be helpful in all colleges or just some specific ones??
Please reply. It will be huge help. Also I’ve read your latest post and I’ll be joining SIS soon.
Besides, How much the extension my B.Tech will matter in my selection process in IIMs, IITs as well as in others.?
Happy, this will be questioned in the interview but is not a reason for rejection. This can be explained/justified and let us discuss this after the written test.
Thank you very much sir!
Happy, as per my understanding you are not eligible for NMAT since you have taken 5 years to complete a 4 year program but it will be prudent to confirm the same from NMIMS at 91-22-42355621 / 42355622 or enquiry@nmims.edu or ftmba@nmims.edu
Most of the non IIMs have low/no weightage for past academics so you can target all institutes outside the IIMs. For new IIMs you should target a CAT score of 99%ile due to low academic profile. IIT Mumbai and FMS also require a 99%ile and calls are possible from MDI, NITIE, SP Jain and most other IITs at a CAT score of 97%ile.
Registrations have opened only for NMAT, CAT notification is expected by the end of this month and the others will follow in Aug/Sept.
35 net correct answers could give you a score of 99%ile in CAT.
Your internship will be helpful in the interviews of all MBA institutes.
Thanks a lot sir!
Sir, I find that SP Jain demands minimum 5 years of work experience. That makes me ineligible for SP Jain too. I guess I should remove this from my hit-list too. 🙁
http://www.spjimr.org/pgpm/admission_eligibility_selection.asp
Happy, this is the 1 year program, for the 2 year PGDM there is no work experience requirement. Click here for details, however work experience has a high weight in SP Jain.
I saw several colleges (e.g. MICA) demands -“graduates in any discipline from a recognized university in a 10+2+3 system or equivalent”
Does this mean they won’t consider students with an year gap before graduation… And will they consider engineering students because its a 4 years course??
Happy, 10+2+3/4 is the education system and does not mean that you have to complete these 15/16 years in one go. Many students with a gap year make it to the top MBA institutes.
Thank you sir!
Also I could not confirm following about MFC and MBE.
– I read that MFC and MBE consider CAT score and academics to shortlist for interview. I need to know that do they consider only X and XII or they consider graduation marks only. Both types of answers are available of internet but those are old articles. I need to know the current criteria.
Happy, to the best of my knowledge MBE and MFC do the interview short listing on the basis of CAT scores only.
Sir,
I am taking the CAT this year. I have failed in a paper (from 2nd year) in my graduation. Am I eligible for the CAT (XAT) & can I appear in the interview if selected?
Additional Details:
I have passed all the papers of 1st & 3rd year.
Hanuman, yes you are eligible. Do ensure that you clear this paper in the next attempt.
My next attempt is in may 2015.
IIMs interviews are held generally in February & March.
So will i considered as a student in a Final year of graduation and need to get a final year provisional certificate (at the time for interview) ?
Additional Detail:-
I have heard that IIMs does’t allowed students in interview with backlogs. Is it true ?
Hanuman, if your college considers you a student of final year then so will the IIMs. You will be allowed in the interview but will need to clear the backlog before joining the institutes.
Sir i have taken admission at XISS ranchi RM pgdm but now i have got a call from KJ Somaiya for PGDM comm. What should i do ?
Join kj in comm or xiss rm
Gaurang, KJ Somaiya PGDM Communication is preferable to XISS RM as the placement opportunities will be better in Mumbai.
Sir what should i expect from kj somaiya PGDM COMM from avg placement and carrer point of view
Gaurang, KJ Somaiya PGDM Communication should be able to provide good career opportunities in marketing/advertising with an average/median salary of Rs 6-7 lakh pa.
Hello Sir,
I am a B.Tech 2014 graduate and I started working full-time in a start-up (online) 3 months before completing my B.Tech. I am targeting CAT 2014. Will those 3 months (before finishing B.Tech) be counted in my work experience?
Another thing I need you to answer is, Do they count work experience till the month of interview or they count it via application form submitted during CAT exam of there’s always any other specific date? If cleared CAT I will quit working and join MBA institute.
Saaj, these three months will not be counted as work experience but will be extremely helpful in converting the interview.
Usually work experience at the time of filling up the interview is considered by the institutes.
Sir, I am a student OF CL. could you please suggest me a good book for VA , which would have basic concepts so that I can perform well, apart from the study material . hope u reply soon sir
Raisa, unfortunately there are no good books in the market for VA preparation. My suggestion is to stick to your CL study material.
I am a B.tech student of 2014 batch. I have been placed in TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES, and expect my joining date to be around October or mid November. Also, I intend to give CAT’15.
Will this break of 5-6 months act as an hindrance during B-school interviews, or how should I justify the same when they ask me a question on this. Please help me out with this, Sir.
Isha, this break is not a problem, the joining date is not in your control. However with 4 months available for preparation you should target CAT’14 and your preparations immediately. If you do not get a good MBA institute through CAT’14 then you CAT’15 is in any case available to you.
Sir,
I had asked the same thing to one of the faculties on Pagalguy. He said that this break of 4-5 months will be a problem in B school interviews and will be considered as a GAP.
Isha, I have a difference of opinion with this faculty. This gap of 5-6 months will not be a problem during the B school interviews.
Thank you, Sir. Your blog has been a true source of motivation.
Sir, just one last thing: Is there any link on the web where I can find pdf or something like that on commonly confused words. I face problems while tackling such questions.
Isha, please google and you will gt many there are many websites that will take care of your requirement of Commonly Confused Words.
DEAR SIR,
Please help me out.
I face problem in RCs. I read it and lose focus while reading and as a result I am not able to attempt much. I read the editorial sections of TOI, THE HINDU, which I comprehend easily, but while reading on computer things get worse. I am just not able to focus while reading the passage, Sir, come what may, I have to strengthen this area of mine at any cost. Please give your valuable suggestions asap.
p.s. I am a non-CL student.
Ayush, stop reading the newspaper in the print mode, move to the e-papers and increase your comfort level of reading on the computer.
My name is Mahesh completed my 2nd year of B.Tech and i want to prepare for CAT,GMAT,XLRI etc .what are the best books for preparing all the sections and Crack all these exams.
i want the best books for quant,LR,Verbal,Data Interpretation .
Mahesh, While some books for CAT preparation are available in the market I have not found any one of them to be good. My suggestion is to enroll for a correspondence or an online program because while books get dates the books/study material of good coaching institutes is regularly updated based on the changes in the pattern of the various tests. The recommended correspondence program for a first time CAT aspirant is Smart CAT Cracker Comprehensive Plus.
Hello GP sir,
I am a B.Tech graduate in 2014. Because of my not-so-good academic performance I want to have realistic expectations about my selection in top MBA colleges after CAT 2014.
My profile is-
X: 78% XII: 70.77% B.Tech: 60%
Gender: MALE Category: GEN No Work Experience.
Please tell me-
1) How much I am supposed to score in CAT to assure a seat in IIMs and such colleges where I can get a decent job offer (average 9+ LPA).
2) Does 1 year academic GAP in studies after graduation matter in selection process of IIMs?
Your reply will be very helpful. 🙂 Thanks.
Ashish, For IIM A and B you will need almost a 100%ile while IIMC is possible at 99.7%ile. Most of the older IIMs, FMS and IIT Mumbai are possible at 99%ile, the new IIMs, MDI, SP Jain, XLRI other IITs will need a score of 97%ile+.
A 1 year gap is questions/discussed in the interview and can be explained easily. It is not a reason for rejection.
Hello Sir.
My profile-
X- 72
XII- 78
Graduation- 76
XAT(2014)- 84
Sir i have joined GIM(Chose GIM over TAPMI). But i am not very satisfied with the College since the MBA tag is for a lifetime. Therefore i am planning to go for a retake of CAT and XAT while pursuing my Studies at GIM.
Sir do you think this is the right decision?
Ankur, this is a personal choice but if you are convinced about it then go ahead. However do not ignore your studies in GIM as your knowledge of 1st year will be tested in the IIM/XLRI interviews.
Sir is it worth going for Colleged like XIMB-BM or IMI- Delhi if i go for a retake?
My low Academic scores might take a number of IIM’s out of picture. Which other Colleges should i target?
Ankur, in a retake ideally you should be in Cluster 1 or 2 colleges mentioned in the post Jayein toh jayein kahaan 2014: Which Institute? The new IIMs should also be considered.
SIR till CL proc mock 6 my percentiles are 61,72,77,83,86,94.68..i am trying to improve in every mock. my average attempts in these mocks were 35-37… but the number of wrong answers were more than 10. so i’m bit worried. what should be the number of correct answers to achieve 97 percentile + ? my profile is
10th :82.3
12th: 78.3
B.tech: 7.86
work ex: 21 months till now
category : SC
so right now should I maintain this percentile attempting this much question or concentrate on accuracy?
cat aspirant, your attempts (35-37) are very good but you need to work on your accuracy.It is okay to slow down and reduce the attempts if it increases your accuracy. Even with the current level of net score you are on track because as a SC candidate with your good academic record and 2 year work experience a CAT score of 90%ile will get you calls from all the IIMs, FMS, IIT Mumbai etc.
sir actually i have seen in pagalguy sc tracker many people above 90 percentile couldn’t converted the old iim’s. even if they had work ex of more than 2 years. so was it only for bad interviews or any other reason? so more than 30-32 correct answers (irrespective of slot) should bring more than 95 percentile? or i should attempt more ?
at aspirant, most of the IIMs use CAT score primarily for interview shortlisting and it has a low weight in the final selection criteria. For final selection your performance in Interview/WAT/GD define your chances of selection.
At this stage of preparation attempt of 35-37 is very good and hopefully by the time of CAT you would be around 42-45 attempts. In every Mock try and increase your attempt by 1 question in each section.
Dear sir,
Im a final year student in B.Tech (ceramic engineering)
My academics qualifications are
10th-91%
12th-89%
UG- 8.2 cgpa
I am in NC-OBC category and a female … I was wondering what percentile range and raw score will i need for the IIMs and will i be eligible for ISB, hyderbad?
Apoorva, as a NC OBC female candidate with a good academic record a score of over 95%ile can get you calls from all IIMs, it will however be prudent to target 97%ile.
You are eligible for ISB Hyderabad but it typically requires a work experience of over 2 years and does not have reservations. You will need to target a GMAT score of around 720 for ISB Hyderabad.
Sir, following are my scores :
CBSE
X-94.8%
XII-95.4%
B.tech from IIT:7.49/10 till sixth semester.
NC-OBC
I know it’s going to be difficult considering my ug score and the diversity factor, but what is the minimum percentile that can ensure an IIM A call? Also, considering that IIM interviews happen in February-March, and that our 7th semester result will be out in January itself, will they consider ug marks upto 7th semester or 6th?
Arnab, you have a good academic record and CGPA of 7.49 is not an issue. As a NC-OBC you should target over 97%ileto be sure of calls from the top IIMs. The marks that you have entered at the time of registration are considered.
Sir I am a student of Chandigarh CL .
My Profile:
X – 94.4
XII – 84.8
Btech – 75(8th sem)
and GENERAL.
Sir what minimum percentile is required to get into the top IIMs? . I wrote cat last year and had 96.52%ile ( 99 in QA and 78 in VA ) . Sir how to improve VA in these 3 and a half months
Raj, or IIM A, B and C you will need over 99.7%ile. Other old IIMs are possible at 99%ile and the new IIMs at around 97.5%ile.
Will be posting articles on VA shortly, hopefully they will help you perform better. However do start by by revising your last years material, focus on the MCQs and the moocks that you attempted. Identify the areas in which you are weak and go back to the concepts to iron out the flaws. This should be completed in the next 30 days.
SIR,
I have completed my graduation this yr chem engg(2010-2014)..am taking a break and will appear cat 2014 this year will this hamper in my selection process
with the below academics what a my chances for bschool
GENRAL CATEGORY
X- 79.4%
XII-73.4%
BTECH- 90.22%
sabyasachi, a drop year can be explained and does not normally impact your selection however it is advisable to have a job and prepare simultaneously. It not only takes away an awkward question, it is helpful in the interview and also acts as a backup.
While your XII marks a bit low the other two are fine. IIM B and C could be difficult unless you have over 99.8%ile in CAT but the other IIMs are possible. As a general category candidate your minimum target score should be 99%ile. Outside the IIMs most B schools have a low/no weightage for past academics and a score of over 97%ile can get you calls from almost all of them.
sir,with 81 % in 10th.83.60 in 12th and 71.5 in graduation.
90 percentile in cat 2013 and a call from narsee monjee mumbai(not converted).what all papers should i target this time around and which iim’s??
also what percentile should i get in cl mocks to carry a 99+score?
thank you
Dhruv, your graduation marks reduce you chances of calls from A and B unless you get almost a 100%ile in CAT. In addition to the IIMs you should target all the B schools upto Cluster 3 in the blogpost Jayein toh jayein kahaan 2014: Which Institute?. A few cluster 4 institutes can also be considered.
A consistent score of around 97%ile in CL Mocks usually converts to a 99%ile+ in CAT. This year in each CL mock we are also giving the estimated CAT Percentile based on your performance in the paper.
thank you sir,i will keep that in mind and i am specifically targetting jbims(apart from the usual ones),what all mat,cmat,mhcet papers should i take??and in which time period,i mean december session of mat,which attempts are recognised?
i am an outside maharashtra candidate,so getting a rank in top 5 is the only solution i guess.
thank you
Dhruv, for JBIMS OMS candidates need a 99.99%ile in the qualifying exam. Suggest that you take Dec ATMA and Feb MAT, it is easier to get a 99.99%ile in these two papers than in the others. if you are from Maharashtra then you will have to take CET conducted by DTE.
sir
would august or december mat suffice?
Sir, i am 2013,B.tech passout..not having a job..got 78%ile in Cat 2013 and selected for xime,bangalore.I am confused between Bank Po and xime.I know both are different things but sir please tell me what will be better in long term,here interest is not a parameter ..as xime avg package is almost same as bank po and bank po salary will increase in 2016 due to pay commision and i am sure in 2 years i will definitely clear bank po exam?
Alok, a bank PO is likely to be a better option but this is a case of a bird in hand vs one in the bush. If you are confident of clearing bank PO process then leaving XIME is not an issue. Suggest that you in any case pick up a job. Staying at home and only preparing is not a very good idea, a couple of hours on weekdays and 6-8 hours on weekends should be sufficient for bank PO preparation.
Hello Sir, My academic profile is as:
X Board – 89.33 %
XII Board – 70 %
College – 76.1%
Work Experience: 1 year
General Category
Engineering background.
My question is: which IIMs should I target and minimum % ile to get into top IIMs. Also what is the ideal number of questions in both sections that i should attempt with accuracy to get that required percentile.
Saurabh, IIM A,B and C are difficult unless you get almost a 100%ile in CAT, all other IIMs are top B schools are possible. For the other IIMs you will need a score in the range of 98-99%ile. My suggestion is to initially target about 15 questions per section with an an accuracy of 80-85% and slowly push the number of questions to around 20 per section.
Till CAT’12 about 17-18 net correct attempts in each section was sufficient to get a score of 99%ile but in CAT’13 it reduced to around 11-12 in QADI and 9-10 in VALR.
Dear Sir,
Adaptive test gym is really helpful for improvement in QA section. But it is worse than its classical counterpart for VA LR preparation. Kindly consider this. I need to use classical test gym to work upon my VA section.
mee, have asked the acads team to consider.
Sir,
I am a final year student.
10th – 96%,12th – 86%,b.tech – 7.5 cgpa(current)
category – SC
i have been giving AIMCATs since last month.my preparation is poor and i get net scores around 30 in each test.Sir how many correct attempts do i need to get a percentile of 95 + in CAT 2014?
and how to prepare in such less time.clearly i cant start from the scratch now.
Subhradeep, as a SC candidate with a very good academic record you can get calls from IIMs at 85%ile but you target should be over 90%ile.
Based on CAT’13 the number of net correct attempts required for a score of over 95%ile is around 20 but till CAT’12 this number was around 30. My suggestion is to initially target about 11-12 net correct answers in each section and then slowly push it to around 15 per section.
For improving your performance in Mock CATs, please refer to the posts 7 Rules to Excel in CAT QA and the post 7 Rules to Excel in CAT VA. You still have over 4 months to prepare and in the remaining time your focus should be on practice and revision of MCQs.
Stay connected with this blog as I will be posting more articles on CAT preparation.
Thanks a lot sir
you mean in CAT 13 a candidate needed to get 20 correct in each section or overall 20 correct answers?
sir,
just now i have completed my b.tech and going for an it job,whose joining date coincides with the the cat 14 exam date,so better i take an attempt,’cause last year i scored 90%ile in cat and 93%ile in xat with only a month’s preparation.so please guide me how to go with the preparation in upcoming months to get a 99 and above percentile.
and with a career of Xth-90,XIIth-85 and B.tech-78,which iims and other top institutes i can have the most chances of converting.
please help sir!!
Ravi, good timing, your company is kind enough to provide you with sufficient time for preparation.
Suggest that you start by revising your last years material, focus on the MCQs and the moocks that you attempted. Identify the areas in which you are weak and go back to the concepts to iron out the flaws. This should be completed in the next 45 days. You should join Test Series + Test Gym to take care of testing and practice requirements. A test every 10 days is sufficient till mid August after which you should move to one test per week till mid Sept and then it should be 2 test per week. Each test has be be analysed in details and questions identified for revision. You could also consider enrolling for Smart CAT Cracker Comprehensive which include Test Series, Test Gym and online session that focus on improving your test taking skills.
Your academic performance is very good for IIMC but with 78% graduation IIM A could be difficult. However a score of around 99.7%ile can get you calls from both. IIMB will possibly need a 99.9%ile. All other IIMs should not be a problem. Your minimum target score should be 97.5%ile which will allow you to get calls from new IIMs, SP Jain, MDI and most of the IITs, for institutes in the next level a 99%ile will be required.
sir,one more question
will it be a big problem for the gap i am creating in these months during the preparation,by the way i am thinking of doing some certifications in finance as i want to opt finance in my mba studies.
Ravi, yes you can consider these courses. They will help you in the interview also.
Sir what are my chances for calls from IIMs or IIFT :
10th :90.4 %
12th : 84.2 %
Graduation: 9.02 (cgpa till 6th sem)
1.What would be ideal percentile range I should aim for ?
2. ideally how many mocks should a person take before CAT because I took a few in this month before I have finished my course and now after scoring less I don’t even feel like studying.
3. What special preparation is required for IIFT is it easier than CAT or tougher ? Considering I am a regular newspaper reader so general awareness section won’t be an issue.
Ashish, with an excellent academic record you have a very good chance of getting a call from all IIMs. As a general category candidate without work experience you will need over 99.5%ile for IIM B and C while IIM A will be possible at 99%ile. The other IIMs are all possible at scores in the range of 97-99%ile.
You should not wait for the course to finish for taking the Mock Tests, one Mock every 10 days will be helpful. It will help you implement what you have studied. Do not be worried if you are not able to attempt all the questions, at this stage of your preparation an attempt of around 15 questions in QA is very good. CAT and other MBA entrance exams are not only about attempting questions but more importantly about identifying and leaving the difficult questions. Choose your questions carefully while attempting the paper since a wrong answer not only leads to wastage of time but also leads to a loss of 4 marks.
IIFT does not have any sectional time limits hence it is easier for those who are good at time management. In terms of degree of difficulty it is easier than CAT/XAT. Regular newspaper reading is by and large sufficient for GA/BA but you will need to mug up some bit of static GK also.
Sir,
I know a female candidate with the following 87.27 percentile in QA, 96.03 percentile in VA/LR and 94.71 percentile OA who has converted IIM-Lucknow this year and has already started classes there. How could that happen sir? Does IIML have a female quota too? If so, as a GEN category female, does the cut-off go lower than 95 percentile in top IIMs?
Xerxes, IIM L has marks for gender and academic diversity. Hence being a female she would have gained on this account. Also if she is not an engineer then she would have got marks for academic diversity also.
Sir, in that case, CAT and getting into top IIMs is defi nitely not one of the toughest things in life for more than 50% of candidates (considering 49% are already SC/ST/OBC) and even some of the remaining (among GEN) are either women or non-engineers or both, for whom cut-offs become so low. So, in that case, IIM is a tough target for a minority of the population actually.
And what do you want him to do about it? Stop complaining on forums, and start studying.. BTW I’m also in a similar position as you are..
@Raj,
I am not asking anyone, including GP sir to do anything. The fact I am highlighting here needs to be known to people. That’s it.
Xerxes, life is unfair. All of us have our own disadvantages to contend with. Focus on your preparation and do not get diverted by these issues on which you do not have any control.
It would be good if the fact that for more than 50% of students getting into top IIMs is NOT an uphill task is highlighted in all advertisements of coaching institutes. Kind of like -“XXX institute helps in cracking CAT for 40% students”
Dear GP Sir,
I am not unhappy with the requirement of getting a 99.5+ percentile for GEM for entry into IIMs and less for other crap categories. However, what I really feel pissed off is when this is not highlighted and everyone is treated equally later on. There are STs with 79 percentiles who end up in same league and same jobs as the GEN 99 percentile student.
Sir, I have a doubt about the possible new CAT after TCS takes over. How important is accuracy in the actual exam? Is it true that some students with higher no. of attempts and more wrong answers have scored less %ile than those attempting fwer Qs but with high accuracy?
Abhilash, till now accuracy has not been factored in the calculations. Students with the same net score get the same percentiles.
Sir, how do we know this? Prometric doesn’t reveal the net scores, does it? We only know our scaled scores. I suspect that accuracy does play a role in CAT. That will explain you getting 55 percentile with zero attempts(100% accuracy).
Sarath, our faculty members take CAT every year and we experiment with different attempts and accuracy levels and found that same net score leads to same percentile score.
Sir,
I am giving all India test series of both CL and T.I.M.E. Although the pattern in both the test series is very close to actual CAT but there is a huge difference in the toughness level of both the mock tests. I find CL tests to be relatively easy and high scoring, when I asked T.I.M.E people about their paper being so tough, they said that CAT’13 was also very tough and similar to their mock test series level.
Sir I need you to throw some light on the level of toughness of the actual exam and that of CL mock tests.
Ankur, last year we conducted a survey among students who had enrolled for both CL and TIME Test Series and the findings are different from what you have written. Overall these students rated CL Test Series to be closer to CAT in terms of pattern of questions and also degree of difficulty for both the sections. Click here to access the findings of this survey.
Sir i m currently pursuing my b.e. in compssci third yr also i am visually impared (pd) .I want to mda after my engg from a reputed college sir will u please suggest me how to start prepartion for cat to get admission in good college
Shyam, which city are you from? Please forward your phone number and other details to me at gp@careerlauncher.com and I’ll connect you to someone who will help you work out a plan for CAT preparation.
Since you are in 3rd year you will have to target For CAT’15. Suggest that you get immediately get in the habit of going through a daily newspaper along with a current affairs magazine as it will help you in the English section and also improve your GK which is required in the GD/WAT and interview. Hope you have the software that can read out online content. Start solving puzzles/riddles and start your structured CAT’15 preparation around Sep-OCt’14. You can choose a classroom coaching program or an online program as per your requirement.
Shyam, which city are you from? Please email your details to me at gp@careerlauncher.com and I’ll connect you to someone who will help you work out a preparation plan.
Since you are in the 3rd year of Engineering, you will have to target CAT’15. Suggest that you should get in the habit of going through a daily newspaper along with a current affairs magazine as it will help you in the English section and also improve your GK which is required in the GD/WAT and interview. Start solving puzzles/riddles, revising Maths of IX-X standard will also be helpful.
Start your structured CAT’15 preparation around Sep-Oct’14. You can choose a classroom coaching program or correspondence as per your requirement.
Hi GP sir,
I have yet to start prep for CAT 14. Is it too late for this year..? I am targeting IIMs . I have a 5 day work week and weekends off.
Is it possible with the below profile.. I have appeared twice before for CAT but no luck 🙁
Profile
X- 88 %
XII- 78 %
Grad- 65 %
Work Ex-3 years in IT
Also, does work ex play a crucial role for a call since i already have 3 years which i guess is already at the optimum average considered by B schools/ IIMs..Do you think my work ex would be too much to be considered by IIMs or any other Bschools?
Vivek, you have appeared for CAT earlier so you can very comfortably prepare for CAT’14. My suggestion is that with a 3 year work experience you should prepare for GMAT also along with CAT since it will open the option of ISB and other 1 year MBA programs in India/abroad.
Your graduation marks are an issue and IIMA may not be possible but in IIMB your 3 year work experience will compensate for it. For IIM C you will need around 99.7%ile but a CAT score around 99%ile can get you calls from almost all other IIMs.
In addition to IIMs you should consider XLRI, IITs, FMS, SP Jain, MDI, IIFT and other top MBA institutes also.
Sir I am a student of Chandigarh CL .
My Profile:
X – 79.8
XII – 79-6
Btech – 78(till 6th sem)
and NC-OBC reservation too.
1.Sir what minimum percentile is required to get into the top IIMs?
2. My English is very weak .I am dependent on those 9 questions till know.please give a solution regarding this.
3.Sir because of my summer internship I am at home which is near delhi.Can I attend classes in one of the delhi CL for 1 month??
Sir eagerly waiting for your reply…
thanking you in advance….
Sachin, you can attend classes in Delhi, please ask your Chandigarh center to forward your details to the desired center in Delhi.
Given your decent academic record and NC-OBC category, you should target 95%ile in CAT for calls from IIMs. A 97%ile will make it a surety.
Please be in touch with this blog, I will be uploading article on preparation of different aspects of VA and RC.
Hello GP Sir,
Firstly, you have raised very valid points on your blog regarding the problems in CAT and also in selection criteria.
I wanted to ask do you foresee any changes to Interview Selection Criteria for IIM-A.
My Profile:
X-92%
XII-90.6%
Grad-in Engg. 79.7%
So with current formula I stand to lose the chance from IIM-A for sure.So which top IIMs my profile with a good CAT percentile,I can expect to get a call??
Also what should be average number of raw questions solved correctly in both paper to get a 99.5 percentile.As per the trend you have seen?
Also I will be having 16 months of experience in a software product company as a developer,by the time I write CAT.
Rahul, it is only IM A that you are likely to lose due to getting 0.3% less in graduation. IIMA modified the formula for CAT’13 and hopefully it will improve it further for CAT’14. All other IIMs are not an issue. You have a very good chance in both IIM B and C.
Till CAT’12 about 19 net correct answers would have given a sectional score of over 99%ile and an overall score of over 99.5%ile but in CAT’13 it has fallen by about 2-3 net correct attempts.
Sir, i am an aspirant for CAT 2014
my profile is as under:
Class X – 93.2 %
Class XII – 86%
Graduation – Btech Thapar University – 6.5 ( which is low but it is relatively tough to get a GPA in our college)
Sir how much percentile do i need to get into a good A league college like IIM’s FMS SP Jain MDI NM XLRI and the likes..
how much will it hurt me for the low CGPA? is there a chance for A league colleges? Please help
Anirudh, it is only the IIMs that are hung up on past academic record, most of the others have a low/no weightage for past academics.
The CAT score required for FMS is 99%ile, SP Jain/MDI will need around 97%ile. NM and XLRI are through NMAT and XAT and an equivalent of CAT 97%ile is sufficient to get a call from them.
I am a guy with 2+ years in a top 5 IT (sweatshop) co of India…. I have converted both IIT Kharagpur and IIM Trichy. Which one should I join?
tired IT guy, IIM Trichy will be a better option than IIT Kgp.
Sir , these are my base marks that ive got till now:
CBSE:
10th – 75.2%
12th – 59.2 %
BTech (mech) – 7.5 CGPA
I have 3 queries here:
1> With %ges like these ( especially 12th one ) shall i expect a call from IIMs ( assuming i get a call worthy %le ) ?
2> I’m a current student in CL Noida Sector 18 , When do you plan to come here for a class ?
3> Regarding the subjects , Im not worried of any subject except for Quants . I become mentally handicap when i come across them . Any help in that area ?
Parichya, for calls from IIM ABC you sill need a score in excess of 99.75%ile due to very low marks in 12th.
Effective July I will be conducting sessions in centers across Delhi.
I have published a post on how to handle the QA section, 7 Rules to Excel in CAT QA hopefully it will be of help.
OK , was expecting this , but what about the other IIMs ? Indore and others ? Assumin i juust need a IIM tag , in that case ?
Parichya, around 99%ile should get you a call from most IIMs.
Hello Sir,
I have got following marks in :
10th Boards: 57.6%
12th Boards (Arts Stream): 73.8%
College: 8.2 cgpa
I am an hotel management institute pass out with working experience of 1.5 Years in a 5 Star Hotel as a Managemenst Trainee. I wanted to Know whether I am eligible for the IIMz Institutes or will I get the call from them. if I score above 99%ile.
Rishabh, low marks in X and average marks in XII IIM A and C are unlikely but call is possible from IIMB and most of the others due to your 1.5 year work experience. Your target score for calls from IIMs should be over 99%ile.
Sir,
I’m in a lot of confusion,your guidance would help me a lot.
Right now I am pursuing engineering, but soon after joining I realized this is not meant for me and due to lack of interest I flunked in my exams and lost a year so soon decided to quit but due to parent’s pressure I decided to continue but am finding it really hard to clear my exams without any guidance. So now I have decided to quit in any circumstances and start to work call centers and simultaneously do BBA through distance education since am interested in it and do Mba in future. My question to you is:
Do I have to face any problems in getting admission in iim’s due to my academic background and the fact that I will do my BBA through distance education?
My X and XII scores are 75% & 67%. And I expect to complete BBM above 80%.
Anand, this will be discussed in the interviews and can be handled comfortably, however if possible my suggestion is to complete your engineering rather than drop it. It will possibly save you a year or two.
NMIMS and Symbiosis do not consider the application of candidates who have studied through distance education but all other colleges are fine with it.
Hi GP sir,
I have a few questions in my mind which are-:
1)started my prep for cat 14 last week, as only 4 months left, is it still possible to crack cat. If yes, plz guide me on this.
2)How much min %ile is required to get a college in whiich i can get decent job offer(12+ lpa) given my acad profile is not good and zero experience.
3)plz list some top bchool who dont give weightage to the acad profile.
4)do u have any idea regarding dates of this year cat.
Thanks.
Vikrant, it is possible to prepare for CAT in 4 months, obviously you will need to put in an extra effort. About 3-4 hours on weekdays and 8-10 hoours on holidays over the next 3-4 months should get you fully prepared.
A minimum of 97%ile will be required for a college that fits your specification.
Apart from the IIMs almost all colleges have low/no weightage for past academics.
The CAT notification should be released around end July and the dates will be known ony then. However my estimate is that it should be in early November.
By when can we expect a release from iim’s/TCS regarding the paper format and slots etc ?
Sumit, the CAT’14 notification should be out by end July and it will give us a clear idea of the structure of the paper.
sir who will make the questions.i mean their pattern,style and difficulty level. if i am not mistaken i think IIM Indore will again conduct the CAT-14..therefore iim indore will design the paper and it is the job of the TCS to deliver it to test-takers..
Ajit, the CAT group consisting of representatives of all IIMs will be responsible for the creation of question paper(s) while TCS will be responsible for conducting the test. Every year one IIM anchors the entire process and in CAT’13 it was IIM Indore.
Sir,i was a student at cl for cat 2013,I will be taking cat this year aswell.Is there any package offered by cl that lets candidates take only mock tests?If not,I hope cl does initiate something like this as some students have already attended classes and have cat material but want to only take the mocks.
Siladitya, You can enroll for only the Test Series also or Test Series+Test Gym. The details are available at http://www.careerlauncher.com/ecenter/EProduct.jsp. Being an ex CL student you are also eligible for a fee waiver, use your last year enrollment ID as the discount code.
Hi Sir ,
If we analyse pattern of CAT , the constants are :-
LR = 9
DI = 9
RC = 9
PJ + PC = 6 ( or more if we include odd PJ question type also )
I have decided to practice 1 calc DI , 1 LR , 1 RC , 5 PJ , 5 PC each day . Please suggest me good quality books for these ( especially PJ & PC as I am poor in these ) . I have read your blog posts on attempting Pjs and PCs , even after that I could only improve on my PCs ( in every mock(total 35) I constantly got 2 correct out of 3 attempts ) and am still very poor in PJs . Plz help me as this is my 3rd and final attempt ( I am a CL student since last 3 years – including this year and have always been a fan of this blog ) .
I will be eagerly awaiting your reply.
Regards,
Rahul
Rahul, the best source of PJ, PC DI and LR questions are the old CAT/XAT papers and my suggestion is to first go through all the questions in your study material once again and then move to past CAT papers. Will put up a blog/video on PJ soon.
Sir,
Can we expect a change of pattern of questions ?
Saurabh, the pattern of questions may not change but I do expect the number of questions to go up.
sir why do youu expect the no of questions to go up?any particular reasons becuse in all the mocks held till now the questions have not increased
regards
prateek
Prateek, while the type of questions are unlikely to change I expect the number of questions to go up. With 30 questions per section (total 60 questions) it is difficult for the institute to differentiate between students and one question (correct/incorrect) can lead to a significant difference in scores. The current pattern of CAT has the lowest number of questions for any MBA entrance world wide. The number of questions were reduced possibly because of the requirement of 40 question papers. My estimate is that the number of questions could go up to around 75.
The CAT notification will come in a month’s time (end July) and will also possibly give us the pattern, we will make changes in the mocks at that point of time.
hope this time at least IIMs dont make mistakes.
Dear sir,
I’m a final year student of B.Tech(Electrical Engineering)
My acads are:
i)x-86%
ii)xii-65%
iii)B.tech( ygpa)-7.42(upto 5th sem)(as WBUT provides ygpa)
sir my question is how much percentile in CAT’14 is required for converting the all iits,iisc,NITIE (pgdisem),MFC,NPTI,FMS,MDI( hrm),NIBM pune,FMS BHU.
Sir i consider those because as more i konow that they do not emphasis on the past academics & as i don’t have any work exp.
sir i belongs to general category.
sir i’m also a student of CL scc comprehensive plus.
sir eagerly waiting for your reply…
thanking you in advance….
Atin, A score of 97%ile will get you calls from all these institutes except FMS and IIT Mumbai which will need a score of 99%ile. NPTI, NIBM and FMS BHU would be possible at a score of over 90%ile.
hw cn i prepare 4 cat within 90 days only.
i m b.tech student of final year. i had completed my studies from 10-cbse board 12-gbse board(English medium). my target is to secure 96%. sir guide what should i do. or how to made my schedule for preparation
Chirag, in the 3.5 months available to you it is possible to prepare well for CAT’14. You will obviously have to put in an extra effort. If you are starting fresh then you should look at completing the basics of QA and English in the next 3-4 weeks, the focus after getting the fundas in place has to be on MCQs. You should start by taking the Free (Sample) Mock, new pattern, to check your readiness. In these 4 weeks you should take another two Mocks to gauge your improvement. Remember each Mock that you take has to be analysed as suggested in this blog and important questions identified for weekly revision. Questions for revision should also be identified from the MCQs that you attempt. You should also read e-newsapers regularly to help improve your reading speed on the computer. You should also practice questions of topics using the Test Gym Adaptive. After the 4 weeks of getting your basics in place you should move to testing via Mocks CATs (both Proctored and Unproctored), practice via Test Gym Adaptive and weekly revision of all important questions.
If you are a CL student then you have the Test Gym and Test Series available to you, if not then my suggestion is to either enroll for a CAT’14 program at one of the CL centers or enroll for Smart CAT Cracker Comprehensive which includes video sessions, Test Series and Test Gym.
Dear Sir
I am new to this forum. I would like to give exam CAT 2014. I know the time frame is very less for the exam. I have a query that three months time is sufficient to crack the CAT ’14 ??
Apoorv, now that CAT has been delayed by a month you have sufficient time to prepare for CAT’14.