Mission B-School Admission: One down, three to go…

CAT is over. Some of you had a good paper, many of you did not and are possibly still reeling from the shock and looking at the end of the world scenario. I would like to highlight a fact that many of us tend to forget: your feeling at the end of CAT has no value. Every year many students who think they have not done well get interview calls and many who were very happy after the paper do not get any calls.

There are two reasons for this:

1. In this paper of relative performance, you are aware of only your performance and not of others. Even your performance is an estimate because you are sure of only the attempts, accuracy is just an estimate.

2. The degree of difficulty of your paper vis-a-vis that of others’ is only a subjective estimate and how normalisation (if any) impacts your scores will possibly be never known.

So instead of wasting your time fretting over CAT, it’s time for you to shift your focus to the other MBA entrance exams – IIFT, SNAP & XAT. These papers are different from CAT on account of the structure as well as the content of the paper and hence the approach for attempting these papers needs to change.

These papers are different from CAT on account of the following:

1. General Awareness: These three tests have a section on General Awareness which is a weak area for most of the students but if prepared well, this section can really boost your scores.

2. Time Management: There are no sectional time limits in any of these papers and the students are free to spend as much time as they want in a section. Time management between sections troubles many students and is the main reason why many good students do not get a call from these institutes.

3. Speed: Unlike CAT wherein you have over 2 minutes per question, these papers give you an average of a minute per question and hence not being able to read or comprehend or calculate fast leads to a poor performance.

4. The Advantage factor: While the CAT is right up there when it comes to level of difficulty, the others give you small but valuable perks! SNAP, I daresay, is a little easier and a 60-80 percentile student stands a very good chance. Similarly, a lot of the B-Schools that take CAT scores will also open their doors to you with XAT. Plus there are still almost 2 more months to go for XAT, so there is plenty of time – still!

Going forward, we will be discussing the entrance tests of IIFT, Symbiosis (SNAP) and XLRI Group (XAT) in detail, along with the strategy specific to each one of them. We will also be organising Webinars on GK, on past papers and on specific topics for these three papers. Watch out for write ups on this blog & stay in touch with the CL Exam Corner.

All the best!

212 Comments

  1. i have 97% in my Xth,95% in XII,59% in btēch. Will I be able to get into top iims with good cat score. how good should my cat score be?

  2. I have only one option of scmhrd im branch..shoudl i try for repeat or i shuld go by this bramch pnly..my background is b.e.mechanical. and i my dream is to places in project business cosultancy company..will it suffice my dream or i should try once again..i have work ex of 3 yrs. in manufacturing vompany of sales and marketing.

    • Adiraj, you should consider taking CAT 2016. KIIT will not add much to your profile. Try to target better B-schools.

  4. Sir,
    I have given my cat and im moving on to xat now. I have good Acads and 1 year work experience in CTS. I would like to do my MBA in rural management. Other than IRMA which are the other Rural Management Programs offering good placements? Please Suggest and help me out.

    • Jayasuryaa, other than IRMA the good RM programs are the ABM programs of IIM A and L. All other RM programs are avoidable and you will be better off going for a general management programs.

  5. sir
    my x-88
    xii-82
    cgpa: 7.9
    i will have a work ex of 3 months till jan 2015
    what are the chances of getting into iim a?

    • Ish, X/XII are good but CGPA of 7.9 in graduation is a minor concern area and means that IIMA is difficult unless yo have a CAT score of over 99.5%ile

      • Sir managing above 99.5percentile to an extent assures me a call from iim a? and which other iims should i be hopeful for?

        • ISh, with over 80% in X/XII and a CGPA of 7.92, at 99.5%ile you can get expect calls for all IIMs except IIMB (due to almost zero work experience)

  6. Thank you Sir,for your honest feedback.
    But given my above profile(Marks and Extracurricular activities) and an additional 2-3 years of work experience in Accenture(IT profile),if I am able to score over 700 in GMAT or get 95%ile in CAT/XAT, would it be possible to get into a good B School(A+/A category)?

    • Jastej, while 95%ile can get you into good B schools, a 97%ile can get you into almost all top institutes (except IIMs, FMS, IIT Mumbai) so do not wait for 2-3 years and target CAT’14 itself. The option of GMAT and CAT after couple of years is in any case available to you. From a career perspective the earlier you do an MBA the faster your growth. To be safe to you can apply for the Early Entry Option of ISB which will allow you to join ISB once you have a 2 year work experience.

  7. Also sir, the bone of contention is not the start date of the programme but the refund rules they are subjecting us under because of which we are being charged 50% fees for semesters which we have not even attended! Can any institute just come up with any random whimsical refund policies they want? What if tomorrow it becomes 75%? Or 80%? Is MBA education for learning or money laundering huh?

  8. I have just learnt one big lesson- these 1 year programmes are total fraud and cheapsters looting people with lots of money. They are complete business assholes with no intention to give valuable education.Even student quality is below level of IIMs and other leading schools. I shall never recommend these programmes to any person wanting to take a valuable education.

      • Sir,
        What I am saying is out of my own first hand experience in the time I stayed. Had it not been the case, they would have never deliberately increased the batch size and diluted their own brand much to the inconvenience of so many.
        But now my chief concern is money and I find it frustrating that I am being looted this way. What according to you is the approximate time that could be taken to get a justice in consumer court and get a refund? Could it happen in atleast a year?

  9. Sorry, the first line was meant to be-I was rejected in IIM-A,B waitlisted in IIM-Calcutta (WL-53) “

  10. Dear GP Sir,
    I am in a terrible mess and I need your guidance regarding a very important issue.
    I was rejected in IIM-A,B waitlisted in IIM-Bangalore (WL-53) and had no hope of a convert. So, since I had ISB Hyderabad convert, I joined it paying around Rs. 11.7 lakhs amount in March. But recently surprisingly the waitlist in C moved heavily this time and now I have converted IIM-C. Considering my interest lies in finance and C is miles ahead in finance compared to other IIMs, leave alone ISB, I would never want to leave this valuable offer. So I instantly submitted my withdrawal letter to ISB admissions office and they gave me a week to complete the necessary exit processes from the Hyderabad campus. But, now at the end they are saying they will refund only Rs. 4.7 lakhs out of that hefty 11.7 lakhs! I was in for a rude shock and studied the calculations deeply.What they have done is that they have taken away the fees for not just the first term, but even 50% of fees of 2nd,3rd and even 4th terms, even if I won’t ever attend them for a single day! This when I have just attended classes for only 8 days in ISB which is equivalent to 8*4=32 lecture hours. I did not even attend the mid-term exams, completely skipped them this weekend after I submitted my withdrawal. Inspite of this, I am being forced to lose money for almost a year’s 50%.
    I am therefore planning to file in consumer court and seek legal support. Kindly mention to me the steps to do this and how best I can get speedy justice delivered. Your reply eagerly awaited.

    • Roshan, unfortunately the institutes are free to decide the start date of their programs and hence we have a situation where the admission process of top institutes is underway but ISB and Great Lakes have already started their classes. Your only hope is the Consumer Court, however it too will take time because if the institute has the option of going to State or the National Commission if it losses in the District forum. The process of filing of the compaint is available at http://www.core.nic.in/.

  11. Hello Sir,
    I have 88.2% in 10th;74.8%in 12th,and 7.9 CGPA from VIT University, Vellore (B Tech. Mechanical Engineering). Extracurricular activities are-
    Vice President(Membership) and President of the recently declared best student chapter of the college.Served as Captain of the Basketball team in school.Served as Research Team Member and later a Mentor for a National Level Conference held at college.I also taught students at an orphanage for a while in college.
    My question is-On one hand, I have an IT Job offer from Accenture,whereas on the other hand I converted the exam of a Creative Copywriting Course from Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA),which has only 24 seats and its duration is 1 year.The course is very good (as suggested by experienced Advertising Industry professionals)and will help me land a job of a copywriter in a well reputed Ad Agency.Also,in MICA i will get a lot of exposure which will help in developing myself.I am really interested in working in Advertising.My question is after working for 2-3 years in Advertising,if somehow I find that I am not able to grow,would it be possible to do an MBA from a good B School after that?Since I am from an Engineering Background and then Advertising and then later if I plan to do MBA,would they consider my application as a diverse profile or would they think that I am confused?

    • Jastej, I am not sure if this is a good approach. While the MICA program is good it is restrictive and hence you should go for it only if you are sure of getting into copywriting else you could end up disillusioned/frustrated. Advertising agencies pay low salaries and to the best of my knowledge after doing this course you are likely to end up with a salary of around Rs 15.000 per month which on completing the training/probation will increase to around Rs 20,000 per month. It will take you around 4-5 years to reach a salary level of Rs 6-7 lakh pa.
      It will be prudent to take up the Accenture job offer, prepare for CAT/XAT, do an MBA from a good B school and then get into marketing/advertising. At least you will not be restricted in your career options.

  12. sir,
    my profile-
    90 in class x and 86 in class 12.
    i have entered in the 5th sem of engg.
    perctge till 4th sem is 72 only.
    sir i have participated in the gd and debate only few times.

    sir pleasetell me what extra activites should i indulge my self which would be beneficial for the mba.

    and please suggest me tht when should i start preparing for cat exams..as i want to get in a good college..of mba.

    i just want to get in ..good college as i m goint to complete my gradutn in 2016.
    suggest me the collgs..and the above query.

    thanks

    • Yajur, 72% marks in graduation reduces your chance of getting into IIM A and B significantly but all other IIMs and other top MBA institutes would not be a problem.
      All kinds of extra curricular activities are fine just ensure that whatever you do you do it well. The most important thing for you (and for others as well) is to ensure a good performance in engineering as your knowledge of what you have studied will be tested in the interview. The focus in not on your theoretical knowledge but on your ability to apply what you have studied. Your internships and projects are also extremely important.
      You will have to take CAT’15 and the right time to start structured preparation will be around Oct/Nov’14. Till then read a newspaper daily (my suggestion is Indian Express) along with a current affairs magazine and also get in the habit of solving puzzles.

  13. Dear sir,
    In a nutshell, this is my profile:
    10th – 90.6% CBSE ; 12th – 88% ; Undergrad (VIT University) – 7.85 cGPA (no job experience)
    My extra curricular activities / achievements include: Represented Tamil Nadu at U-12 and U-15 category in Handball.
    President, Vice President Membership – Terra VIT Toastmasters Club in VIT, Vellore. Have 5 certificates from Toastmasters International validating my communication and leadership skills.
    Served as the Sponsorship Team Lead for a National Level Youth Summit which had a budget of Rs. 10 Lakhs and now i serve as a mentor for the summit this year (2014).
    I teach English to orphans as a part of Toastmasters on Sundays (social service basically).
    Have come 2nd in a B-plan competition at the University level.
    Released a one of a kind VIT Students Handbook handed out to all freshers.
    I aim at getting into a top 10 B-school and want to pursue marketing. Is my profile good enough to get a profile based call from SP Jain? Also, will my low cGPA affect my chances to get into a good B-school?
    I would be delighted if you replied as soon as possible!
    Thank you!

    • Siddharth, you have a good chance of a profile call from SP Jain and good chance of converting the interviews of all MBA institutes. Apart from IIMA all other MBA institutes are possible for you.
      Focus on getting a good score in CAT and if possible pick up a job also.

  14. Sir,
    I have got admission offers from IIM L, K, S, MDI Gurgaon and waitlisted in B. I have also been admitted to the YLP programme of ISB Hyderabad and I have been alloted Mohali campus. Kindly mention to me the preference order for these institutes. I am from 3 yrs IT background but want a career preferably in finance.

    • Rohan, you have to choose between IIM L and ISB Mohali and my preference is for IIM L since Mohali is a new campus and yet to establish itself.

  15. gp sir ..these are my final converts…bimtech rm..amity noida,xime kochi,ibs mumbai….heard bimtech is quite overrated ….but went there personally and got a positive feedback from students….pls help me choose between bimtech rm and xime kochi…as xime’s location is a drawback….

    • Ashok, among these options BIMTECH RM is the best.XIME Kochi is a new campus and also has a location disadvantage.

      • sir, my profile is
        10th-55%
        12th-74%
        grad-b.com(H) from du-61%
        cat-92.46 percentile
        completed graduation in 2013 and have no work experience.
        i wanted to know which college is better for me lbsim finance,nibm pune,bimtech tech,xime banglore or imt dcp. i have all convert except nibm pune as gdpi is on 3rd may. pls help me on this

        • Zuhaib, LBSIM is likely to be the best option among the calls that you have converted. While DCP is a good program it is expensive and unless you are among the top 1/3 of the batch at IMT the ROI will be low. If however money is not an issue you can consider DCP. Go for the NIBM Pune interview and let us discuss once you get a final call.

      • hello sir..
        i have applied to welingkar pgdm course with my cat overall 71%ile and sectionals QA-84%ile and Va -63%ile and have 1 yr of experience in IT sales /marketing..do i have chance of fetching a gdpi call as i have already got a call for psychometric test by we school..need ur response..also im in waitlist of xime bangalore (190/340) so i dont have hopes..

    • soumya, students will keep withdrawing till mid May and waitlists will keep coming, so you have a chance.

  18. Sir,
    This site is extremely helpful and informative. I have one request. Could you please provide a a complete list of MBA entrance exams held over the year, if convenient? I am new to your site, so if you already have one, please provide the link.
    Thank you!

    • Sree, the major exams held once a year in India are CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, IIFT, IRMA, IBSAT and MICAT. Other exams which are held more than once a year are MAT, ATMA and CMAT. We have separate articles on most of these exams. You can check them out.

  19. RESPECTED SIR,
    my marks are as follows :
    10th 84 ICSE BOARD
    12th 58 ISC board
    BTECH 58 %
    now my real question is if i am able to score above 99.7 %ile or 100 which iims would consider me?
    AND if i am able to get my name in LIMCA book of records in mathematics as i am too good in mental calculations ,would IIM A consider me?

    • Parth, with 99.7%ile in CAT you will be able to get cals from all IIMs except A & B, at 100%ile these two will also be possible. Limca book of recrds can help you convert the interview call not get one.

      • Will i get to sit in the placement drive in B schools as i have 58% in graduation and also get lucrative packages if i have the proper knowledge and i do well in mba ?

    • Vishal, you should be able to get a call from NM Mumbai Core, all scores are above the last 3 years sectional and overall cutoffs.

  21. Respected Gautam sir,
    I got in X- 72.6%
    XII- 58.66%
    Grdauation- 66.6%
    and sir the problem is that I did my Graduation from NIIT in distance mode, so does it create any problem getting admission in good b-school?? and sir in which good schools can I apply??
    Sir plz let me know..!

    • Aatron, You are not eligible for Symbiosis and NMIMS but as far as the IIMs or the other top B schools are concerned you will not have any problem. Your score in the entrance test will determine your fate. All the best.

  22. Respected Sir,
    I have the following profile:-
    10th-96.3%
    12th:-94.2%
    currently I am in prefinal year of engineering from mumbai university (MU), but an aggregate above 77% is difficult in graduation.I am appearing for cat 14.How much chance does an MU fresher hold while getting into top IIMS and FMS ? Or should we be satisfied with SP jain,JBIMS and KJ Somaiya ?

    • Koustav, marks are an issue only for a the IIMs. Your X, XII marks are very good and graduation is above 75% so as a general category candidate you will need a score above 98%ile for a call from most of the IIMs. FMS and IIM C will require more than 99%ile.
      You should not be satisfied with SP Jain, target the best. Also JBIMS is as good as the IIMs and being a Home University candidate you will have a distinct advantage over others.

  23. Sir,
    Thanks for your support so far, it has been really helpful.
    Please clarify if there is negative marking in SNAP this year or not.

    Thanks for your support.

  25. Sir, i have a backlog of 3 years after 12th due to certain factors..rite now i am in final year of grad and also appeared for cat 2013..expecting gud score..do i have a chance of getting a call from IIM A,B,C n all other A+ colleges..would my backlog become a deterrent in getting a call? N pls sir can u provide me with ur mail id n if possible contact no. so i can open up?

    • Sunny, your backlog is history and while it will be discussed in the interview it can be explained easily and is not a reason of rejection. You can get into top MBA institutes despite this backlog. My email id is 9811155160.

  26. Dear Sir,
    My academics:
    10th :76.6%
    12th :56.2%
    Graduation: 59.4%
    I belong from SC category. I am expecting my CAT percentile in the range of 80-90%. How are my chances to IIM calls?
    Thanks
    Sushil

    • Sir I have also 4 years of work experience. Apart from IIMs, I am also focusing on FMS-DU and FMS-BHU.
      Thanks in advance for the valuable feedback.

      • Sushil, FMS BHU is very low in ranking and not advisable for you due to your score and work experience. You should not go below the IIMs, FMS, NITIE, IITs or MFC.

    • Sushil, a SC candidate with over 80%ile will be able to get calls from most IIMs. The could however lose IIM A and B due to low marks in XII and graduation. Calls from FMS, NITIE, all IITs and MFC/MBE are all possible. Start PDP immediately to ensure that you are well prepared for the interview process.

    • Anmol, my estimates for grades (school and college) for general category candidate for a call are:
      IIM A – over 80% in X, XII, Graduation
      IIM B – over 80% in X, XII, Graduation for a fresher and over 70% for a candidate with 2 years of work experience.
      IIM C – over 70% in X and XII

  28. Sir pls kindly tell us when is your next blog on xat 2014 coming..from DM to AR, essay writing to RC..everything. N also sir how to tackle DIs..? Thank you.

  29. Sir,
    acc to cl %ile predictor my cat %ile are 85

    10th –87%
    12th–76%
    BE 2013 passout
    No job

    How is ximb rm prog (considering its lower cat/xat cutoff)
    Should I apply for irma?

    how is pgdm ib prog of kjsomaiya and fore..?

    What other colleges can I consider..?

    Regards
    pc

    • pc, you should apply to both XIMB RM and IRMA as their as their cutoff is likely to be below 80%ile. XIMB RM program is a decent back up option with an average salary will be in the region of Rs 6-6.5 lakh pa.
      KJ Somaiya – Both programs (PGDM and IB) are good with decent placements. FORE might not be possible below 90%ile in CAT.
      Please refer to the blogpost Application Time! and you can consider applying to Category B and B+ institutes. The B school Advisory in CL Exam Corner will also guide on the institutes based on your category and expected CAT score.

  30. Sir,

    My Details are as follows-

    10th–87.4%
    12th–78.8%
    BE(2013 passout)–73%
    No Job
    General category Male
    Madhya Pradesh domicile

    Cat 2013–85%ile (cl %ile predictor)
    Will be writing Xat 2014
    Q1) What could be the approx cat cutoff for irma this year.?
    Q2) How is ximb (rural management) scope and placement wise for freshers (considering its lower cat/xat cutoff)?
    Q3) Should I apply to kj somaiya (pgdm or pgdm ib)..?
    How is pgdm ib placement wise..?

    Q4) What other colleges should I consider.?

    Please reply asap as the last date for ximb is 30th nov.

    Thanks in advance

    Prakhar

    • Prakhar, refer to your questions above:
      1. IRMA cut off should be around 80%ile in CAT.
      2. XIMB RM program is a decent back up option. Its average salary will be in the region of Rs 6-6.5 lakh pa.
      3. KJ Somaiya – Both programs (PGDM and IB) are good with decent placements.
      4. Please refer to the blogpost Application Time! and you can consider applying to CAtegory B and B+ institutes. The B school Advisory in CL Exam Corner will also guide on the institutes based on your category and expected CAT score.

  31. Dear Sir,
    Cat Predictor shows my cat percentile to be around 94.I have 3 years of experience.My Scoring at different levels: 10-81.33
    10+2- 94.90
    BE- 73.81
    MayI know from which IIM’s can I expect the call.

  32. Sir as per the CL Predictor I am expecting 85% in cat cat with sectional around 80. which all colleges I should apply? I am OBC NC category student with 16 months of experience as of now. I have already applied for snap colleges. Thanks 🙂

  33. Sir,
    please help me,
    My scores are
    10th=89.8
    12th=77
    B.tech= 64.8%
    I calculated my CAT %ile through predictor and its showing 88,
    i assume it will be around 85 minimum.
    Please suggest me Colleges where I have chances for admission.
    Should i consider retaking the exam next year, as this was my first attempt without any serious preparation.

  34. hello sir ,
    i got 222 in NMAT with 82 in QS,71 in LS and 69 in LR.
    What are my chances of finally converting the call…???

    • Shrey, you have very good chances of making it to the final list but do not take the interviews lightly else you may not get the desired course.

  35. Sir,
    My scores are
    10th=79.38
    12th=74
    BE 6.8 cgpa
    Please suggest me top Colleges where I have chances for admission.
    My mock cat results were always around 99 percentile and Original Cat has also gone awesome.

    • Smit, with awesome CAT some IIM calls will happen along with FMS and you need to look at back up options. My suggestions for back up are MDI, SP Jain, NITIE and IIT Mumbai.

  36. Dear Sir,

    I have a query relating to MICA admissions. Please can you tell me any good source or book that may be available for MICAT prep ( for example test prep or past year papers and solutions, anything that may help!). I sincerely hope to do well in this exam, so please share any tips that may help 🙂

    Thanks in advance

  37. Sir,
    My NMAT score is-
    QS – 75
    LS – 63
    LR – 70
    Total – 208/360
    What are my chances and should i go for a retake?
    Also that i belong to NC-OBC category..

    • Manish, While your sectional scores are above the cutoff at an overall score of 208 you could miss out on a call from NM Mumbai, the cutoff in the last 2 year has been around 209. Go for a retake with a target overall score of minimum 215. NM does not have OBC reservation.

  38. also sir,would you advise me to jump the gun and take admission in an MBA college this yr itself,based on CAT or say XAT ( havent applied to IIFT) ..? or would you suggest giving another attempt,if by chance i dnt make it to an A+ college? this was my 1st attempt at CAT.

    • Jaspreet, do not compromise on the B school. Target the top 30, if you do not get into these then pick up a job and go for a retake.

  39. sir i gave my CAT exam on 10th Nov,morning slots.i cdnt count my exact no. of attempts,but my estimates are 17-18 in QADI and similar attempts in VALR. (i did 2 DI complete,alongwith 2Rcs and 2 LRs).. considering good accuracy,>90% accuracy,what could me my approx %ile… also sir my profile :

    10th- 91%
    12th – 88%
    grad – 73%.. dyu think its gd enough for top IIMs? no considerable work ex,passed out in 2013.

    • Jaspreet, Please enter your attempt and estimated correct in the True Percentile Predictor at http://www.careerlauncher.com/cat2013 to get an idea of your CAT percentile. The B-school Advisory will also give you the list of institutes from where you can get interview calls based on your category.
      However my estimate is that with 18 attempts and 2 incorrect in each section you should be over 97%ile in CAT. With very good X, XII marks and average graduation marks IIM A is unlikely and lack of work experience makes IIM B difficult. IIM C typically requires 99.5%le from a general category candidate. Some of the other IIMs are possible.

  40. Need a quick reply pls..

    What percentile is needed to actually convert XLRI(BM or Global MBA)??

    10- 92%
    12- 87%
    Btech (upto 6th sem) 76% – from UPTU
    no work ex.
    no exceptional extra curriculars..
    Are there any reservations for OBC??

    Thank You

    • Vishwaas, While XLRI BM cut off is usually 95%ile in XAT you should target over 98%ile to be able to make it to the final list. There are no reservations for SC/ST/OBC in XLRI

  42. Sir,can you please tell a little bit about sp jain cutoffs,i heard that they give a lot of importance to profile,my profile is
    X-83%
    XII-89.8%
    Graduation-63%
    Work Ex-2 years
    Sir,how much do i need to get in CAT/XAT for sp jain call or is it not possible for me to get shortlisted

    • Amit, profile based calls are on the basis of your answers in the SP Jain form so your chances of a profile based call in SP Jain cannot be commented upon.
      For a score based call you will need a minimum of 95%ile in CAT/XAT.

    • Vishwaas, your total and sectional scores are above the last years cut off but QS is on the borderline (last year cut off – 72) and below the year before cut off. While your LS and LR score are very good the QS score could be an issue hence my suggestion is to go for a retake.

  44. Hello! I googled “something” and came across your wonderful blog.
    To be quick and short
    X 92.7%
    XII 93
    Graduated in 2013 from NIT Kurukshetra with 78%
    Working since 4 months in government firm
    CAT Quant : 16 attempted (expecting AT LEAST 12 correct)
    VA: 25 attempted ( AT LEAST 20 correct)
    CAT percentile predictor says around 96-97 percentile
    NMAT (29th Oct) : 183/360 DAMN!
    Exams on line : IIFT, XAT, TISS and SNAP!
    Questions : 1) Should i go for retake of NMAT?
    2) I want to go for some class for XAT/ IIFT/ TISS etc exams for next two months. I belong to Delhi and can attend something even overnight. Actually am someone lik “bina dande kaam ni karta”. I am trying my best to work harder staying home only but am not getting much result. I didnt study anything for CAT etc. But now a days I have started working on IIFT last 4 years question papers..the type of questions and all, am analyzing those. I want to know if I can find any workshops etc for these exams. I aint a student of any coaching center.
    Thanks for sparing so much time.

    • Aashish, my response is given below:
      1. Yes you should go for a retake, a 96-97%ile in CAT should result in a better NMAT score. Your target should be over 75 in QS, 65 in LR, 55 in LS and 215 in aggregate.
      2. Last 5-6 year IIFT papers are good enough preparation. Will however forward your details to CL Delhi and someone will get in touch with you.

  45. Hi Sir,

    I gave my CAT on 29th October Slot-1. I had posted on one of your blogs few days ago requesting a feedback on my attempts and performance. Back then you had predicted my percentile to be in range of 80-85% , back then the CAT percentile predictor predicted something similar, but now when I checked the revised percentile predictor, with the following data

    Section 1 : 14 A- 11 C , Section 2 : 18A-15C

    It predicts a OA percentile of 92.27 !! , which is way off your and its earlier prediction. Also you mentioned in one of your earlier posts that with a score of 90 one can expect a percentile of 90%, In this case the score id 72, the how can the PP predict a score of 92% ??

    Please throw some light on this sir, I am really confused.

    Thanks And Regards,
    Abhijit

    • Abhijit, The percentile predictor works on the basis of some statistical parameters which represent past CAT years trends and another set of indicators of the current CAT trends. Ever since the CAT exam window has concluded thousands of students have submitted fresh data to us. We have thus been able to get a better understanding of CAT 2013 . At this point of time, we have a significantly large amount of data which was sufficient reason to revise our estimates. The current estimates are more accurate than the first estimate. My understanding also improves with more data 🙂
      Your B school Advisory will also now show a different set of schools.

  46. Hi sir,
    Had my NMAT today..LR and VA went okay, but i messed up my QA as 20 DI questions were there and that too of very higher difficulty and were very lengthy….please help what to do, as per the level of paper that is coming this year none of the mock pprs were close to it…
    I have applied for a retake

  47. Sir,

    I have a query regarding the new %ile predictor.
    After giving my CAT, I had consulted you on one of your blogs to estimate my %ile. You had predicted around 90% that time.
    However, the %ile predictor had shown oa 92%, and now the revised %ile predictor shows 97% with same score of course.

    All I want to know is, has the normalization been tried in the new %ile predictor keeping in mind the difficulty level of various slots ?? ( Although I’m not sure about it ) or has the %ile predictor been updated just on the basis of the entire CAT as a whole ( disregarding indvidual slot difficulty ).

    • Ankit, with completion of the testing window and with more data available we have revised the percentile predictor. Normalisation is not a factor and is unlikely to impact the scores.

  48. sir after the revision the true cat percentile predictor is showing an overall %ile of 92.4 with 85.01% in QA and 94.8%ile in VA. Should i apply for FMS?..if not then which good B-schools i should apply for? I am a third year student and am ready to appear for CAT next year if the chances of getting into a good institute are bleak.

    • Manish, a general category candidate is unlikely to get a call from DU FMS at a score below 98.5%ile. Please refer to the B School Advisory to decide identify the B schools from where you can get a call. If you are willing to wait for another year then consider only the Category A+ and A institutes as suggested in the blog post Application Time!

      • thank u sir. Sir i have recently got to hear that students who appear for CAT after their graduation are at a disadvantage as compared to those who appear in their final years. Is it true?..please help me sir because in that case i will not go for CAT next year and apply for some institute immediately.

        • Manish, if you are unemployed at the time of interview it will be questioned but it can be handled. If you are working then creating time for preparation is at times difficult. The best time to take CAT and other MBA entrances is along with your final year since you do not have any work related responsibilities and college schedule can be managed. If unsuccessful then a retake is easier because the time required for retake preparation is lesser.

  50. sir,
    According to the new updated CL percentile predictor, I am getting 79.06%ile overall,66.09%ile in QA+DI,86.18%ile in VA+LR.
    And I m a SC candidate.
    Will I be able to get a call from FMS .
    Which IIMs should i hope to get calls from..?

  51. In the new pecentile predictor im getting a percentile of around 99.7
    This one is how close to the real thing (How was last years percentile predictors predictions ? )
    Please do respoond
    Also in terms of statistics (last year what % of people got equal or more than predicted) and what % of people got lesser than predicted

    • Saurabh, last year we did not have the True Percentile Predictor based on CAT attempts so comparison is not possible. However we are reasonably confident that it would be close to the actual CAT performance.

  52. Sir are you sure? My college friends are telling me that IIM-A,IIM-B,IIM-C have never given calls below 99%ile at all.So are they wrong?
    Also, what do you mean by profile-score? How can I calculate that?

    • Rana, General category candidates have received calls from IIM A at 98%ile and from IIM B at much lower percentile scores. Obviously these candidates had a very good academic profile and/or work experience. IIMC has very low weightage for academic profile and hence it usually has a cut off in excess of 99.5%ile. You can check your academic profile scores in the SIS.

      • Sir,I am not able to find any link to check profile score in SIS or the CL Exam Corner Page.an you please provide me the link?

        • Rana, please click on the “My Profile” tab and fill in your details. The profile score will be available at the bottom of the same page.

  53. Sir,
    As per the new updated CL percentile predictor, I am getting 98.56%ile overall,96.63%ile in QA+DI,97.76%ile in VA+LR. So, should I give hope on all IIMs? Is there any top IIM which gives calls to candidates scoring below 99%ile?

    • Rana, you can hope for a cal from all except IIM C, subject to your profile scores. An outside chance of a call from FMS as well.

  54. Sir, My profile is
    X- 82.3 %
    XII- 86%
    Btech – 7.6 CGPA (current)

    Is there is a chance of getting IIM A B C or any others for a fresher if I will got good percentile in cat. I am planning to give Cat 2014?

    • Shubhank, If possible try to pull up your CGPA to 8.xx and you will be able to get a call from the top IIMs with a good CAT percentile.

  55. sir, In xat 2013 can u tell approximate expected overall cutoff total marks for XLRI-BM & HR COURSES? Apart from decision making section can we consider xat is similiar to cat? thanks in advance…

    • Srinivasan, the estimated cut off for XLRI BM was around 30 and that of PMIR was around 27. Yes you can say that XAT = CAT + DM

  56. Hello Sir,

    My slot was 5th nov morng slot (Had one of the toughest VA/LR section among all other slots.can be confirmed even on other MBA forums and websites)

    QA/DI : 25A (24-25C) : 71-75 (for sure)
    VA/LR : 21A (15-17C) : 39-47

    Sir my querry was what percentile to expect ?
    And secondly i got a tough slot in VA/LR but the percentile predictor doesnt know of that fact neither it considers it..
    So obviously a tough slot will not be graded equally with a medium slot in marks..so what is a good score in tough slot of VA/LR ?

    Also RCs where not simple at-all (i had seen lasy year CAT RCs and they where no-where close to this years RCs level)

    I had 4 hypothetical questions and 4 inference questions (just 2 main theme)

    And one LR set was nearly impossible to crack.

    • Dante, I have responded to this query of yours in another post. Repeating it for your reference.

      Rohini, normalisation is a black box that has not been explained by CAT/Prometric and hence you should ignore it. In case it comes into play then your percentile will go up.
      With a raw score in the range of 114-122 you are definitely around 99%ile and should start PDP early so that you are well prepared for the next stage of selection.

  57. Hello Sir,

    Since the CAT is over now, would you not be coming out with a detailed analysis of the difficulty levels of various slots with estimated attempts and their corresponding %ile ???

  58. Sir, can u plz rank the pgphr/mba hr courses of these colleges..
    MDI,SCHMHRD,SIBM,IMTG,NMIMS,XIMB..thanks in advance! sir,plz plz rply bcz this will determine which exams im going to priortise.

    ps: i posted this qsn in another thread where moderation is awaited,then realisd that this one is more appropriate for my query. im really sory for that.

  59. Respected sir,
    It will be of immense help if CL provides some booklet or so (pdf) for SNAP GK preparations .I am really finding it difficult to prepare for this section .i am not getting exactly from where should i read , what type of questions i should prepare for this section . I want to draw your attention towards the fact THAT SOME coaching institutes such as CAREER POWER provide a gk capsule pdf consisting of about 40 pages , containing all the banking related, sports ,awards booklet for candidates preparing for bank related exams. this booklet was really very helpful as it contained all the imp and main topics of 2013. IT WILL be of gr8 help if our institute can also provide some booklet like this FOR SNAP SPECIALLY so that we can sit at one place and study ,and dont have to search for information every now and then and improve the performance
    THANKING YOU SIR
    CL CLASS ROOM PROG. STUDENT

    • Sauman, Please check the eLib in SIS, GK Question Bank and GK Compendium for SNAP, XAT and IIFT are available. Similarly past papers of these exams are available in eLib.

    • RG, a net score of 95-100 (on +3, -1) is required for 95%ile in CAT.
      A session on decision making is planned. Schedule will be announced shortly.

  62. Sir,

    A very informative post on IIFT.
    I would request you to please help with a 2 month strategy
    On how to crack XAT.

    Regards

    • Neha, will be be releasing one on SNAP in the next 2-3 days and will come out with the XAT post next week. Till then continue with what you were doing for CAT and also take an old XAT paper (any except 2011) to get a hang of its patterns/structure.

  63. sir i have a work ex of more than 2 years..but in a core company..working in a plant in d outskirts of hinterland areas has taken a toll on me…n as u said..still not able 2 come out of d shock of cat…desperate 2 join a b-school dis year..cant trust cat..it will be highly unpredictable..will b appearin iift,snap,tiss,n xat…so need 2 knw wher al 2 apply on d basis of my profile…plz do reply…

    • SIB, Please enter your attempt and estimated correct in the True Percentile Predictor at CL Exam Corner to get a clear idea of your CAT percentile. The B-school Advisory will also give you the list of institutes from where you can get interview calls based on your category. Based on your profile SP Jain can be considered as they give profile based calls at above 85%ile.

  64. i have represented my state cricket team in u-15,u-17 level n have been a ranji probable…i have represented my university…appeared in cricket reality show CRICKETSTAR(aired in 2006 in star n zee)…got a cmat score of 206 n gmat score of 560…wat r my chances regardin profile based gdpi calls?n in which colleges…plz reply

    • Sib, unfortunately these achievements are looked at only after you get a good score in the MBA entrance. So just focus on the other exams and ensure a good score and these will ensure conversion.

  65. dear gp sir,
    this was my first attempt of CAT .
    i have checked from percentile calculator and i am getitng around 87 percentile(sc category ) .my profile is not that good
    xth = 81%
    xiith=74%
    bcom=72%
    graduated in the year 2010 and since then engaged in family business ..
    sir, can you pls suggest me something ..

    • Sanju, As a SC candidate with good acads record, work experience and 87%ile you are in line for calls from all IIMs. Please contact your CL center and start PDP immediately so that you are well prepared for the selection process of all institutes.

      • gp sir,
        the frieghtening thing is i was not part of my family business untill recently ..so i think that will be counted as my gap years ..
        sir could you suggest in this case what should i do .. to make me look good ??

  66. Sir,
    This is the first time I am writing to you, Please reply.
    Cat 2013 – 7th November (Morning)
    My attempts were :
    16/17 in QA (1/2 max incorrect)
    18 in VA .
    Due to my poor attempt in QA , I became a bit tensed and was very judiciously selecting questions in Section 2. I have attempted all LR questions correctly and the rest from PJ, usage etc. BUT I HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED ANY RC QUESTIONS. I went through 2 RCs but was not confident enough to mark.
    Is there ANY SPECIFIC WEIGHTAGE ON RC separately??

    Any comment on my performance will be highly appreciated.

    Thank you.

    • Esha, Please enter your attempt and estimated correct in the True Percentile Predictor at http://www.careerlauncher.com/cat2013 to get a clear idea of your CAT percentile. The B-school Advisory will also give you the list of institutes from where you can get interview calls based on your category.
      My estimate is that you would be around 90%ile in CAT with a similar score in both sections. There is only a sectional cut off in CAT and hence not attempting RC is not problem.
      Now that CAT is over suggest you shift your focus to IIFT/SNAP/XAT since these will also lead to good B schools.

  67. Sir,
    In the percentile predictor, I entered the following data:
    QA & DI: 16 C 3W
    VA & LR: 16C 7W
    Raw Score: 45+41 = 86
    The software predicted my percentile as 87.XX which I consider is low for 80+ expected marks.
    Or, this year it is expected to score 90 percentile at 90-95 marks. Please comment.

    • Saurabh, a raw score of 90 is likely to convert to 90%ile in CAT this year. This was the case last year also and overall the level of difficulty of CAT is the same in 2012 and 2013. This year in QADI while QA is more difficult, DI is simpler as compared to last year and hence the overall level of difficulty of QADI the same in both the years. This is true for VALR with more difficult LR but easier RC as compared to last year.

  68. what is the process to get into jbims . what is the cut-off cat percentile last year. I am a non-Maharashtra student. what is the cut-off for it in cmat . does xat scores also accepted?

    • Manish, Outside Maharashtra State (OMS) students can apply on the basis of CAT/XAT/MAT/ATMA/CMAT. Hence you should take MAT/ATMA since these are the easiest among all these and will get you the highest percentile.

    • Vishal, based on last two year data a call is unlikely for you. The cut offs for Mumbai campus programs (except Phrarma) was 209-210. Also your LS score at 53 is below the last year cutoff at 55. Suggest you go for a retake.

  72. Sir,
    How is Great Lakes PGPM program.
    My profile:
    X-88.83
    XII-91.40
    Engg-77.05
    Work Ex 40 months in TCS

    Awaiting for your reply.
    Thanks.

    • Udit, based on the last 2 years data you should go for a retake. The target/minimum score required is QS 80/75, LS 60/55, LR 70/75 and overall 215/210

  75. Hello GP Sir

    Indeed, we should focus on the forthcoming exams as soon as possible. But Is CAT really over? Mine is on 10th Nov and I think I stand as good a chance of scoring well as anyone who has already given cat. Or am I at a disadvantage by giving CAT in the last days?

    • Amit, you have the advantage of more time for CAT and the disadvantage of a few days less for IIFT. For the others it was the reverse. Just focus on your CAT and start worrying about other papers on 11th.
      All the best.

    • Shobhit, please refer to the “Strategy After CAT” section in the CL Exam Corner for NMAT analysis and guidance.
      I will be releasing a blogpost on IIFT in a day or two.

    • Palak, IMT-G cut off is around 93%ile both for CAT and XAT. They do not give weightage to past academic records for interview calls.

    • Hemanth, I will be writing on both these exams in a day or two, please hold on till then. Meanwhile you can attempt one past paper of each of these tests.

    • Hemanth, I’ll be releasing blogposts on IIFT and SNAP in a couple of days. Meanwhile take a past paper of both the tests to understand the structure and its intricacies.

  80. I know this is not the right place… bt still does anyone know from where to collect test papers of IIFT, XAT if someone enrolls for Smart Test Cracker thru web…..

    • Ajay, my order of preference is:
      1. SIBM Pune – MBA
      2. SCMHRD Pune – MBA
      3 & 4. SIBM Bangalore – MBA and SCMHRD Pune – IM
      5. SIIB Pune – IM
      6. SITM Pune – TM
      If you are a ward of Defence Personnel then SIMS Pune should be applied to.

  84. GP sir,
    Can you please give an idea how to prepare for xat in the next 2 months so that we can prepare accordingly.
    how to tackle xat English, Decision making and Quants together in those 120 mins ensuring cut offs for BM which has 70%ile for Englis, 80%ile for Decision making and 90%ile for Quants DI,with OA 90%ile.
    how to prepare for essay writing

  85. Sir,
    Great initiative for IRMA, please do cover the TISS Exam too as like myself there are many TISS interested aspirants.
    Thanks

  86. sir i dint recieve any links for yesterdays IRMA gk session.did it actually happen? or was it cancelled.If you are done with that session, atleast upload the video.let me know at the earliest.

    • Pavani, unfortunately some students did not receive the link due to tech issue, apologise for the same. The video will be uploaded soon.

  87. sir.one query regarding b scool plz rep quikly..which is bettr symbiosis collg scmhrd or sibm? ranking shows scmhrd but hiher cut offs are fr sibm ?? wat sort of irony is dis??

  88. sir,
    i was very eagerly waiting for ur blog on IRMA paper.
    today i got a mail that u hv posted about IRMA .
    but when i click the provided link it displays “page not found”

  89. CAT not over yet..slot on monday 🙂 looking forward to using SQC techniques!
    Eagerly awaiting the other sessions.

  90. sir, XAT has a different pattern this year. Could you give some tips for that, esp. wrt general awareness (what we can do at this stage).

  93. Sir, guidance for IIFT is needed.The paper is too long and we need to optimise our performance.
    A blog entry and a webinar would be much appreciated.

  95. GP sir,
    please arrange a session for snap……specially general awareness….and sir what is the cut off for siib,pune and sibm, banglore………need ur guidance…….hope u’ll reply soon….

  96. Sir,Please arrange a session on IIFT a bit early coz still we have 20 days left for that..I strongly believe we can score much better if we have some time to work on the areas,strategies etc. under your guidance..coz these xam needs a quite different approach as u said…
    after attending your sessions..my number of attempt increased significantly and will improve more in the coming days…Keep your blessing Sir…Thanks …

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