Entrance Exams Applicable in Thiagarajar School of Management

Thiagarajar School of Management provides five courses for students with various specialisations. 

Thiagarajar School of Management (TSM) is a 59-year-old institution located in the centre of Madurai city. It has been established with the aim of providing high-quality education to prospective managers who are passionate about expanding their future career prospects through enhanced organisational competencies. 

TSM does not conduct any entrance exams. Only the government-approved entrance exams are applicable. Based on the percentage scored in entrance exams, TSM conducts group discussions and personal interviews for admission to college.  

Entrance exams accepted by the Thiagarajar School of Management are as follows:

• Common Admission Test (CAT),
• Management Aptitude Test (MAT),
• Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT),
• Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) and
• Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET ).

Thiagarajar School of Management provides five courses for students with various specialisations. 

The courses are as follows:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA), 
• Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), 
• Post Graduate Diploma in Data Science and Business Analytics (PG DSBA)
• Twinning program of Post Graduate Certificate in Management & Master of Science (PGCM + MS)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The percentages scored in the entrance exams, group discussions, and personal interviews determine admission to these five courses. 

For MBA:

To apply for admission to the Master of Business Administration course, candidates need to take any of the following entrance exams: CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, TANCET

Students who have taken the TANCET exam are eligible for direct admission and are admitted based on their percentile score. This exam is exclusively conducted by the Tamil Nadu government. Students who appear for other entrance exams such as CAT or MAT or XAT or CMAT exams and are eligible for admission; get a call based on the score in these entrance exams, group discussion and a personal interview. 

For PGDM:

Candidates for the Post Graduate Diploma in Management program must take any of these entrance exams: CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT. Students who take the entrance exams such as CAT or MAT or XAT or CMAT exams and are eligible for admission, get a call based on the percentage scored in these entrance exams, group discussion and a personal interview.

For other courses such as PG DSBA, PGCM + MS and PhD, these entrance exams are not applicable. Admission is based on their work experience and previous academic percentages scored.

Exam Dates

1. Common Admission Test (CAT):

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a computer-based test for admission to management programs. CAT is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management and is conducted once a year. Students have to apply for the exam on the respective website in the months of August & September. Admit cards are displayed on the website from the end of October to November. Most likely, the examination takes place in November. The results of the examination are announced in the first week of January. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability are the three main sections of the test.

2. Management Aptitude Test (MAT):

The Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is a general aptitude test, conducted for students, who want to pursue their career in management studies. MAT is conducted by the All India Management Association and is conducted four times a year. Application forms are displayed before one month of the examination on the respective website. Admit cards for the examination are displayed on the website prior to one week of the examination. The examination mostly takes place in the months of February, May, September, and December. The results of the examination are announced after one month of the examination. Language Comprehension, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, Mathematical Skills, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, and Indian & Global Environment are the five main sections of the test.

3. Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT):

The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is conducted by XLRI – Xavier School of Management once a year. Students need to apply for the exam on the respective website from the month of August to the first week of December. Admit cards are displayed on the website from the last week of December to the first week of January. The examination takes place mostly in the first week of January.  The results of the examination are announced in the third week of January. Verbal & Logical Ability, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, Essay Writing, and General Knowledge are the five main sections of the test.

4. Common Management Admission Test (CMAT):

The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is conducted by the National Testing Agency once a year. Students have to apply for the exam on the respective website from the last week of December to March 1. Admit cards are displayed on the website from the last week of March. The examination takes place at the end of March. The results of the examination are announced in the first week of April. Logical Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, and Language Comprehension are the four main sections of the test.

5. Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET):

The Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) is an entrance test for management studies conducted by the Tamil Nadu government. TANCET is conducted by ANNA University of Chennai District once a year. Students have to apply for the exam on the respective website from the second week of January to the second week of February. Admit cards are displayed on the website from the first week of March. The examination takes place mostly at the end of March. The results of the examination are announced in the first week of April. Quantitative Aptitude, Data Sufficiency, and General English are the three main sections of the test.

6. Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GD/PI):

The Students who have scored a high percentage in any of the above-mentioned entrance exams are called to the institution for group discussions and personal interviews. GD/PI takes place at Thiagarajar School of Management in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. Group discussion takes place for half an hour and the topics covered are current affairs and management-related. Students are evaluated based on their communication skills, confidence and knowledge; and qualifying students are called for a personal interview. In PI, students’ subject-related knowledge, work experiences and academic details hold weightage. After this, panel members discuss the candidature and select the eligible students. Admission is based on the decision of the panel members only.

­About the Author

Ponnila SM is pursuing MBA from Thiagarajar School of Management. Writing is her passion, and she feels it allows her to explore different words and put them together to form meaningful sentences.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.