Whatever decision you make, ensure that it is not under anyone’s influence. The ultimate outcome of a management course is to fulfil your interest, ensure you have a good performance record.
Every competitive exam score is not only dependent on your individual performance but also on how other candidates perform. All these factors contribute to the overall percentile calculation.
Therefore, it is important to understand the fact that a low score in Common Admission Test (CAT) or any other competitive/entrance exams does not always mean that your performance was bad.
Here are 3 things you could that will help you move forward without feeling guilty about a CAT score lower than your expectations.
Explore colleges based on CAT
Take the next step immediately
It is important to make your next move as soon as you realise that your performance has not been on par with your expectations. The first that you need to take is to focus on other upcoming competitive exams such as MAT, XAT among others while you wait for your actual result.
Understand your priorities
Always ask yourself a question, “Why do I need an MBA/PGDM?”. Everyone has different reasons why they want to study this course. While some are looking at a handsome salary, some are looking for career growth and then there are some who want to be entrepreneurs. Everyone has a different plan and it is important to understand that need to join an MBA programme. Depending on this need, one can decide which college they want to join and how their CAT score can influence their priorities.
Time to invest
If you are determined to get a seat in top management colleges and can take another year gap, prepare for next year’s CAT or any competitive exams. Start your preparation right away. Work on the mistakes that you made this year and take steps towards resolving these.
On the other hand, if you are a person who is not willing to sacrifice another year, you can strategically bring up five attributes that you look in an MBA/PGDM programme. This can be placements, infrastructure, location, exposure and fees, etc., and shortlist colleges that fulfil these attributes. This is a great method by which you can find the right college.
Whatever decision you make, ensure that it is not under anyone’s influence. The ultimate outcome of a management course is to fulfil your interest, ensure you have a good performance record.
About the Author:
Arun S., an MBA - Healthcare Management student at Manipal Institute of Management, interested in Marketing & Business Strategy predominantly in Healthcare sector.
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Student Forum
Answered 21 hours ago
The online application for GIBS Business School is very well-organized and student-friendly for its MBA, PGDM, and BBA programs.
Application Procedure Step 1: Access the Admissions Portal
Go to the official website of GIBS Business School, and click on "Apply Online", which can be found under the sect
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered Yesterday
GIBS Business School considers the overall CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT scores for the admission of candidates in the PGDM and MBA programs. Rather than using solely high cut-offs, the entrance test scores are used to judge the aptitude of a candidate in terms of analysis, quant, and verbal f
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
GIBS Business School, Bangalore accepts various national-level examinations for admission to the PGDM and MBA programs. The scores of CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, and GMAT are accepted by the institute. Besides these, GIBS also accepts all the state-level management entrance examinations if their scor
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
GIBS Business School, Bangalore, has a strong and dynamic Placement Cell that helps in securing excellent career opportunities for the students. Every year, more than 260 reputed companies have visited the campus for recruitment, offering versatile jobs in sectors like BFSI, IT, consulting, manufact
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Getting into the MBA programme of NIT Trichy with a 300 SC CAT rank is somewhat uncertain. As the recent data sets suggest, NIT Trichy's CAT cutoff for SC category admission stands around 65th percentile. A 300 SC rank could be borderline depending on how many SC candidates apply and the quality of
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
The present faculty-to-student ratio of GIBS Business School, Bangalore, is about 1:15, with one faculty member for every fifteen students. This balanced ratio enables personalized attention, close mentorship, and interactive classroom learning to ensure that each student gets proper academic guidan
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a month ago
Candidates who did not appear for the CAT entrance exam can apply St. Xavier's College, Kolkata admissions as it is not a mandatory entrance exam. The candidates who wish to gain admissions into the MBA course of the institute have to appear for the Kolkata University entrance test for St. Xavier's
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, you can get admission to Jaypee Business School (JBS), Noida for MBA even if you don't have CAT. JBS accepts scores from several other exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, ATMA, and also CUET-PG. Just make sure you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, then apply with any of those va
Exam On - 30 Nov '25
