Students’ Speak: A low XAT score is not the end of the road. Here’s how

By: Abdullah Salman

As most of the management entrance exam results, including CAT 2019 and XAT 2020, are out, your focus must have now shifted to your admission options to different B-schools depending on your scores or percentile.

But what if you have not fared well in your MBA exams such as CAT and XAT? What options does one have after scoring low in CAT or XAT? How can you still get into a top B-school?

Explore options for top B-schools

You might be disappointed with your MBA entrance exam results, but you should not lose heart as you may still get calls from B-schools that give a low weightage to MBA exam scores such as CAT or XAT. Such B-schools shortlist candidates with percentile range as low as  60 or above.

Thus, you ought to explore your B-school options supported by your existing CAT and XAT percentile.

Before finalising admission, B-School also looks for various aspects such as work experience, extra & co-curricular activities and various national- or district-level achievements. In many B-schools, CAT or XAT scores carry only 40-50 percent weightage in their selection process.

Thus, despite your low percentile in CAT or XAT, many B-schools may shortlist you because the MBA exam scores aren't the deciding factor for them. If you discover B-schools which may shortlist you basis your existing CAT/XAT percentile, you'll still apply to them provided they're open for applications.

All MBA exams are not yet over

If you're still not satisfied with the B-school options that you are getting after your CAT or XAT score, fix it by appearing for other management entrance exams which are scheduled to be conducted in the next two months. You can explore admission opportunities in top B-schools for the academic year 2020-21 by taking two more MBA exams, including CMAT 2020 and MAH-CET 2020, which will be conducted in the month of February and March, respectively.

A good score in CMAT 2020, can bring you admission opportunities to top B-schools accepting CMAT like JBIMS- Mumbai, DMS -NIT, SIMSREE, Great Lakes Institute of Management- Chennai, Prin. LN Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research- Mumbai, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research- Mumbai, Institute of Public Enterprise-Hyderabad, Balaji Institute of Modern Management (BIMM) –Pune, Jaipuria Institute of Management – Lucknow, PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore amongst many other private B-schools in India.

Prepare for remaining MBA exams and GD-PI-WAT,  simultaneously

So, what should be your next steps now? Since two important MBA exams are scheduled in the next two months and many B-schools are scheduling their GD-PI in the coming weeks also, your preparation for written test and GD-PI should go side by side.

Begin afresh for the next year’s exams

If your XAT 2020 results aren't satisfactory and you continue to want to enter Indian Institute of Management (IIM) or XLRI Jamshedpur, you ought to seriously start afresh with an extended-term plan for MBA admission in the school year for next attempt.

An early preparation strategy may offer you a foothold over the opposite CAT/XAT aspirants who begin preparation after the admissions to the present school year is over.

About the Author:

Abdullah Salman M. is currently pursuing an MBA in General Management from TSM, Madurai. He has 15 months of work experience as a Network Engineer. He hails from Vellore, Tamil Nadu and has previously completed BE (ECE), from Anna University, Chennai.