Students’ Speak: This is what you need to do after CAT entrance exam

You have to write down the list of colleges you wish to apply based on Mock CAT score and fill the forms accordingly. After the CAT result out you will receive calls from colleges in which you applied according to your score.

After the Common Admission Test (CAT) exam, the next big question that occurs into an aspirant’s mind is: “Will I qualify in the exam or not?”.

The other doubt is about securing admission in a reputed B-school which is again a competitive process. While preparing and attempting CAT was just the initial half of the job, the next step is to keep an eye on good MBA colleges and try and grab a seat in them.

Prepare for upcoming entrance exams

If you think your performance was not up to the mark, don’t need to worry as there are various competitive exams that are accepted by various reputed B-Schools (SNAP, XAT, MAT, States exams- CET, etc). Even if you realise that you performed well in CAT exam but still it is good to have another option in your hands.

You don’t need to sit and start preparing for other exams immediately on the next day of the exam. Now that you have appeared for the CAT exam on November 24, you can take off from your studies for about four days, relax, have fun with your family and friends and go for movies to freshen up your mood. However, soon after, start preparing for the upcoming SNAP, scheduled for December 15, and XAT, scheduled for January 5 next year.

Prep Tips for MBA Entrance Exams

For exams such as SNAP, XAT, MAT and CMAT you also need to prepare for the General Knowledge section. Manorama Year Book is one of the best recommended GK books for competitive exams. For Business GK and Economics you can read business newspapers and magazines and for current affairs refer to national dailies. These put together will help you prepare for WAT/GD-PI preparation. Another important source for GK is the previous year question papers from where you get the idea of difficulty level and pattern and type of questions. You can also easily get GK books online for free.

The time, which you will invest in the preparation of GK section, will be fruitful to you as less time is required to solve a GK question instead of another section questions. In this section, you can score more marks while spending less time.

Another important task, which you can’t ignore is the WAT/GD-PI preparation. With each passing year, IIMs are giving more importance to WAT-PI performance. So, do not let inadequate preparation for GD-PI ruin your chances of getting into a B-school of your choice. Plan a strategy for this as well.

GD: For GD topics you can rely upon the resources from which you are preparing for GK section especially newspaper (must-read editorial section) and magazines. You may get GD topics related to economy and some national level issues, sometimes you may also get abstract topics such as black, red, etc., and factual generic topics such as guessing is an act of intelligence.

WAT: For WAT section, develop a habit of writing and good speed. Try to manage your time and be specific as there is a time limit. Before you start writing spend some time to think and plan. Structure your essay in a format (Introduction, main body and conclusion). Avoid using jargon and use simple language yet interesting way. At last, proofreading the essay and rectifying any spelling/grammatical errors. Personal interview is all about telling the panel why you deserve the chance to study in their reputed institution.

Also keep in mind that most of the good B-schools close their admission forms before the CAT result rolls out, so be aware of this. You have to write down the list of colleges you wish to apply based on Mock CAT score and fill the forms accordingly. After the CAT result out you will receive calls from colleges in which you applied according to your score.

Lastly, work hard and do not leave any stone unturned to prepare yourself for upcoming exams and interview process.

About the Author:

Amritsar-based Manmeet Singh is pursuing PGDM with a specialisation in Marketing and Operations from FOSTIIMA Business School, Delhi. Along with his SIP from Finamigo Consultants Pvt Ltd, he has also done two live projects, one each with ITC and another with Shiksha.