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DI-LR: Improving your core strength

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DI-LR, as we know, has been the nemesis of many a CAT aspirant over the past few years, and every serious aspirant asks me that — how do I improve my DI-LR skills.

Over the last two years, I thought that it is primarily about two things — set selection and comfort with mathematical reasoning (many sets over the last few years have been based on Arithmetic and Modern Math concepts).

But even so, I knew that to select the right sets and then solve 4 sets, one needs to solve the two easiest sets quite fast, and this pace would come from the regular practice of DI-LR sets (irrespective of difficulty level) and Sudoku.

Even then I still felt that a lot was left to the “natural” capability of the student. There was nothing concrete I could communicate (apart from a 5-minute average for Medium Sudoku sets) like say a particular reading speed or a particular set of concepts.

What core strength does a student need to crack DI-LR and how can he or she develop those skills through a particular kind of targeted practice.

The reason I thought about core strength is that I have been doing yoga, strength training, and breathing exercises quite regularly and I realised that there is no point in trying to do a few asanas and kettlebell moves unless one had a certain amount of strength in the key areas — core, legs, lower back — and mobility — hips and back.

In this current season of training, the trainer that I am working with did not even make me do many of the asanas for close to 8 weeks or more, asanas that other instructors start from day one and one keeps doing for years hoping to get better. This guy spent months just working on strength and mobility so that when he finally made me do an asana, it just felt right — both the strength and the flexibility were there to go into and hold the pose (which never happened in years practice before)

And that is what led me to think about exercises to build core strength for DI-LR. Can there be a specific way to practice and specific sets to practice that can get impart the desired strength and speed to the LR muscle in the head?

And in the process, I jogged back to my first teaching assignment back when I had just finished my engineering (mechanically) – teaching Analytical Reasoning to GRE students.

I managed to download the ETS GRE Big Book (it is no longer in print) that has 27 full-length tests with two AR sections per test, each section had 25 questions to be answered in 30 minutes, with approximately 18-19 LR questions spread over 4 sets and 6 CR questions.

I started doing a few sections just to gauge their utility from a CAT Prep perspective. I felt that compared to the CAT LR sets they were way too easy, I could solve the questions within time and I made 2-3 silly mistakes every single time and every section had only 1 or 2 questions that were tricky (back in the day all of my peers got a perfect score, 800, on this section). But the sets felt like good practice since they are well-designed and needed you to think a bit.

I felt that these sets can be a good starting point to develop LR skills but to yield maximum benefit to the entire spectrum of students I needed to add one bit of complexity — solve it without putting pen on paper unless absolutely necessary.

What this meant was that on an A4 size paper I wrote down numbers 1 to 25 (to note down the answers) and had the rest of the space available for rough work, I would consider myself good only if I solved the entire section within the time limit with barely anything written on the paper and with no more than 1 mistake.

The moment I set this restriction I felt that a 30-question practice session could serve as a great LR core conditioning exercise since I never solved LR sets mentally. While in the Math posts on this blog, I have advocated reducing writing to a minimum, I myself never did the same for LR. I felt that these sets were at the right difficulty level to solve without putting pen to paper.

To solve these mentally I had to do strengthen four core skills

  • Remember the conditions and the set better
  • Decode the logical implications of the information provided in the set and the questions better
  • Always find the most optimum route to answer instead of random trial and error
  • Concentrate harder

Each of the above things is a core LR strength that is needed to solve any LR set and the first three also apply to QA as well and the last one for the entire test.

I realised that just by setting this simple constraint I was forcing myself to get better, I forced myself to sharpen that tip of the pencil to a finer point and sometimes that is the difference between a great sketch and a good sketch.

Let me take a set and demonstrate what I mean by solving a set mentally, this would mean that all of you would have to imagine things visually 🙂

Solve the set on your own first and then go ahead and read my solution.

A museum curator must group nine paintings — F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, and O-in twelve spaces numbered consecutively from 1-12. The paintings must be in three groups, each group representing a different century. The groups must be separated from each other by at least one unused wall space. Three of the paintings are from the eighteenth century, two from the nineteenth century, and four from the twentieth century.

Unused wall spaces cannot occur within groups.
G and J are paintings from different centuries.
J, K, and L are all paintings from the same century.
Space number 5 is always empty.
F and M are eighteenth-century paintings.
N is a nineteenth-century painting.

1.If space 4 is to remain empty, which of the following is true?

(A) Space number 10 must be empty.
(B) The groups of paintings must be hung in chronological order by century.
(C) An eighteenth-century painting must be hung in space 3.
(D) A nineteenth-century painting must be hung in space 1.
(E) A twentieth-century painting must be hung in space 12.

2. If the paintings are hung in reverse chronological order by century, the unused wall spaces could be

(A) 1,5, and 10
(B) 1,6, and 10
(C) 4,7, and 8
(D) 5, 8, and 12
(E) 5, 9, and 10

3. Which of the following is a space that CANNOT be occupied by a nineteenth-century painting?

(A) Space 1
(B) Space 6
(C) Space 8
(D) Space 11
(E) Space 12

4. If J hangs in space 11, which of the following is a possible arrangement for spaces 8 and 9?

(A) F in 8 and M in 9
(B) K in 8 and G in 9
(C) N in 8 and G in 9
(D) 8 unused and H in 9
(E) 8 unused and F in9

5. If the twentieth-century paintings are hung in spaces 1- 4, which of the following CANNOT be true?

(A) Space 8 is ·unused
(B) Space 9 is unused
(C) F is hung in space 6
(D) M is hung in space 12
(E) N is hung in space 9

6. If the first five paintings, in numerical order of spaces, are F, 0, M, N, G, which of the following must be true?

(A) Either space 1 or space 4 is unused.

(B) Either space 7 or space 12 is unused.
(C) H hangs in space 11.
(D) Two unused spaces separate the eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century paintings.
(E) Two unused spaces separate the nineteenth-century and twentieth-century paintings

A museum curator must group nine paintings — F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, and O-in twelve spaces numbered consecutively from 1-12. The paintings must be in three groups, each group representing a different century. The groups must be separated from each other by at least one unused wall space. Three of the paintings are from the eighteenth century, two from the nineteenth century, and four from the twentieth century.

Unused wall spaces cannot occur within groups.
G and J are paintings from different centuries.
J, K, and L are all paintings from the same century.
Space number 5 is always empty.
F and M are eighteenth-century paintings.
N is a nineteenth-century painting.

Things to make it a point to remember:

  • 20th-4, 19th-2, 18th-3
  • JKL – 20th,  N – 19th, F&M -18th

INFERENCES from the information as I am reading the conditions first one to the last one

  • J, K & L have to be from 18th or 20th (since 19th has only 2)
  • F, M are from the 18th, so J, K & L have to be from the 20th (else total of 18th will be 5)
  • G is 18th or 19th (since it is from a group other than J)
  • H and O can from any century

1. If space 4 is to remain empty, which of the following is true?

This is a must-be-true question and hence I can derive the answer before going to the options.

  • If 4 is empty and 5 has to be empty as per the conditions then the spaces 1,2, and 3
    • cannot have 20th century since there are 4 paintings
    • cannot have 19th-century paintings since there are 2 paintings, which means that from 6 to 12, 7 places the rest of the 7 paintings from the other two sets have to be placed without a gap, but a gap has to be there between two sets of paintings.
    • must have the 18th-century paintings

Now I will go to the options and search for an option that says 18th must be in 1-2-3

(A) Space number 10 must be empty.
(B) The groups of paintings must be hung in chronological order by century.
(C) An eighteenth-century painting must be hung in space 3.
(D) A nineteenth-century painting must be hung in space 1.
(E) A twentieth-century painting must be hung in space 12.

2. If the paintings are hung in reverse chronological order by century, the unused wall spaces could be

This is not a MUST-be-true but a could be true so, after drawing a basic inference and I can go to the options.

Reverse chronological order means 20th, 19th, 18th.

Space 5 is empty, and after that, there are 7 places, so the four 20th-century paintings have to be in places 1-2-3-4. Now I will go to the options to check which one can be the set of unused spaces.

(A) 1,5, and 10
(B) 1,6, and 10
(C) 4,7, and 8
(D) 5, 8, and 12
(E) 5, 9, and 10

The first three options can be eliminated since spaces 1 to 4 cannot be unused, the 20th-century paintings hang there.

I try out option D, — 5 unused, reverse chronological order so next set has to be the two 19th-century paintings in 6 and 7, 8 is unused, three 18th-century paintings in 9, 10, 11, and 12 is unused; no rule is broken and hence this could be true. I will not try to substitute option E unless I want to double-check

Which of the following is a space that CANNOT be occupied by a nineteenth-century painting?

Since it is CANNOT-be-true question, in a way the opposite of the must-be-true question, and since there is no additional information, I have to jump to the options and proceed.

(A) Space 1

If a 19th is in Space 1 it has to be in Space 2 as well, and since there has to be a gap between one group and the other 3 has to be empty, 5 is anyway empty, and nothing can be kept in space 4, so all the 7 paintings from 20th and 18th have to go into the 7 spaces from 6 to 12 without a space between the two periods, which is not possible and hence this is the answer. I do not even need to check the rest.

If J hangs in space 11, which of the following is a possible arrangement for spaces 8 and 9?

It is a could-be-true question, so I should deduce whatever I can before I jump to the options.

J is a 20th century painting and it is in 11 so the other three have to be in a group along with J, so the 20th century paintings can be

  • in 8,9,10,11 (with J being the last) and unused spaces in 7 and 12
  • 9,10,11,12 (with J being the third) and unused space in 8
  • Both cases put together, 8 has to be filled with a 20th century painting or unused  and 9 has to be filled with a 20th-century painting

Now to the options.

(A) F in 8 and M in 9
(B) K in 8 and G in 9
(C) N in 8 and G in 9
(D) 8 unused and H in 9
(E) 8 unused and F in9

A, B, C, and E can be eliminated since they all have paintings that are definitely not from the 20th century. Hence, option D.

5. If the twentieth-century paintings are hung in spaces 1- 4, which of the following CANNOT be true?

As I mentioned before a CANNOT-be-true is another version of must-be-true and since they have given some additional information in the question I can make deductions before I go to the options.

20th-century paintings are hung from 1-4, means that from 6 to 12 there are 7 places and 5 paintings to be hung, the two blanks, can both be between the two groups, or one between the two groups and one at 6 or 12.

I can now jump to the options.

(A)  Space 8 is unused

8 is unused, means the free spaces are 6&7 and 9-10-11-12, where the 19th and 18th century paintings can go respectively, so this can be true

(B)  Space 9 is unused

If 9 is unused, then the free spaces are 6-7-8 and 10-11-12 where 18th and 19th century paintings can hung

(C) F is hung in space 6

F and M along with another painting form the three 18th century paintings and can occupy 6-7-8, 9 has to be unused and then the two 19th century paintings can follow.

(D) M is hung in space 12

If M is in 12 the other two 18th-century paintings have to be in 10 and 11, 9 has to be empty and the two 19th-century paintings can be hung in spaces 6 to 8.

(E) N is hung in space 9

Since all the above options are possibe this has to be the answer.

6. If the first five paintings, in numerical order of spaces, are F, 0, M, N, G, which of the following must be true?

All of these paintings are not from the 20th century so they cannot be the first five in this order after Space 5, since there will not be any space for all 9 paintings including the 20th-century ones.

So at least a few have to be before space 5. F & M are 18th-century so F-O-M have to be together —  1-2-3 (with 4 & 5 unused), or 2-3-4 (with 1 & 5 unused). I can now jump to the options.

(A) Either space 1 or space 4 is unused.

All of this reasoning was done and has to be eventually done mentally without putting pen on paper. If you think about it, the reasoning is always a mental process, all you need to do it is to de-couple it from writing.

Practising with a plan and purpose

There are only 54 section tests in the book so you have to make the most out of each session.

  1. Keep a separate notebook to practice these sets.
  2. One page to note down the answers and the following ones to solve.
  3. Your first goal should be to solve the questions in the desired time-limit (with writing)
  4. Only if you are able to solve the 25 questions within 30 minutes comfortably should you try to solve without putting pen to paper
  5. Do not try to go the whole hog mentally, start by decreasing the writing while increasing the thinking.
  6. After every set, do a proper analysis of the wasted effort or moves during each set and the reasons for the mistakes, if any
    1. Did not remember information
    2. Did not draw deductions and directly jumped to the options
  7. Consciously make changes while solving the next set.
  8. Do not ever do two sets in a row without analysing the first one and setting goals for the next.
  9. Do not solve more than 2 sets in a day, since you will just run through them without getting any better.
  10. Ideally, you should dedicate 27 (2 sections a day) or 54 (1 section a day) straight days of practice to see a substantial improvement (Do not practice if you are low on mental energy just because I said you have to)

When I started I used one page for the answers and maybe scribbled on a page and a half, and made 2-4 mistakes.

By the 7th set, I barely wrote anything, and even that little I felt was not necessary, I could have reasoned my way through. My mistakes had come to 1.

All the mistakes boiled down to not remembering information from the set or misremembering it.

This can be useful for test-takers at all levels

  • Those who are weak at LR need to develop the ability to solve a section of this difficulty in 30 minutes; if you cannot solve 4 sets this level in 30 then you cannot solve 4 sets of CAT level in 60.
  • Those who are good can use this to solve cleaner and faster
  • Those who are very good (are gunning for a 99.50 plus) can use this as an ideal warm-up
  • And at any level, if you have a silly-mistake problem this is the practice to fix it

Keep a track of how your book is looking as you are progressing, it should keep getting cleaner and cleaner with only the numbers and the answers remain.

One of my favourite athletes is Kohei Uchimura, who is considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. Gymnastics is a discipline where the first goal is to become as close to a machine as you can, and once you can do that you can bring complexity and creativity into your routine. All routines are thus rated on complexity and execution. Every time the landing is not perfect one drops points.

One of the commentators during the last Olympics said that you can take a picture of him at any point during his routine and it will be beautiful, at no point will his legs not be absolutely together and toes pointing out like an arrow. Uchimura said the secret to his success is the way he approaches practice, he puts in a lot of thought both during and into his practice.

Uchimura 5

Uchimura 2

Uchimura 4

I watched the replay of his all-round gold at the Rio Olympics and I have to say that I have not seen a demeanour like his on the face of any sportsman absolute control before, during, and after his routine.

One eventually needs to develop that sort of calmness, precision, and accuracy every single time one steps out to solve.

Uchimura

I feel that if you can dedicate the month towards this, you will be better off for the rest of the season.

My MBA Journey: IIM L – PGPSM

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It was back in the 2015-16 season, if I remember correctly, that Sachin first managed to track me down by leaving a comment on my blog. I was handling the IMS business in Chennai, he was a student of IMS based out of Kolkata and he wanted some advice on quitting his job and taking another shot at the CAT. The thing with really mature students is that they need guidance only at a  really broad level, the rest they customize themselves (and there is the blog, anyway) and Sachin is one such individual.

He went on to secure admission into the relatively new Sustainability Management Program launched by IIM-L. Since then he has been doing quite well and has even played a part in helping an administration out during the pandemic. If you read his post you will find he had all the ingredients that a student joining a new or baby IIM or a new program needs —  this post.

Here is his journey in his own words.

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My MBA Journey: IIM-Udaipur

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Give the number of queries I get about the new and the baby IIMs, I thought the best way to shed a bit more light on them is to get my students who have gone there to write about their experience.

This one is by Siddharth, who is not a student, but was part of the IMS Team in Kochi. I met him whenever I went down there to take a session, which was usually once a year. Siddharth graduated recently from IIM-U and this is his take about the same.

Some of the parts were new to me as well, especially the part about why he chose IIM-U —  I think knowing why you want something, being clear about it, and not trying to invent ten other reasons apart from the sole reason is not a common trait (a great lesson in no FOMO)

So here are his two cents on this experience at IIM-U.

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How to choose between an HR program and a regular MBA

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I think I have said this in another post — India is probably the only country where people will be willing to shell out more than 20-30 lakhs for a product and at the same time be willing to accept whatever variant the seller decides to give them. What am I referring to here? When I ask students who have both BM and HR calls from XLRI, what their preference is, or what they would prefer between XL-HR/TISS and IIM-K/MDI, most are very clear — the specialisation does not matter, all that matters is the brand; others start bringing ROI into the picture.

I feel people put in more thought when choosing between a diesel and a petrol car! We are so crazy after elite institutions that we fail to even consider whether we will succeed/fail in or like/dislike a particular field. The objective of this post will be to give you enough information to choose the right program when faced with a choice between a premier HR program and other programs.

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Should I quit my job to prepare for CAT?

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One of the questions that I am often asked and is most relevant at this point in time given that some of you might be looking at re-taking the CAT after an underwhelming CAT last year and others might be desperate to crack this year’s CAT.

  • is it wise to quit my job to prepare for the CAT?
  • will quitting my job have a negative impact on my profile?
  • how can I prepare if I am working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week?

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To re-take or not to re-take the CAT

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At this juncture, it doesn’t take a magician to see what kind of anxieties aspirants might be going through. A small fraction of you have got the calls you want and are excited and nervous about the impending interviews or the results of the same, others have  GD-PI calls but are not sure whether the b-schools that have given them the calls are really worth it, and still others knowing that this year is done have hit snooze-mode till June.
This post will primarily deal with the dilemma of those in between — to re-take or not to re-take the CAT. It is not an easy call to take but your task will become easy if you ask yourself the right questions and give the most honest answers you can to them.
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Work With Us

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As most of my students would know, I have been with IMS for close to two decades now.

But I started teaching for aptitude tests way back in the past, right after my graduation, while preparing for the CAT a second time around.

At the time, I felt that the teaching stint had a great role to play in my cracking the CAT: it made my thought process very clear when faced with a problem, since one has to have the utmost clarity of thought to explain a problem in such a way that many students understand the solution right away. Also, one is always looking to find better, cleaner or, to put it simply, more elegant solutions to problems.

Over the past year, I have interacted with a lot of students across the country who are readers of the blog, so I was wondering if any of you might be interested in working in the Learning Technology Department that works with me. Not only me, but you will also have access to all the other senior mentors (IMS students will be aware of the mentors I have mentioned from the webinars and Masterclasses we conducted over the year). The intern will be working directly with me.

Openings on offer

RoleExperience# PositionsCompensationLocation
Software Development Engineer 0 – 24₹4 – 8 LPABengaluru
Sr. Software Development Engineer 2 – 42₹6 – 10 LPABengaluru
Cloud Ops Engineer2+1₹7 – 10 LPAMumbai
Bengaluru
Lead – Quality Assurance5+1₹8 – 12 LPABengaluru
Project Management – InternN/A1₹15,000 p.mBengaluru
Mumbai
Remote
Quality Assurance – InternN/A1₹15,000 p.mBengaluru
Mumbai

Remote

ROLE: Software Development Engineer

Responsibilities

We are seeking a skilled and passionate Software Development Engineer to join our dynamic team. You will be involved in all stages of the development lifecycle, from designing and implementing user interfaces to developing and maintaining server-side logic and databases. You will be expected to write clean, efficient, and well-documented code, participate in code reviews, and troubleshoot and resolve technical issues.

  • Design and develop robust and scalable web applications using React, Node.js and/or Python, & TypeScript.
  • Develop and maintain efficient APIs and server-side logic using Node.js and Python frameworks.
  • Build user-friendly and responsive front-end interfaces using React and TypeScript.
  • Work with databases (both relational and NoSQL) and ensure data integrity and performance.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including designers, software testers, product managers, and other engineers, to deliver high-quality software.
  • Write unit and integration tests to ensure code quality and application stability.
  • Participate in code reviews to maintain code quality and share knowledge.
  • Troubleshoot, debug and resolve technical issues across the full stack

Profile

Experienced Software Development Engineer with 0 – 2 years of hands-on experience in building and deploying web applications. Candidates should have a strong understanding of both front-end and back-end technologies and a proven track record of delivering high-quality software.

Requirements:

  • Possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills to tackle complex technical challenges.
  • Have a solid understanding of front-end technologies, including React, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
  • Have strong proficiency in back-end development using Node.js and/or Python, including relevant frameworks (e.g., Express, Flask, Django).
  • Demonstrate experience with database systems (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB).
  • Have hands-on experience with cloud platforms, preferably AWS (e.g., EC2, S3, Lambda, API Gateway).
  • Exhibit proficiency in version control systems, particularly Git.
  • Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively collaborate with team members

Education:

  • B.E./B. Tech or any other Math/Science Degree

Salary: Rs. 4,00,000–8,00,000

Location: Bangalore

Role — Sr. Software Development Engineer

Responsibilities

We are seeking a skilled and passionate Software Development Engineer 2 to join our dynamic team. You will be involved in all stages of the development lifecycle, from designing and implementing user interfaces to developing and maintaining server-side logic and databases. You will be expected to write clean, efficient, and well-documented code, participate in code reviews, and troubleshoot and resolve technical issues.

  • Design and develop robust and scalable web applications using React, Node.js and/or Python, & TypeScript.
  • Develop and maintain efficient APIs and server-side logic using Node.js and Python frameworks.
  • Build user-friendly and responsive front-end interfaces using React and TypeScript.
  • Work with databases (both relational and NoSQL) and ensure data integrity and performance.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including designers, software testers, product managers, and other engineers, to deliver high-quality software.
  • Write unit and integration tests to ensure code quality and application stability.
  • Participate in code reviews to maintain code quality and share knowledge.
  • Troubleshoot, debug and resolve technical issues across the full stack

Profile

Experienced Software Development Engineer with 2 – 4  years of hands-on experience in building and deploying web applications. Candidates should have a strong understanding of both front-end and back-end technologies and a proven track record of delivering high-quality software.

Requirements:

You will need to:

  • Possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills to tackle complex technical challenges.
  • Have a solid understanding of front-end technologies, including React, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
  • Have strong proficiency in back-end development using Node.js and/or Python, including relevant frameworks (e.g., Express, Flask, Django).
  • Demonstrate experience with database systems (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB).
  • Have hands-on experience with cloud platforms, preferably AWS (e.g., EC2, S3, Lambda, API Gateway).
  • Exhibit proficiency in version control systems, particularly Git.
  • Have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively collaborate with team members

Salary: Rs. 6,00,000–10,00,000

Location: Bangalore

Role — Cloud Ops Engineer

Responsibilities:

We are looking for a Cloud Ops Engineer to join our dynamic team. You will architect, deploy, and maintain our cloud infrastructure, ensuring the performance, reliability, and scalability of our digital ecosystem. You will work at the intersection of development and operations—driving cost efficiency, enforcing robust security measures, and supporting modern CI/CD pipelines to deliver high-availability applications that meet our organisation’s evolving needs.

  • Infrastructure Management: Architect, deploy, and maintain scalable cloud environments.
  • Performance & Availability: Monitor resources and implement processes to ensure 24/7 uptime.
  • Cost & Resource Optimisation: Manage service selection and usage to maximise ROI and efficiency.
  • Security & Compliance: Enforce IAM policies, encryption, and network security protocols.
  • CI/CD Support: Partner with developers to streamline automation and deployment pipelines.

Profile:

A proactive problem-solver with a deep understanding of modern cloud architecture and DevOps culture. A candidate should excel at bridging the gap between infrastructure stability and rapid software delivery, backed by excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset.

Requirements:

You will need to:

  • Possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills to tackle complex infrastructure and performance challenges.
  • Have a solid understanding of cloud architecture and core services, with a focus on reliability and scalability.
  • Demonstrate 2+ years of proven experience in a Cloud Systems Engineer or similar DevOps-focused role.
  • Have hands-on experience with cloud platforms—AWS (preferred), Azure, or Google Cloud.
  • Exhibit proficiency in scripting languages for automation, including Python, Bash, or PowerShell.
  • Showcase a strong grasp of network security, encryption, and cloud security best practices.
  • Have practical knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and version control systems, particularly Git, to support development workflows.
  • Exhibit excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams.

Salary: ₹7,00,000 – ₹10,00,000 per annum

Location: Bangalore / Mumbai

Education: Completed 

B.E. / B.Tech, MCA, B.Sc (IT) / B.Sc (CS), or equivalent; professional certifications are a plus.

Role — Testing Lead, Quality Assurance

Responsibilities

We are looking for a Testing Lead to work on multiple software testing projects.

  • Develop test plans, define quality metrics, and establish effective testing strategies. 
  • Oversee testing processes, ensure quality standards, and manage defect identification and resolution.
  • Providing feedback to improve team performance, planning projects, coordinating issue fixes with technical teams, and fostering a positive work environment. 
  • Identify opportunities for test automation to enhance efficiency
  • Ensure timely project progress reporting to stakeholders.

Profile

Experienced professionals with at least 5 years in software testing (web and mobile applications) and at least 3 years of experience in automation testing (Selenium-Java) are preferred.

Requirements:

You will need to:

  • Possess strong leadership and team management skills.
  • Have excellent critical thinking, problem-solving, and multitasking abilities.
  • Demonstrate a deep understanding of cross-platform and cross-browser responsive web architecture and mobile applications.
  • Have hands-on experience with automated testing tools and frameworks.
  • Exhibit exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal

Education:

MCA, B.E./B. Tech., BSc (IT)/BSc (CS), or equivalent. Relevant testing certifications will be an added advantage.

Salary: Rs. 9,00,000–12,00,000

Location: Bangalore

Who Should Apply:

This job is ideal for:

  • Professionals passionate about leading testing teams and enhancing quality assurance processes.
  • Experienced software testers who wish to take on leadership roles in managing test strategies and automation initiatives.
  • Those eager to work on cutting-edge web and mobile applications with a focus on quality and efficiency.

Role — Project Management Intern

Responsibilities:

We are looking for a Project Manager Intern to assist in evaluating project requirements, supporting development activities, and monitoring project progress. You will work closely with the technology team and vendors to ensure project timelines and quality. Your responsibilities will include:

  • Assisting in evaluating and documenting project requirements, scope, and objectives.
  • Supporting the planning and coordination of development activities with the IMS technology team.
  • Helping monitor development schedules and preparing reports to track project progress.
  • Identifying and escalating potential issues that could impact project timelines or quality.
  • Assisting in communicating project status and challenges to stakeholders.
  • Supporting in creating and maintaining business documentation for the project.

Profile:

This role is ideal for candidates passionate about project management and eager to develop hands-on experience in a dynamic environment.

Requirements:

You will need to:

  • Have a basic understanding of project management principles.
  • Possess strong organisational, planning, and communication skills.
  • Be proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Spreadsheet software.
  • Be able to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
  • Be detail-oriented and able to multitask effectively.
  • Have taken one of the management entrance exams — CAT, XAT, SNAP, CET, IIFT and/or others — and secured the 95th percentile or above in one of the sections.

Education:

Pursuing or completed an MBA / MCA / B.E. / B.Tech or equivalent.

Stipend & Duration:

  • Stipend: ₹15,000
  • Internship Duration: 3 to 6 months
  • Location: Mumbai/Bangalore/Remote

Who Should Apply?

  • Candidates eager to start a career in Project Management.
  • Fresh graduates or final-year students looking for hands-on project management experience.
  • Those interested in learning project management in a real-world environment.

Role — Software QA Intern

Responsibilities:

We are looking for a Software QA Intern to assist in developing test plans, executing test cases, and identifying defects. You will work closely with the tech team to ensure software quality by conducting manual and automated testing for web and mobile applications. Your responsibilities will include:

  • Assisting in test case creation, execution, and documentation.
  • Identifying, reporting, and tracking defects to ensure timely resolution.
  • Supporting functional, regression, and usability testing efforts.
  • Collaborating with developers to understand features and potential issues.
  • Learning and applying automation testing techniques to improve efficiency.
  • Gaining hands-on experience with debugging tools and testing frameworks.
  • Participating in quality assurance reviews and team discussions.
  • Profile:
  • This role is ideal for candidates passionate about software testing and eager to develop hands-on experience in quality assurance.

Requirements:

You will need to:

  • Have a strong understanding of software development and testing concepts.
  • Be familiar with manual testing techniques and basic test automation (Selenium or similar tools is a plus).
  • Possess good analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Be detail-oriented and capable of documenting test cases and defects effectively.
  • Have knowledge of web and mobile application frameworks.
  • Be eager to learn debugging tools like Chrome DevTools or Postman for API testing.
  • Exhibit good written and verbal communication skills.

Education:

Currently pursuing or recently completed B.E./B.Tech, BSc (CS/IT), MCA, or equivalent. ISTQB certification (if any) will be an added advantage.

Stipend & Duration:

  • Stipend: ₹15,000
  • Internship Duration: 3 to 6 months
  • Location: Mumbai/Bangalore/Remote

Who Should Apply?

  • Candidates eager to start a career in Software Testing and Quality Assurance.
  • Fresh graduates or final-year students looking for hands-on QA experience.
  • Those interested in learning manual and automation testing in a real-world environment.

How to apply

Those who wish to apply for any of the above roles may drop an email to tech-hiring@imsindia.com with the following details before 7 March.

  • A resume/CV and scorecards
  • A short answer to the following question: Why do you feel you have the skill sets to take up this role? Feel free to include anything that you feel will let us know why you feel you have the potential to take up the role — exam/test scores, professional expertise, fit with career plans, communication skills — anything that you feel captures your suitability.

It goes without saying that the biggest perks of this job will be that you have direct everyday access to the best mentors in case you are taking another shot at the CAT or other management entrance tests.

It goes without saying that the biggest perks of this job will be that you have direct, everyday access to the best mentors in case you are taking another shot at the CAT.

This is what a couple of our past recruits have to say about working with us.

RUTUJA PATIL

My introduction to CAT

After completing my engineering, I was working in manufacturing at an automobile MNC. I didn’t have any plans for an MBA at that point in time. However, I appeared for CAT, as I had filled out the form on the recommendation of a friend who was preparing for the same. But, unlike the experiences I have read, I didn’t score in the higher 90’s after going unprepared.

During the 2 years of work experience in operations, I was more inclined towards management and wanted to take up those kinds of roles instead of tech ones, in the future. I quit my job around September 2020 and started my “serious” CAT prep. I had joined IMS earlier and had completed the classroom sessions. In CAT 2020, I scored well above 90, but it was not enough for the best calls.

I decided to give CAT another chance.

CAT Prep

Before starting the prep again, I was looking to take up a job, preferably related to management. I found the role of Project Lead with IMS on Tony Sir’s blog. This was a fantastic opportunity; the role was in project management, I was to be mentored by Tony Sir, and the team was aware that I would be studying for CAT.

Enjoying the CAT prep and approaching it with a practical mind will save you from the pain of finding a daily dose of motivation. All of us have those best scores as well as the rock bottom ones. However, as percentiles depend on a lot of things, they are bound to vary. So, analysing the mocks closely, identifying and closing the gaps with each passing mock, are the wise things to do.

I used to note down my mistakes in mocks and stick them on the wall; most of them were behavioural changes. They acted as painful reminders of my silly mistakes. Tony Sir helped me a lot to remove the mental hurdles in solving Quant and approaching the overall exam. A mentor can see exactly what is missing.

We most often forget to focus on small things like solving problems on a similar notepad as the official CAT, giving mocks in the same time slot, and looking out for triggers while giving the test. 

Also, know what you don’t know. Examples, PnC- If it goes one notch above the basic or is not from the templates I have seen, I will leave it. Locating and solving what you know in less than 2 minutes is the most important thing.

Experimenting and finding the best ‘set of strategies’ according to the situation and stabilising them with mocks will give a lot more confidence.

Keeping the focus in place

Go off the grid! I went, not because it became addictive and time-wasting, but mainly because the content unknowingly occupies headspace.

Along with having a schedule, the code that worked for me during the prep was

“TALK LESS throughout the day.”

“MEDITATE before studying.”

“Invest TIME JUDICIOUSLY”

“Take a DEEP BREATH”—this one was even on my lock screen!

A week before CAT, RELAX (period). I read a book, watched my favorite movies, and did meditation. At this time, I kept the practice light and went through some methods of solving DILR sets or quant questions that I liked or those that need revision. 

No heavy lifting or adventures; keep the waters calm and take it slow.

Before the day of CAT, in my mind, I went through each and every detail of the activity I would be doing the next day. Imagined every possible scenario and the reaction to it. At the same time, was ready for surprises.

My CAT day experience was a lot better than what I had gone through in previous CAT attempts. However, I messed up things during Quant. I knew IIM ABC was not happening; I cried, took some time to recover, and quickly geared up for IIFT, which was 5 days away.

The GDPI phase

The interview season will be another roller coaster ride. During the prep phase, it is only you who will be forming opinions about yourself. But during this phase, the interviewers will also join the party!

I had calls from all IIM’s except ABC (as expected), XLRI, SPJIRM, IIFT, MDI, IIT’s and NITIE.

An introduction is the most important part of your interview. And that is why I remember spending nearly 2 weeks and 3-4 iterations with Tony sir, to finalise it. Keep the focus on the spotlight areas of your life so far. For me, it was my work experience. Compile experiences and explanations for YOUR past, present, and future. And don’t forget to keep a close eye on everything that is happening from your city to the centre of our galaxy!

For some reason (no one knows it yet!), even though you have a good 36 months of work experience and sometimes not in the domain of graduation, interviewers will grill you on grad subjects. So, prepare well for that.

Another thing which helps while attending an interview at a particular institute is going through the interview transcript. True, you will most likely receive a variety of questions, but knowing which direction to focus more on, on a broad level, is beneficial.

The rest, follow Tony Sir’s blog and all the sessions of IMS.

In some of the interviews, you will be proud of yourself; in some, there will be a constructive conversation between you and the panellist; and there will be those interviews which will make you question if you are really fit to do an MBA. Just remember to not let any of it get from your heart to your head. Take what you’ve learned and apply it to the next one. You just need that one good interview, and you are through.

A week back, I received an email from IIM Lucknow that I have converted the flagship PGP as well as PGP-ABM program. I will be joining the IIM L PGP 2022-24 program, amongst other calls that I converted.

All the very best!!!

ROHIT SINGH

Background before joining IMS

I had worked for a year and a half in a leading IT company when I got the opportunity to join IMS. I had taken the CAT twice before (with decent scores) but realised that I needed to work harder if I wanted to create a genuine chance for me to join one of the old IIMs.

Experience working with IMS

1) I had mentors all around. I could go to anyone and ask for guidance, and all of them were among the best in the business. (when we used to go to the office in the pre-COVID era). Most of them have experience of 15+ years in the field and are alumni of old IIMs.

2) I got to interact with some of the smartest people I had ever seen in my life. We had a lot of people from the top colleges in the office, and personally, for me, it was a huge confidence booster.

Interacting with them on a daily basis helped me a lot in transforming myself.

So, I became a better person and cracked the CAT as well. In CAT 2020, I got 99.37 and 99.58 in VARC and QA, respectively. 

What’s up with me these days

I am expecting interview calls from XLRI, FMS and some of the old IIMs.

Again, the presence of mentors all around is helping me get that required confidence before the final stage. I am getting the right guidance, and all this is helping me to prepare for GDPI more effectively.

Since most people here are alumni of top business schools, every now and then, I get to know a clearer picture of the college life. This helps me know what to expect from an MBA and to prepare myself in advance for campus life. I believe this will help me make the most of my 2 years in Mthe BA.

P.S: Since then, Rohit has graduated from IIM-C.