CAT Strat
Comments 53

To re-take or not to re-take the CAT

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 all 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.

A look into the mirror

The answer to the re-take conundrum depends on three things

  • your evaluation of your ability with respect to the CAT
  • your evaluation of your mental state when contemplating another attempt
  • your evaluation of your aspirations

Let us try to make this a bit objective by making it a Q & A situation

YOU versus CAT – ABILITY
The first question you need to ask — is this the best shot you could have given? Was this a full-fledged, completely-immersed-into-CAT attempt? Do you believe you have exhausted the limits of your aptitude as far as CAT goes? Answer of all these questions and then answer the question below.

Question #1
Do you believe that you have maxed out and can go no further in terms of percentile if you give another attempt — YES/NO?

YOU versus CAT – STAMINA
The next question is whether you have enough mental fuel left to go through another year. Do not count the attempts that you made just like that. Is this your first or second or third fully serious attempt?

Question #2
Have your attempts so far taken so much out of you that you dread the thought of another attempt despite knowing that you can get better — YES/NO?

YOU versus COLLEGE
What do you think of the options in front of you right now? How do you view yourself vis-a-vis the options you have?

Question #3
Do you believe that all you need is a decent degree and a decent break and will make the most of the opportunities you get irrespective of the brand or do you believe that your aptitude, your profile and your ambition deserve a better college than the options you have in front of you right now — YES/NO?

If your answer to all the above questions is YES, most importantly the third question, then you should NOT RE-TAKE and get into a college this year itself.

If your answer is NO to all three then you should definitely re-take the CAT but also evaluate the GMAT depending on your profile and aspirations, which as mentioned will be taken up in the next post.

These are not easy questions to answer and I am sure there will be other personal considerations and pressures from different quarters that you would need to factor in. But understand that this decision is purely about your career and hence the decision has to be taken keeping only that in mind.

Not everyone might be happy with your decision but satisfying all is satisfying none and as far as your career goes you are the only one who has to be satisfied.

So you really need to answer these questions for yourself and take a decision.


If you decide to re-take

The moment you decide to re-take, other questions start popping up

  • should I quit my job to re-take for the CAT, something that I have discussed here
  • how do I go about my prep, what should be my mindset, something I have discussed in this post
  • do I need to take classroom coaching, what materials should I use, something I have discussed in this post
  • how should I go about my prep section-wise, something I have discussed here

So take your time and go through these posts. Feel free to post any queries you have in the comments section.

53 Comments

  1. Vatsal+Mehrotra says

    Hello sir,
    My profile: GEM Fresher with 9/9/8 acads
    I scored 96 percentile in CAT this year and have calls from new IIMs, MDI and IIFT (97.2 percentile with a composite score of 44.34 in IIFT). Considering the high weightage given to exam scores in the final admit for MDI and IIFT my chances for conversion are bleak even with a good interview.
    I have also made the final convert for NMIMS Mumbai but I am sceptical about joining it considering its huge batch size and a non-residential program.
    I feel I can do much better in CAT. I scored 95-97 percentile consistently in SIMCATs but messed up the Quants section in the CAT.
    Sir, should I consider a retake considering my current calls and profile?

    Like

    • Hi Vatsal,
      Given your academic profile, the fact that you are a fresher, and your belief in your abilities to go higher, I think a retake is a no-brainer.

      I would always advocate retakes for freshers.

      All the best!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Mihit says

    Hello Sir,
    Profile – BBA (Marketing) from NMIMS Mumbai. Acads – 9/9/8. Fresher
    Scored 89 percentile in CAT and XAT. Converted GLIM Chennai, have calls from IMT and MICA.
    I think I can do better in CAT because I messed up LRDI this time. At the same time, I also feel that I have maxed out my capacity in Quants (90 percentile) and Verbal (98 percentile) and don’t think I can score more in these sections. I am not very strong in LRDI either, but I am sure I can score way better than this attempt.
    I am also sure to take up marketing as my specializaiton and hence I am very interested in MICA as well.
    What should I do?

    Like

    • Hi Mihit,

      Given that you are really keen on Marketing and very interested in MICA, and the fact that you are looking to do better in only one section and that too DI-LR, it might not be a bad idea to take up MICA.

      Since you are a fresher the average salaries at MICA will be aligned to a post-MBA jump you can expect for someone with your profile.

      The only reason to go a retake is if you strongly feel that you are settling for something way below what you think you deserve for your capabilities and skills, do not join MICA if you are doing so with feelings of compromise or feeling that you are better than the people who will be joining it — that is never a good frame of mind to enter a b-school. If this is the case and you have a job, take another shot. Do not take another shot without taking up a job, it will only add to the pressure of a second attempt and force you to answer uncomfortable questions in the interview.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!
      .

      Like

  3. Hello sir,
    Profile – General non engineer female , B com(h) , 10/96%/75% acads , fresher
    cat – 90 percentile

    converted GLIM Chennai, have calls from Tapmi, GIM and IMI Delhi
    Which can be the best convert I can have among these if interested in finance?
    Also, should I consider reattempt given my profile or go with the best conversion?

    Sir, please provide some suggestions , what should I do?

    Like

    • Hi Tisha,

      None of these schools are really known for Finance.

      All of them are more or less in the same range so there is no way to say one school is better than the other.

      If you are looking at tech/e-commerce/it you can join GLIM followed by TAPMI.

      If you are looking at Marketing then IMI/GIM.

      In all of these schools you will get Sales/Marketing roles in the Banking & Financial Services (BFSI) segment.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  4. Ambitious Lion says

    Hi sir,
    I am a non-eng fresher with 999/998 profile and I messed up cat, basically, it was an unlucky day(my computer got shut for the last 5 mins and I was helpless etc..), I couldn’t even perform best of my abilities like I used to do in mocks, In mocks, I used to score 90-96%ile cat equivalent marks but in the final exam, I could only score 75%ile which is very disheartening, I always wanted to do an MBA from a premier institute, so what do you think my course of action should be in this case

    Like

    • Hi AL,

      It is unfortunate that there were things beyond your control on your CAT-day.

      Very few people crack CAT in their first attempt, even I needed two attempts, despite faring well like you in the Mocks.

      Just put your head down, find a job, and take another shot. There is everything to win!

      Like

      • Ambitious Lion says

        Thank you for motivating sir,
        Btw I have been placed, But cat dejected me so much that I stopped studying after November and still now I am not in study mood, today I picked up learn tab for the first time again then I started feeling less interested, drowsy, doubting myself, can I do it or not, can I crack it with 99+ or not( even though I know this is the thing I definitely want). I hope I get back to track soon and complete my syllabus again before by job starts

        Like

      • Good to hear you have a job. I’ll be doing posts on how to prep for a retake as well! Be easy on yourself, the season begins for retakers only with the first SimCAT.

        Like

      • Ambitios Lion says

        Thank you, sir for calming my nerves down,
        “Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear”- is the side glass’s quote currently going in my mind thinking about cat XD and I am afraid how will I manage it this year with 12-13 hrs long pol consulting job…waiting for your post

        Liked by 1 person

  5. bhargav says

    I am a fresher scored 72% in my first attempt, I am not clear on what to do next. Should I take a job or try for another attempt?

    Like

    • Hi Bhargav,

      I don’t think it is an either/or option; you have to find a job and prepare for another attempt in parallel.

      Hope this helps.

      All the best!

      Like

  6. Venkat says

    Sir, I have 4 years of experience with academics 97,94.3 & 70.72 and quit my job in Oct’21.
    I have KJ Somaiya and great lakes calls and CAT did not go well.
    I am confused whether to take these calls or join in a job again and try GMAT for ISB and other 1 year executive programs of IIM’s . Kindly suggest me on this.

    Like

    • Hi Venkat,

      It completely depends on the kind of roles you are looking at post-MBA.

      If your work-ex is in IT/Tech I suggest taking up Great Lakes since ISB is very competitive and is known for Consulting roles in non-IT sector provided the profile matches.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  7. Vyshnavi says

    Hello sir,
    My Profile – General Female Engineer, B.Tech. ; 9.7/96%/82% (acads) , Work ex – 6 months,
    CAT percentile – 91.74%
    I have calls from baby iims. I graduated in 2020 and I left my job in March 2021 to prepare for CAT. This was my second attempt. I feel that I can do better in CAT.
    Sir, should I take up a job and consider re-taking CAT with this profile or should I join in a baby iim ( if I convert the calls) ?

    Like

    • Hi Vyshnavi,

      You have to take the call based on the criteria I have outlined on the blog.

      Given that you are a female applicant, your chances are marginally higher if you get a good percentile.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  8. Euphoria says

    Hi sir,
    My cat didn’t go well and this year I am very much confused between whether to take the GMAT as well or not because I think it would be difficult to manage it with the demanding job that I got and I will have to focus next three months till July after my college exams in April for GMAT and after my job will start so I am doubtful if I would be able to give my best to cat after that and if I don’t apply for ISB YLP this year then I will lose YLP application chance then I will have to try for EEO and I am caught in the dilemma of choosing between my only chance for YLP or else focusing completely on the cat this year and going for EEO next year

    Like

  9. vishal says

    Hello sir,
    My Profile – General male, Bsc ; 86%/78%/8.7 grad (acads) , Work ex – 8 months in family business(official),
    CAT percentile – 89.5%
    I have calls from baby IIMs, GLIM, TAPMI.I graduated in 2021 and I feel that I can do better in CAT.
    like quant was my strength but I messed up in that section. and I think I can atleast score 95 percentile in CAT. But only thing I am worried about is, Since CAT is an unpredictable exam, what if I mess up again and score even less , then I won’t even have baby IIMs.
    so should I consider re-taking CAT with this profile or should I join in a baby IIM( if I convert the calls) ?
    PS: I want to go in finance

    Like

    • Hi Vishal,
      With a potential percentile of 95 it might be hard to get a much better list of colleges that you currently have, new IIMs instead of baby IIMs, may be, but not old IIMs. And unless you can cross 96, MDI and SPJIMR won’t come into play.

      If you are worried about chances of replicating score then it might not be a great idea to take another shot.

      So unless you are super confident of scaling 96, taking up the baby IIMs now will be safer.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  10. Hello sir,
    My Profile – General Male Engineer; 93%/81%/8.2 grad (acads) ,
    Work ex – 16 months in Process Control Manufacturing company,
    CAT percentile – 91.36%
    NMAT- 221
    I have calls from IIM Vizag, Nagpur, Bodhgaya, and Jammu; KJ Somaiyaa and IIT Kanpur, and IBS Hyderabad
    I graduated in 2020 and I feel that I have done my full best for this year’s CAT.
    like quant was my strength and DILR my weakness during SIMCATS and overall wasn’t that good
    but reversed happened on the D-day. and I think I could have at least scored 95 percentile in CAT. But I don’t have that mental strength to give another shot at it cause the only thing I am worried about is Since CAT is an unpredictable exam, what if I mess up again and score even less, then I won’t even have IIM call that i have right now
    so should I consider re-taking CAT with this profile or should I join in the ones mentioned above( if I convert the calls)?
    PS: I want to go for Operations

    Like

    • Hi Jayank,

      Unless you can clearly see a path to cross 96, you might not get too many great options when compared to this year.

      So, given that you have put in your everything this year and you have a few baby IIMs and NM, I would suggest joining.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  11. Kashish says

    Hello sir,
    Profile- General non eng female, Bcom
    8.5/83%/64% acads, Work ex – none
    Completed graduation at 2021
    (Repeater for cat)
    Couldn’t score well .. so basically it would be termed two year gap. So is job necessary and if yes then which job would be preferred (part time/full time/ internship / work from home)

    Like

  12. Hello Sir!
    Hope you’re doing well.
    I am a General Engineering Female with 2.5 years of work experience in IT and my acads are as follows: 82.43/68.86/76 in 10th, 12th and graduation respectively.
    I have taken CAT and have scored a 70 plus percentile and have already prepared my mind to start preparing for CAT 2022 along with my job.
    However, recently I have converted SCMHRD in the first merit list!
    90% of me wants to take this up as I worked hard to get the convert. But my primary aim, like most other CAT takers, was to pursue MBA from the IIMs. Considering my profile, I may have a shorter range of IIMs to look for if I am able to score the required percentile.
    I am in a dilemma if I should join SCMHRD or retake CAT.
    My parents advise me to join the institute, work very hard there and simultaneously consider taking CAT one last time.
    If I join the institute, by around September I will know if I have any possibility towards CAT again. If there is, then I feel it will not be very practical as I will be wasting someone else’s seat and also lakhs of money!
    Also, I have a lot of respect for the seat I have acquired, but I will always have a feeling that I could try for one last time.
    Getting the convert has given me the confidence that I can do well and better.
    Please provide your suggestion at your earliest convenience.

    Like

    • Hi,

      I think given your profile, what your 90 percent is saying is the best thing for you given that you will be taking another short with very slim chances.

      You should take another shot if you had atleast an 85 in this attempt and at least a 85/85/75 academic profile.

      And if that were the case and were to go for another attempt then doing while at SCMHRD is the worst advise ever (your folks are smart, they are just making it seem like you are not giving up on your dream). A PG is the last degree most will take up, and an MBA is crazily expensive and hectic at that. Imagine taking this up and preparing for CAT on the side, which is another mountain to climb! I know the example I am going to give might sound offensive but the proposed plan of action deserves it – it is like entering a relationship and then looking for a dream partner on the side! The worst part is that since you will join without being fully committed to it, you will have tanked the first six months of your MBA experience.

      The reason I give this example is that as a prospective MBA and future leader, decision making is key, and this was creating confusion where there was none.

      It is not about compromise versus idealism but not getting into anything with half-commitment.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

      • Thanks a lot for your response, Sir! I understand what you mean to convey through the example.
        I definitely do not want to give a half-hearted attempt if I join the institute. That is why I was confused.
        I will keep your advice in mind and take my decision accordingly.
        This really helped. 🙂 Thanks again.

        Like

  13. siddhi259 says

    Hello sir!
    Hope you are doing well.
    My Profile: General, Non-engineer, Female, Fresher
    9.8 cgpa / 73%(PCB) / 65%(BBA)
    I got 84 percentile in CAT with 96 in VARC, 84 in QA but totally messed up DILR (21 percentile) which used to be my strength in mocks. This was my first attempt and I had started my preparation in September.
    I don’t want to take up a full-time job as I want to focus completely on my preparation. But my academics are very poor and taking a drop will affect my profile further. What can I do to bridge the gap and how difficult would it be for me to get a good college considering the gap year and poor acads?

    Like

    • Hi Siddhi,

      You need to figure out whether you will need full-time prep given that you did reasonably well in the first two sections. DI-LR is not very heavy on concepts and needs regular practice.

      I suggest taking up a job and prepping for another attempt.

      In terms of marks for work-ex you will not be gaining much by working and there are no deductions for a gap year but you will have to answer questions as to why you took a break and the break also adds to the pressure.

      So, again, unless you feel that you need to prepare for more than 2 hours every single day from now on until the CAT, take up a job.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

      • siddhi259 says

        Hello Sir! Thank you for the beautiful response.
        Since you have mentioned that I will not be getting much marks by working, can I not take up a job and instead go for an internship and do a certification in the next 6 months and focus completely on CAT for the later period. This way I will have something to add to my acads and also have flexible timings through out the period. If I do so, will I still have to answer tough questions regarding break? Or taking up a job is still a better thing to do?

        Like

      • Hi Siddhi,
        The thing is that during a conversation in the interview it can come up, so it is not like they are waiting to grill everyone about the same but they might ask – did you not have campus placements etc.

        Having said that, all you need to do is a good PI and show that you will be a good fit for an MBA program. They do not cut PI marks for gaps or lack or full-time works, they award marks for your whole interview performance.

        So, if you are confident about your profile as a whole and your interviewing skills, and are willing to face the questions and answer them, go ahead with your plan.

        If your plan is based on the hope or prayer that they not ask any question around this, then take up a job.

        Hope this helps,

        All the best!

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Hello Sir,
    My profile 9.6 CGPA/92.8/75%(B.Com). I took CAT 2021 in my 5th semester and scored 78 percentile. I think that I could have done better but messed up in the D-Day. Now I am confused that whether I should go for a reattempt or not and what should be my strategy if I go for another attempt.

    Like

    • Hi Kushagra,

      Only a small percentage of aspirants crack CAT in their first attempt. So, I think you should definitely take another shot. Ideally, you should take up a job and prep alongside for CAT 2022.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  15. Ammar Pasta says

    Hello Sir ,
    Profile: final year mechanical engineering (GEM) , cat 2021 : 83%ile , acads 95/77/66.
    I did not go through the placement process and so i don’t have a job. If i apply for placement process now, i am not sure if i will get one. I want to give cat 2022 and my engineering ends in May. And I feel i should not be taking a job and i should dedicate time entirely to cat prep. What is your opinion for such case?

    Like

    • Hi Amman,

      Even if you take up a job the marks you are going to gain for that is not going to be significant since the applications need to be submitted around Sep.

      Only ensure that you not just doing CAT Prep but also certification courses to in your desired area of specialisation to show that you are not just saying that you want to do an MBA but have done more than CAT Prep.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  16. Hello Sir,
    I am a fresher BMM graduate (8/8/8) profile. I passed out in 2021 and CAT 2021 was my first serious attempt but i messed it up. I got 82 percentile in CAT. I have one call from MICA which seems like a good option for me, but still I feel i can do better. I was also planning for doing masters abroad. I have no work ex and i will be joining a job mostly by mid april just for the sake of making my profile a bit decent and not ruining it by showing a big GAP.
    Please suggest me as to what i should be doing. Should i join MICA if converted? Should I give CAT 22? Should i Plan for abroad for further studies?

    Regards,
    Agam

    Like

    • Hi Agam,
      If you are interested in Marketing then you should take up MICA unless you feel you can reach a 95 percentile next time around. In that case take up a job and take CAT 22.

      Masters Abroad is a separate proposition altogether given the fees and other considerations. So we are not exactly comparing apples with apples.

      All the best!

      Like

  17. Hello Sir,
    Hope you are doing well!
    Acads: GEM with 89%|92%|79.5% in 10th/12th/Grad
    Work-ex: 25 months work-ex as a Business Analyst (non-IT)
    I had left my job in Aug’21 to prep for CAT and got 94.94%ile this year. It was my first attempt and I think I wasn’t able to perform up-to my full potential. I have calls from New & Baby IIMs, IITs (Kgp, K & R) and MDI. In the event of not getting into MDI which is the only dream call I have currently should I re-take CAT along-with finding a job? I really wanted to have good brand of a college in my PG. What bothers me is whether my increased work-ex pose a problem in getting calls and selection next year even if I manage to scale my percentile? Also will it affect placement during MBA in any way?

    Like

    • Hi Ayush,
      Work-ex becomes a problem only if you have more than 40 months when you join an MBA program. Since that won’t be the case incase you take up a job and take another shot, you should be good in case you need another the shot.

      All the best with the results season!

      All the best!

      Like

  18. Zaki says

    Hi sir,
    I am a civil engineer graduated in 2020 and post that I have been doing content writing for 1 more than year on a freelance basis. I have given CAT two times and got 86%ile and 89%ile in 2020 and 2021 respectively. In both the attempts I have not utilised my full potential, as I only studied for the last two months.
    My Profile –
    Grad – Engineering
    Academics – 75/75/80
    Category – NC OBC
    Work Ex – 4 months Market Research Analyst and 12 months content writing on a freelance basis. (For the freelance thing, I have samples and work that I have done and not a proper pay slip)
    College getting this year – Baby IIMs and New IIMs.

    I am not able make a decision whether to join the above-mentioned colleges or retake the CAT. I am interested in reappearing for CAT next year, However I don’t know about the impact the two years gap will create in my MBA.

    Lastly, I want to ask that should I take up a job and prepare or carry on the freelance thing

    Like

    • Hi Zaki,

      Given that your academic profile is not that great, another attempt and a higher percentile might not get you into the old IIMs and other top schools.

      I would suggest taking up an MBA this year and making the most. The two-year gap will not matter much since that is anyway going to be there on your profile. A year of full-time work-ex will not drastically change things.

      You should be able to get good roles in Marketing without any problem.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  19. ANANT says

    hi sir,
    I`m a gem with 87/87/76.5(grad-private college) passed out in 2019 .I have a workex of 3 years.1 year core R&D, 1.5 year of business during covid(had some family issues so had to quit my job) and now i`m working as a business analyst in a management consulting MNC. I have been thinking about preparing for CAT and GMAT. Last year I gave CAT but could only score 72 percentile. But i feel i could get a much better percentile.
    so I would like to ask my chances of getting into a top 15 Bschool and also my chances of getting an internship and placement if do manage to crack any of the institute. As some of friends are in NITIE and IIM rohtak and getting a summer internship was tough for them.Also does being from a private college matters?

    Like

    • Hi Anant,

      I don’t think being from a private college affects a profile negatively.

      The chances of getting a top 15-b school completely hinge on your CAT percentile. If you can score above 99 then you will get calls from atleast 2-3 of the old IIMs and the rest of upto your ability to convert.

      The last few years have been fantastic for placements across b-schools and that is the reason why despite the MBA not being the same (online) candidates did not complain.

      So your friends finding it tough to crack summer placements is not a reflection on NITIE in any respect. Even if all the companies in the world descended onto a campus it does not mean everyone will find it easy since an individual candidate has to crack the interview.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

      • ANANT says

        thnks a lot for the insight sir.
        but do you think having 3 different areas of work ex would harm my profile in any way or II just need to have valid reasons in my interview for the same to get through?

        Like

  20. Sandip Jani says

    Hi, I am someone with 5+ years of experience and will complete 6 years in August 2022. Is there anything wrong in targeting 2 year regular MBA and giving CAT 2nd time (I have taken CAT’21 and scored 95 %ile, but could not convert New IIM, Shillong, and MDI-G calls)? Or Shall I only target 1 year MBA from IIM ABC or ISB? Your honest opinion will be a help for me.

    Like

    • Hi Sandip,
      Given your profile, you will be an outlier in a 2-year program since recruiters visit these campuses with a specific view to hire people in the 0-40 months work-ex range.

      As the experience goes above this the number of roles for which you will be shortlisted will be far and few on between.

      This is not to say that you will not get a job but only that a bulk of the jobs on offer would be aligned to your profile.

      I would suggest taking the GMAT and applying to 1-year programs of ISB, IIMs, XL and SP.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

  21. Ani says

    Hello sir! Recently discovered your blogs and have been engrossed since. I do need your advice…
    I’m a GEM Fresher with profile 9/9/7.5 passed out in 2021. My CAT’20 percentile was 93.7 and I had decided to join DSE, DU but a month in the course I dropped out and prepared for CAT’21. There was no point getting a job as only 3 months were remaining till CAT. Managed to get a 98.71 percentile but long story short I only have 4 baby IIMs and a convertible WL at DoMS IIT Madras.
    Now I can’t take a drop again but I want to prepare for CAT’23 with a 1.5 year workex but my parents think it’s too risky. I’m very conflicted sir. Will like your thoughts on this..

    Like

    • Hi Ani,

      I personally do not think it is a risk if you have arrived at the decision after going through the post and answering all the questions written in it.

      It has only been a year since you graduated, so time is also on your side.

      Parents always operate on one premise — fear — and this underpins their thinking completely — it is good to be cautious, if say, you are going to climb a glacier, but CAT is a not life and death situation, it is only life, and as they say — jaan hai toh jahaan hai.

      But do ensure that you apply to other schools such as IIFT, MDI, NM and SNAP as well, they are the safety harnesses, and they offer a platform to a great career — one should always step out of the crease but should never get stumped 🙂

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

      Like

      • Ani says

        Thanks for your reply sir! I did apply for MDI, the interview went so well that even the panelist said you’re a very impressive candidate but I’m still waitlisted at 500+. It has dazed and confused me a bit. I converted NM Core but didn’t take due to personal reasons. I feel like I’m struggling to understand myself a bit, because I didn’t even apply for SPJIMR because I thought I wouldn’t get enought percentile for a call.
        Anyway, thanks fir replying sir your articles have given plenty of food for thought.

        Like

  22. Anant says

    hi sir !
    i have acads 88/88 /77 in 10th ,12th and grad respectively. GEM ,2019 passout
    My work ex-
    1 yr- core mechanical(r&d)
    1.5 yr- family business(joined due to covid)
    1 yr- data analyst(presently working in a mangement consulting firm)
    Do you think having 3 different areas of work ex would harm my profile in any way or I just need to have valid reasons in my interview for the same to get through?
    Also i dont see a benifit in joining a baby/new iim seeing my current ctc ,so what scores should i target to get into fms,mdi,old iims

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    • Hi Anant,

      The work-ex should not be a problem as long as you have a valid reason — there is no right or wrong answer, only a convincing or an unconvincing one!

      At a percentile of above 97.5, you will get MDI and may be one of the old IIMs; above 95.5 you will get may be 2-3 calls, and above 99.5 you should get 4-5 calls.

      Hope this helps,

      All the best!

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  23. Dane O'connor says

    Hi sir ,
    Acads 74- 10th, 82-12th and almost done with my final year , i gave CAT 21 and scored 89.45 which landed me calls from TAPMI and GIM but could not convert GIM because of delay in graduation but concerted TAPMI (marketing program) yet somewhere within i am not happy with it and wanna give cat another shot but since am graduating in the month of July i won’t be working anywhere as such what should I do in this Situation, join TAPMI or give another shot at CAT (knowing it’s a bit late to start but am willing to put in the efforts)

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    • Hi Dane,

      I think if you can see a path towards a higher score you should go for it; you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It is not late at all if you will not be working, you have more than enough time.

      All the best!

      Like

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