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.
The CAT Writer 
Hi sir, this CAT was my 2nd attempt. Got 97.77 .
Should I repeat or not? I was performing very well in mocks, but in cat I could not.
Plus I have converted nmims core.
Can you help me decide/ give some points regarding nmims vs new iims(udaipur/ranchi/trichy/raipur) vs bitsom.
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Hi Kshitij,
Honestly, there will be little to choose if you are likely to do well — get a good CGPA, build your resume through clubs and competitions — between all of the colleges that you have listed.
NMIMS Core will hold an advantage if it is core Finance jobs that you are looking at.
If you want to play it absolutely safe, then NMIMS Core should be the option.
If you want the IIM brand and are willing to put in the effort to standout among your cohorts at the new IIMs, then join them.
BITSOM is also a good school and if there are specific things that you want that only BITSOM guarantees or you want to find out about the programme then use the Connect with a BITSOMian option — https://www.bitsom.edu.in/admission
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi sir, I’m a GEM with 92/75/68 profile. I will have 2 years work exp by july this year, and having glim pgpm offer and scmhrd ba results awaited. i am interested in another attempt as i couldn’t study well for cat 2022, but my work exp will become 3 years by the time i join a college next year, is it still advisable to give another attempt at cat 2023? (as i heard it is not ideal to have more than 2 years work exp during placements)
your insight will be really helpful, thankyou
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p.s: i have one year exp in sales and 1+ year exp in IT (currently ongoing). and in mba interested in marketing/analytics specialization
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Hi Chaitanya,
Three years of work-ex is not a problem at all. No need to worry about being over the hill.
All that matters is your conviction that you can get an admit into a better college next year.
All the best!
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I am a GEM with 6 months of exp,
got 99.2 in cat but didn’t get any top 6 calls.
I got 98.8 in xat with 99.74 in VA but 57 in DM.
I did my prep for 3.5 months, should I reattempt?
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Hi Siddharth,
I do not know what admits you have this year against which you are weighing a reattempt.
If you do not have any admits take another shot and apply to a slightly expanded list of colleges: SPJIMR, MDI, NITIE etc. All of them offer a great start to build your career from.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi
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Hello
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I am Somrita Ghosh. I Graduated with B.Com Marketing Hons from Calcutta University in 2022. On March 2022 I started Cat Preparation. Everything is well. After taking commerce it’s my dream of getting an M.B.A. from the top 20 to 25 colleges. Our 6th Semester exam started in July and ended on the 4th of August. Due to my semester exams for one month, I was unable to concentrate on my cat preparation. So again when I started I was so scared that I had not completed my syllabus then I focus on completing the syllabus instead of Proper Revision not giving mocks properly, and full of negativity about what if I will not get into a good college & Everybody use told me that Cat is very difficult exam try something other But I always use to challenge myself that I am going to do it and I believe in myself that I can do it. But in the mid of Sept, I was so stressed and full of negativity, as a result, my body didn’t take it any more In October I realised that this year it was not going to happen then discuss with my parents that I want to repeat once more because this year I will not be able to get into a good college then they said ok do but along with that take admission for Distance M.Com. After Giving Cat 2022 I cried I realized that I have not given my best not maintaining a proper schedule or timetable most importantly I realized that my stress was reason of giving up in the end. On Jan 2023 I took admissions in ims online classes for cat again started for preparing for Cat. But now my parent is not happy with my decision because they think that I am wasting this year as well. All my friends are employed. My father told me that all ur friends r having their jobs. Sir this type of thinking stressed and Upset me .Besides, that Can’t live my whole life with Regret that If I had given cat once more then I can get into a good college. My inner voice always use to say that U Can do it give it another shot . U Can get a very good percentile in Cat. Even I believe that if give my best I can get a very good percentile in Cat .But this kind of thinking really upset me doubt me about myself. How to overcome this because the previous year because of this I had not given my best. This year I don’t want this to happen because I want to give my best in the cat preparation so that whatever the result is I should not regrets .
Thanks With Regards
Somrita
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Hi Somrita,
Very few people crack the CAT in their first attempt, a bulk of the candidates, do so in their second attempt, me included.
You need to figure out whether you need a full 8-9 months to prepare for the CAT or prepare for CAT taking up a part-time, WFH job on the side.
I think if you do the latter it will take the pressure off you and get you a bit of respite from your parents. Very few people get the right support from family and friends, the best most people get is no involvement but for a bulk of the people parental pressure is something that they have to deal with in all aspects of life. The earlier you learn that you cannot expect support and that you cannot let them sit in your head, the better.
Most importantly, you need to move beyond the motivational speak of you can do it and move towards actions in your everyday that will build your confidence: meditation to calm the mind, breathing exercises, yoga or physical exercise, some part-time work, and CAT Prep. This is something that will sustain you rather than spending a lot of emotional energy trying to buck yourself up constantly.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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This was my first attempt of CAT. I started coaching in july 2022, and scored 76.04. I want to re take CAT. But I am confused whether to take coaching again or i should prepare by myself.
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Hi Shaista,
It completely depends on your leaning needs.
If you were
1. regular to classes
2. know how to solve all the questions in the and
3. have no problems staying motivated until the exam
you can prep on your own.
Else, atleast take up an online program.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi, I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to share with you that I didn’t perform well in my CAT mainly due to the stress, anxiety, and constant pressure from my parents. But since its about fresh starts now, I am determined to reappear for the exams and do better. The only problem is that I am not able to find a suitable job. I graduated in March,2022, contributed in the family alongside preparing for CAT 2022. But now, being graduate in finance, I feel like I should get some formal job experience which could be shown as a relevant experience when I re-attempt my entrances this year.
I am in a bit of a dilemma as I am torn between preparing for the exam, finding a suitable job or taking up a job that is not ideal for me..
I would greatly appreciate your advice on what my next steps should be. Should I prioritize finding a job or should I start preparing for the exam? Would it be better for me to work in an unsuitable job and prepare for the exam on the side?
Thank you for taking the time to read my message, and I hope to hear back from you soon.
Best regards,
Aayush
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Hi Aayush,
I think having a break for more than a year will be tough to justify in interviews.
I suggest the either of following courses of action:
1. Find a job relevant to Finance or your area of interest, even if it means a low paying job.
2. Instead of a job take up CFA L1 exam this year since it will be a really big plus on your resume and will get you great Finance shortlists during placements. CFA is expensive since each level will cost about USD900-1200 depending on when you register for the exam. You can take the exam in one of the two slots: June or December.
CAT Prep has to be in parallel since only prepping for CAT will just add to the overall pressure on you,
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hii Sir,I’m currently in my final year doing B.com my profile is 8/7/6,this was my first CAT attempt and got 95.93 (99.52/18.48/95.46),the only calls I got were IIM Rohtak and IIFT, I’m very scared of the DILR section now and don’t know if I can get better at it this year, I have been preparing for CAT since my 2nd year at college. Is it a wise decision to opt for Rohtak if I get it or should I give another attempt? There is a constant fear of not getting BLACKI calls next year and at the same time whether is it fine to settle with a new IIM because many people say IIM tag is what matters
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Hi Yash,
Even with a higher percentile, BLACKI calls will be tough ask, given your academic profile.
Since you are a fresher, an MBA from a new IIM or IIFT, will give you a great break.
I would say, keeping your fears of DI-LR in mind, that you should join a new IIM or IIFT.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Will someone be at a disadvantage in terms of pay disparity,promotions ,department,roles,etc if they do their MBA from a New IIM
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Hi Yash,
There might be a few niche firms that do not visit new IIMs for campus placements. Some super niche Fin firms might hire only from a few old IIMs. These will account for less than 5% of the roles available to IIM grads, so there should not be any problem.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello sir, i am currently in my final year of Bcom. I have scored 98.15 in CAT and my profile is 84/89/77. My best calls are IIM shillong and MDI Gurgaon, along with all new and baby IIMs. I have also converted NMIMS Mumbai core.
When i think about taking a re-take and also doing a job after my grad, i am confident that my percentile will increase but i am not sure that will it be enough for ABC. Also even if score a 99.5 or above, i am not sure whether i’ll be getting BLACKI calls or converts because of my average profile.
Can you please advise me and tell me how should i decide whether to go for a retake or should i join an MBA program this year itself.
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Hi Bhavesh,
You are right that BLACKI in General category and that too with less than 2 years of work-ex had become an extremely narrow path to get into.
Given that you are a fresher and you have options from both MDI and NM (and the other IIMs) you have a shot at building a great career in Marketing, Finance, General Management and Consulting.
So, the incremental reward to risk ratio is not worth it in my opinion. Go for it right now and join is what I would say.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi sir,
I commented here previously. My 10th/12th/grad is 92/75/68 and I’m a GEM with 25 months work exp by july 31 2023 (cat application work exp date)
With this profile, is it impossible to get blacki calls even if i do really well in another attempt at cat or if its possible at what percentile is it possible?
I’m just trying to weigh my options this year against another attempt.
Thankyou
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Hi Chaitanya,
Given your XII and Grad marks it’s almost next to impossible to get BLACKI calls even at 99.75 (may be B because of work-ex).
I would suggest not limiting your options to BLACKI or nothing and joining any top 30 schools if you have an admit.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello sir, this was my first serious attempt at cat but I couldn’t deliver to the best of my capabilities and ended up scoring less than I used to get in mocks. My profile is 87/78/74(non engg) and I was able to receive calls from Kozhikode and Shillong only from the top IIM’s and I am interested to join any of them. Apart from cat, I have an interview call from IIFT as well but I am interested only in the Delhi campus. This was my gap year along with playing professional football so should I gave another attempt at MBA exams if I don’t make it to the above mentioned 3 colleges and pick up some job or should I consider joining the new/baby IIM’s or other campuses of IIFT. Also sir I am interested in getting into consulting domain, so given my profile would it be possible to get into one even if I make into one of the top 10 colleges next year?
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Hi Sir, I graduated in jun 2022 in BscHons(Ag) with no workex i gave cat 2022 but couldn’t do well due to exam stress nd few other preparation mistakes. My mind and heart says that give another attempt but i am getting confused will 2 year gap gonna affect further and what if i get stressed next year too.I am also a student of IMS.Sir please guide me what should i do will 2 year gap gonna affect and how to deal with negativity confusing me from taking this call.It would be very kind of you sir.
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