Be it the day of the CAT or be it when the final admit results come out it is not easy to be a mentor — on one hand you are happy for students who crack the exam and get admitted and on the other hand you feel sad for those who have a bad test day or fail to convert. The toughest thing was always to meet a student who was happy, knowing that the one waiting outside was sad. So with the years, one develops a certain equanimity since one cannot be so happy that one is not able to empathize with the ones who are having a hard time and one also cannot get so bogged down by sadness that one cannot partake in the joy of the successful.
In some cases students just disappear, somehow they take it very personally, that they have failed, they have failed even after reading all the blogs and attending all the sessions, they feel almost as if they have let me down. And I am left wondering, whatever happened to that guy, that girl. The others thankfully come down to meet me or reach out to me through the blog comments even if it is just to feel lighter instead of heavy and burdened.
There are two things about cliches — they are dead boring since they have been repeated so often but at the same time, they are also true, so are all the cliches about failure, I won’t repeat them but I will attest that they are true.
In one of the recent posts, I spoke about how everyone has to face a test and how heroes in myths are defined by overcoming obstacles. The thing about myths is that they rarely show heroes failing at a task spectacularly. But if we look at real-life successes, almost every spectacular success has had a big failure or inability as well. I am not linking failure to success or calling it a pre-requisite.
All I am saying is, everyone fails, so do not go beating yourself about it.
There is nothing to be gained from self-flagellation
The first reaction understandably is to hit oneself with an emotional whiplash and of these, the worst one is — I am useless, I am not smart enough, I suck, I do not have the skills to crack this exam, no matter what I do it will not change a thing.
Firstly, I will be happy if you are telling yourself all of these in anger rather than through a bucket of tears since anger with oneself can be a very good motivator.
But whether you are telling yourself these things through anger or through tears you need to quickly move from “I suck” to I suck at this particular aspect of CAT, from being emotional to being strategic.
- This was the first time I took an entrance test and I was overwhelmed by it
- My reading speed was the biggest hindrance when the paper became tough
- Before the test, I did not talk myself through what I was going to execute during the three sections
- Before the test, I did talk myself through things but everything went out of the window once the test started
- I did not hunker down and solve 2 DI sets but flitted from set to set
- I could not solve tough QA questions from Arithmetic, my level plateaued at easy and moderate questions
- My technique to solve evaluative RC questions was not really up to the mark
My favorite story when it comes to dealing with doubts about one’s ability is Brian Lara’s answer when questioned about being McGrath’s bunny (he has got him quite a few times), Lara did not talk about the number of centuries he scored against Australia or the single-handed manhandling of a peak Australian team over an entire series, all he said was — someone from the opposition has to get me out sometime, right?
Evaluate the extent of damage and your options and view things in proportion
The right lens to view things should not be through your success or failure at CAT but in terms of your prospects of doing an MBA from a premier B-school.
Just like the extent of damage in a war varies across the various battlefronts, the damage, if any, to your MBA dreams, varies across different profiles.
Who are the aspirants who are the worst hit?
Those who already have 4 years of work experience and had a horrible CAT are the worst hit since another shot at the CAT and the 2-year MBA is effectively ruled out; they only have the rest of the exams in this season to make it count. (It is not that you will get rejected, you can still get an admit into a 2-year program but the number of recruiters looking at a 5-year profile will be fewer; you will still be able to get the career growth you are looking for in your domain)
Those who have three years of work-ex will still have a shot at the CAT next year but to stay close to the average profile in a b-school (having 4 or more years of work-ex will make the profile a bit of an outlier) they should crack one of the remaining exams in this season.
Those who have 2 or fewer years of work-ex have nothing to worry about as far as their MBA dreams go — they are well and truly alive. You can still get there, not when you wanted to and in the way you wanted to but you can still get there.
Some of you might wonder whether you have it in you to take another shot. Well, you do not have another option.
Roger Federer played from 2012 Wimbledon to 2017 Australian Open, 17 Slams, without winning a single slam, being stuck at 17, losing to players who were not in the same league as him. At every single slam during those five years my friend and I would talk, just before the semis or finals, about how well Fed was playing, the new things that he was inventing — the SABR (Sneak Attack By Roger) — and as usual the crazy points in the matches until then, only for him to lose again.
There were articles asking why he was still playing. I was supporting him saying that it need not be #1 or nothing, as long as he is easily making finals and semis and believes he can win he should play since he is still ranked in the top 4 and since unlike in a team sport, he is not delaying a transition or eating into the prime years of a youngster. In effect, I had mentally ruled out the chance of him winning again, I was happy that he was competing well.
Federer is great not because he has won 20 Slams but because he believed in himself so much, believed in himself through four years of heart-breaking failures, four years of aging and his body breaking down in 2016, while others were catching up with him.
I am sure no victory tasted sweeter to him than the 2017 Australian Open when he finally won a Slam again. (I have never felt more elation at the end of a sports match than while watching him win the 2017 Australian Open)
All of you are so young! This exam season is still young! And you have enough time to acquire the skills your skills to crack the CAT at another shot (if required).
Cut all the negative voices out of your head, your own voice, and that of your parents as well, if necessary (since all most Indian parents seem to care about is the timing of your wedding and how another CAT attempt affects that).
They will release the paper with your response soon and based on that we will release a tool to calculate your score — this can cause another meltdown. It is never easy to actually see the marks if you know you did not do well. Do not try to find out, let the results come out when they come out.
Some of you might be raring to smash the other tests to smithereens, and others might be feeling out of gas and motivation to pick yourself up.
The latter, please give yourself a break, do the things you like to do, eat the things you like to eat, and relax for the rest of this week, restart next Monday.
There is little you can do right by pushing yourself without a break or good rest and being a bunch of ragged nerves.
Getting ready for the next event
It is not easy to crack the test on your first or second attempt unless you are on the top of your game for at least 10 to 15 mocks with additional reserves to handle a tougher-than-usual paper. I cleared the test on my second attempt.
Even those who have set their sights firmly on the old IIMs will be taking a few more tests, at least the XAT. Now that you have the CAT monkey off your back, go ahead full-throttle on these other tests.
Even if you have decided on another shot at the CAT and IIM-A, take the other tests you have registered for seriously, crack a final admit to IIFT, NMIMS, SIBM, or even XL, and then reject it. — achieve something this season and set yourself higher goals for next year.
Some of the comments to this post are very good and some of you might find an echo of your performance, current state, and questions in them.
P.S: The picture with this post is not of Federer but of Marin Cilic (crying) after he lost the 2017 Final to Federer.
“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”
The CAT Writer 
Hi Sir,
This article really helps. I had a mediocre CAT day and am not very hopeful. This was my first shot at CAT and I think I can do it once more. I wanted to understand the part where you discuss about people with work experience. I will have 2.5 years of work experience as of December 2023. Is it worth it to give one more shot or no? When you say 3 years of work experience do you mean at the time of CAT registration or at the time of joining the Bschool. Please advise.
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Hi Jay,
I meant by the time of joining the MBA program.
Don’t worry. You can take another shot.
All the best!
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Hi sir ,
I am a female bio EWS student and graduated in 2022 with a good 9 cgpa but after that I appeared for my first cat in the same year and it went fine the percentile was low in 50 s and xat percentile was in 70 s but it somehow made me feel confident enough to appear for both of exams again
And I took a year and prepared again .
The results are heartbreaking,I don’t know what went wrong but I was only able to score in 60 s in cat and in xat the result was worse than last year …
I am lost
I feel like a useless ,idiotic person who chose something she was not made for …
I don’t know if I should try one more time or let it go
Please help me
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Hi Akshita,
I am not sure if you have been only prepping for these exams or have been working since graduation.
I would suggest trying exams other than these two since sometimes aspirants tend to fare very well in NMAT and SNAP as opposed to CAT and XAT.
If you have work-ex then continue working and prep for these exams, else look for a job as well.
Most of the colleges through SNAP and XAT offer great outcomes and I personally know of people who are in CXO roles from these schools.
So instead of being hard on yourself, focus on the outcomes offered by schools rather than exams.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Sir My test centre was horrible. The wall of the test centre was made of glass. When I started solving DILR section, i found it tough. Then some people arrived just outside my test centre at Amritsar. They Played songs and crackers for around 15 minutes outside. Not a single member of invigilator bother. Sir somehow i managed to solve 3 questions. Even I can not complain to anyone 😦
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Same. I too had few distractions which couldn’t be controlled. The guy to my right kept on mumbling while reading the passages in VARC. I usually need complete silence to concentrate while doing RC. And during QA, the guy to my second left started shouting and arguing with the invigilators about his calculator being erroneous while he was the one who didn’t use it right. Not that without these, I would have surely done better. But still😮💨
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If it’s not the centre then it will be our neighbours who distract us!
I think deep concentration irrespective of where you are is a skill. Work on it. Start solving RCs jn public places.
Hope the results are in line with your expectations.
All the best!
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Hi Roy,
Every year there are stories of exam centres with less than optimal test-taking conditions. But we have no ‘rights’.
In the past, there were cases where a student got an evening slot in Noida after turning up for his assigned morning slot in Gurgaon.
Hope the result is not too different from your expectations.
All the best.
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Hello Tony sir, your masterclass on VERBAL Ability was just amazing. So I think that my problem is peculiar because I want to do an MBA from an IIM, but I don’t want to sit for placements or rather I am not interested in placements as we have a family business and I want to continue it and take it to a higher stage. I am currently in my final year of BMS. As I started my preparation in August ( serious preparation), as expected my CAT went horribly. Because I lacked experience in taking a competitive exam. And of course because of lack of preparation. Also currently I am facing family pressure for going Into tier 2 MBA colleges as they are nearby from my home. ( KJ Somaiya, Wellingkar, also I am being told to be realistic) but I am not interested in going to these colleges, as they will be a complete waste of resources from my perspective as I don’t want to opt for placements. But currently, I am getting a little intimidated by seeing, aspirants take around 2-3 attempts to get into premier B- Schools. Also, I don’t enjoy the process of solving QA questions. My profile ( 10th -87.40, 12th – 93.17, Graduation expecting around 70 to 75 )So my question is, giving another year or more for preparation and 25-30 lakhs in fees, is it worth it or should just get into tier two B – school? And is it possible for an Average student to get into an IIM? Also, how do I convince my parents for another year’s preparation?
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Hi Soham,
Firstly, your academic profile is quite above average. You get definitely get into one of the 20 IIMs if you score above a 92 percentile.
Basically, you get one chance to get a top draw education. What you will bring to your business is the knowledge capital and network you will be gain from your MBA. The better the quality of your education the better your skills sets and network will be.
One can be realistic, if one is taking another shot after exhausting one’s potential. I think very few people who start in can exhaust their potential.
You lose nothing by taking another shot. You can get a job and get professional experience. All learnings from the outside world will be useful for family buisnesses.
My suggestion, take another shot and next time apply to the family business program at ISB as well. I personally know third-generation of family businesses with 300 cr who did the program and got value. That program is tailored specifically to the challenges faced by family businesses and has case studies of famous Indian family businesses. This will be a better option than doing an MBA from a tier-II college.
I hope this gives you all the information you need to deal with your parents.
All the best!
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Hello sir
I have a question regarding the work ex scenario. Currently I have 28 months of work ex and After such a horrible exam, I am quite sure that I am not getting any calls this year. I intend to give in one last attempt before throwing the towel. But by June 2025(The time when colleges start their sessions) I will have 46 months of work ex. Is this profile even considered by recruiters??
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Hi Harsh,
Your profile will definitely be considered by recruiters. The difference is in the number of recruiters and number of roles open to you.
Think of it in this way.
In an ODI match:
1. The openers have the maximum chance to score big centuries since they get a shot at the maximum number of overs.
2. Numbers 3-4 have a chance to score lots of centuries since the openers take care of what the ball can do.
3. Numbers 5 and 6 have a lower probability of scoring centuries but can end up with high averages since they can remain not out.
The same is the case with work-ex. It is not that those with more than 45 months of work-ex will not get jobs — they will surely get great jobs. It is just that it will not be like an unlimited buffet the way it is for 0-3 years of work-ex but more like an ala carte meal. At ISB and other 1-year programs recruiters are coming to recruit profiles with higher work-ex.
As long as that is clear and one knows that the proabability of finding your dream job off-campus is higher than that on-campus one should not have any apprehensions ab out joining a 2-year program.
All the best!
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Hello Sir,
Thanks for clarifying, But I have similar question, Requesting to clarify the same. Currently, I have Work Exp of 54 months in a R&D & my CAT 2023 didn’t go well ~ 79.02 percentile. But I made up my mind to give one more shot. My academics are as follows 10/12/Bachelors ~ 95/79.2/93.2.
Now, I have two options:
1. Prepare CAT, give your best & join with B School as an Outlier.
2. Prepare GMAT & try for 1 year executive.
Could you share your opinion & suggest an idea.
PS: I appreciate your efforts & patience in answering our queries.
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Hi Mugil,
I have absolutely no doubt, take the GMAT and apply to 1-year programs.
If you are still hung up on CAT, which happens in a lot of cases, take it casually and apply to a few schools after you have finished the GMAT and the applications.
Best plan of action: GMAT before 31-May 2023. Applications to 1-year programs. CAT Prep from 1-September onwards.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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hello sir. What sort of profiles get accepted for Ex MBA from IIM ABC? Is the process as competitive as the one for 2 year program? and what about GM program of XLRI ? Is it at par with other Executive Mba programs?
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Hi M,
The best and the most competitive ex-MBA program is the 1-year program at ISB.
The programs at the old IIMs and XL are all at par and getting admission into them is less competitive than it is for the 2-year program, which does not mean it is easy since you still need to get a good score on the GMAT and do well in the interviews. The average age of the candidates will be around or above 30. You should apply to them if you have 5 or more years of work-ex.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello Sir,
I am a repeater I wrote CAT Last year 2022. I have completed my Graduation from Calcutta University B.COM Marketing Hons. After taking Commerce it’s my dream to get an M.B.A from a Top B.School.Due to the Pandemic except for 1st semester, all our exams happened Online so I through last semester i.e. 6th semester will also be online. So in March 2022, I took admission at IMS CLASSROOM Program for CAT I had to travel 5hrs from my home to the centre. But on June, 10 days before the 6th Semester, we came to know that the exam will happen offline not online then I put everything aside and focused on my Graduation exams because at that time if I didn’t do well in Graduation then I had nothing to do with CAT and in between that lot of Protest happened and our exams got delayed. Everything was completed on 4th Aug . After that when I came back to my CAT Preparation I was so stressed I through what would happen if I didn’t get into a good college and what would happen if this year’s CAT didn’t go well I started thinking like that. In October, I realised this year was not going to happen I told my parents I wanted to repeat and at that time they agreed with my decision. So after writing all exams CAT, XAT and SNAP.When the CAT results declared I was little strange because I had not expected
that much what I got. So again On Jan 2023 I started Preparing for CAT 2023 and took the admission IMS Online class but my Parents now don’t support my decision.They think that I am wasting one year. But I stick to my decision and was preparing I was totally detached from everything no friends nothing. People used to make fun of me because the way I used to study but this time I was well prepared given mocks properly followed every block of yours joined every class and every session that you took. But On CAT 2023 I was having my first slot I was totally surprised because on simcats was able to score properly on DILR and solved every past CAT year’s Paper I was able to do one set properly. But on D-Day, my DILR and Quants didn’t go well. I even don’t know what will happen what percentile I will get whether I will get into a good college or not how should I face my Parents I don’t have any Plan B because all I want to do is an M.B.A from 20 to 35 Top B.School. Not getting any energy for Preparation next exams. My Profile is 74/67/77. Sir, please help me with what should I do next. This was the first time in my life I decision by myself. But don’t know what will happen.
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Hi Somrita,
The first thing you need to do is to tune out what other people will think — parents, friends who saw you prepare etc. — since the season is not yet over and others do not think about us as much as we think they do!
The next thing you should do is to list the names of the admits you would like to have next year from all the non-CAT exams.
Make a list of all programs via XAT (XL, XIM-B etc..), SNAP and NMAT that will give you outcomes aligned to your academic profile. The job market is not that great right now. The best thing everyone can do is to get an additional degree.
Once you have the list and once you know that you will gladly take all of these admits, you will get the energy to study.
It is not about ‘a’ particular exam, it is about a long-term career.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello! I’m a mechanical engineer from VIT Vellore (2023 batch) in the GEM Fresher category. My academic scores are 10th – 89.4%, 12th – 85.2%, and B.Tech with an 8.24 CGPA.
I didn’t take any job after B.Tech because most of the opportunities available were very basic and low level (5-6LPA) with sales and marketing profile. I’m not saying it’s bad, but I feel I won’t gain anything very valuable there other than work experience points. Honestly, I want to learn right now and develop my skills more. My family is well-off, and there is no pressure from their side for me to work.
My CAT went fine, though I prepared with all my heart and did everything possible. Still, I feel my score will be around 96-97 percentile, and I’m concerned I won’t get any good calls because of my category. I used to score around 70-100 in SimCAT during October and November, but I feel I won’t achieve that range in the real CAT.
I’m pursuing an MBA to learn, not just to earn. Therefore, a good campus with good values is more important to me than a college that focuses mostly on publishing placement records. This perspective stems from the reality I observed during my B.Tech.
Now, I’m back home and feeling confused because I don’t have any work experience. I feel I wasted a lot of time preparing for something I couldn’t crack, although I learned a lot. This situation is creating a gap on my resume.
I’m honestly preparing for XAT with all my heart. I’m a bit scared about the verbal section, but I think I can manage it. However, I still want to give CAT another chance because I believe if I sit again next year, I might score above 99.9 percentile for sure. I’ve identified the mistakes I made, and now I know how to correct them.
The thought of sitting at home for another year scares me. Whether I say it or not, the pressure to do well will always be there because I have been provided with more than enough resources.
What should I do? I need a good college, and I want to learn. Should I search for a job and prepare again if I don’t get any good college calls, or should I just sit home and give my best next year? If I stay home, I will definitely pursue relevant courses from Coursera and other platforms. I am mentally strong, but it gets depressing at home sometimes.
I appreciate your suggestions!
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Hi Raghav,
You have a good profile and I had taught VIT students way back in the past, so I am aware of the college and the TG.
I think as you said, you need to, for now, think only about the XAT.
I will not fault you for any of the decisions you have taken so far. All of your reasons are valid and you seem to have a sensible head on your shoulders.
For another attempt, if it is required, you should definitely get a job and prep for CAT.
I do not think, anyone who scores above 90 needs another whole year to prepare, even after doing profile-building activities — it will get a bit depressing for anyone no matter how strong they are!
Start hunitng for a job right away since it will take some time. I am sure you can multi-task XAT Prep and job hunt.
Do not worry about a wasted year and stuff, these are the years are we learn and grow the most if we put in the right effort!
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello sir,
I am scoring 54 marks in CAT 2023 but I might not be able to clear the DILR cutoff.
This was my 3rd CAT attempt. I graduated in 2021 with a degree in Physics from DU. I have 27 months of work ex as an Analyst.
I gave 3 years of my life to this exam but couldn’t clear it. Should I take admission to a tier 2 college? or prepare again?
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Hi Anjali,
If you get an admit into any college that has an average salary 2.25-2.5 of your current salary, then go ahead.
The word Tier-2 is very vague, so this will be a better classification.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
P.S: I do not know much about Masters Union 🙂
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Hello sir,
I hope this message finds you well.
I have scored 93%ile in CAT and a similar percentile in XAT, although I haven’t cleared the sectional cutoff. Presently, I am earning around 7 LPA. I’ve applied to institutions such as IMT G, IMI D, XIMB, GLIM, etc.
My long-term career aspirations lie in the fields of Product Management and Consulting. However, I’m feeling hesitant about accepting an offer from these B-schools, unsure if they’ll truly equip me with the skills and connections necessary to break into my desired fields.
Given my scores, work experience, and career goals, could you please provide your insights on:
1) The suitability of these B-schools for my aspirations.
2) The potential career opportunities they offer in Product Management and Consulting.
3) Any alternative paths I might consider.
Thank you for your time and guidance.
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Hi Anjali,
I think if you want to get into Prod Man and Consilting roles in IT/Tech then GLIM, XIM-B will be good enough.
You should be able to get roles in the above fields through these schools with atleast 2X your current CTC and much higher career acceleration 7-8 years after your MBA. So, I would advise accepting these offers.
If you want to get into Management Consulting then it will be tough through these schools.
Hope this clarifies,
All the best!
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Hello sir,
Cat 2023 was my second attempt and I graduated in May 2022.. In first attempt I was flowing with the flow but in second attempt I prepared for it and I know I haven’t given my 100% despite this I got 80 percentile in cat…
My previous academic 64/72/67.. my parents are scolding me and telling this is the last now you’ll not allowed for further studies. But truly from my heart I want to attempt cat one last time with 100% concentration. What should I do sir. I am 22 years old
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Hello Sir,
I hope this message finds you well. I achieved an overall percentile of 94.3 in CAT 23, with sectional scores of VARC-98.xx, DILR 18.xx (scored -1), and QA-92.xx. While this was my third attempt(2nd serious attempt), I dedicated substantial effort to improve my performance, and I am perplexed by the outcome in DILR, especially considering my previous sectional score of 97.xx in the same section CAT 22.
My academic background includes graduation from NMIMS Mumbai in 2022 with commendable scores of 10/8/8 in 10th, 12th, and undergrad, respectively. Presently, I lack professional work experience, and I find myself at a crossroads, contemplating various options. I am considering whether to pursue another attempt at CAT alongside my CFA preparations or to explore admission opportunities at colleges such as IMT, IMI, or the IITs.
My ultimate career aspirations revolve around entering the realms of Management Consulting or Investment Banking. While I acknowledge the typical metrics like median, average, and highest package offered by different B-schools, my primary concern lies in ensuring that pursuing an MBA will provide me with commensurate opportunities akin to those presented by the IIMs.
I seek your guidance in making an informed decision regarding my academic and professional trajectory. Understanding whether opting for an MBA outside the IIMs would still enable me to access similar career prospects in Management Consulting or Investment Banking is pivotal for my future planning.
Your insights and counsel regarding the opportunities available post-MBA, potential career paths, and the relevance of various institutions in aligning with my career goals would be immensely valuable.
Thank you for considering my inquiry. I eagerly await your guidance and expertise in this matter.
Thank You
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Hello Sir,
I hope this message finds you well. I achieved an overall percentile of 94.3 in CAT 23, with sectional scores of VARC-98.xx, DILR 18.xx (scored -1), and QA-92.xx. While this was my third attempt(2nd serious attempt), I dedicated substantial effort to improve my performance, and I am perplexed by the outcome in DILR, especially considering my previous DILR sectional score of 97.xx in the CAT 22.
My academic background includes graduation from NMIMS Mumbai in 2022 with commendable scores of 10/8/8 in 10th, 12th, and undergrad, respectively. Presently, I lack professional work experience, and I find myself at a crossroads, contemplating various options. I am considering whether to pursue another attempt at CAT alongside my CFA preparations or to explore admission opportunities at colleges such as IMT, IMI, or the IITs.
My ultimate career aspirations revolve around entering the realms of Management Consulting or Investment Banking. While I acknowledge the typical metrics like median, average, and highest package offered by different B-schools, my primary concern lies in ensuring that pursuing an MBA will provide me with commensurate opportunities akin to those presented by the IIMs.
I seek your guidance in making an informed decision regarding my academic and professional trajectory. Understanding whether opting for an MBA outside the IIMs would still enable me to access similar career prospects in Management Consulting or Investment Banking is pivotal for my future planning.
Your insights and counsel regarding the opportunities available post-MBA, potential career paths, and the relevance of various institutions in aligning with my career goals would be immensely valuable.
Thank you for considering my inquiry. I eagerly await your guidance and expertise in this matter.
Warm regards
Tanay
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Hi Tanay,
Really good to see a well articulated question!
A degree from the the non-IIM schools are NMIMS, SIBM, the top IITs and you have a CFA degree, you can easily get those plum roles you are seeking.
If it is IMI, IMT etc then the chances are of building a similar career are slim.
I’d say, let’s keep it simple: get the best admits you can this year and post a query again and let’s take it from there.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Good Morning Sir,
I hope this message finds you well. I appreciate your prompt response and would like to provide a comprehensive overview of my situation for your valuable guidance.
To offer a complete context, I made the decision not to participate in the SNAP exam due to my preference against private B-schools for my MBA. I opted for the NMAT, partly influenced by information suggesting a potential alumni quota. However, I approached the NMAT casually, confident that I could achieve a 99 percentile in CAT( I appeared for the NMAT one week after CAT 23).
Subsequently, despite diligent preparation for XAT, a review of my response sheet has unfortunately ruled out XLRI as a viable option. Consequently, I find myself considering alternatives such as IMT and IIT Roorkee, Jodhpur, and Dhanbad – the latter choices being prompted by my ineligibility for certain top IITs based on their specified criteria.
In line with your advice, I am committed to maximizing the opportunities available. However, my ultimate aspiration is to secure admission at an IIM, even if it may not necessarily be ‘The Holy Trinity’ i.e. IIMs A/B/C.
Adding to the complexity of my decision-making process, I must mention a gut feeling that I harbour – a strong intuition that I can crack CAT this year. Balancing this intuition with the practical aspects of my current situation is proving to be a significant challenge.
Moreover, there is mounting pressure from my parents to forgo a CAT retake and proceed with the available options.
Feeling genuinely lost, I seek your expert guidance to help me devise a clear action plan. Your insights will be invaluable in helping me to navigate through this critical juncture in my academic and professional journey.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I eagerly await your advice and direction on the matter.
Warm regards,
Tanay
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Hi Tanay,
At this point it looks like you have a gap two years.
Another gap year will not reflect well at all on your resume.
You have two options:
1. Join one of the options you have and clear CFA L1 and L2 by the time you graduate. The CFA will open up a lot of options for you off campus in Finance.
2. Hunt and take up a job this year and mount another attempt along with clearing CFA L1.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello sir,
I hope this message find you well. Cat’23 was my 2nd attempt and I scored only 87.59 %ile by performing horribly in quant section as compare to SIMCAT. I have done mechanical engineering from VIT university 2020 with acad. profile as 10/94.2%/8.94. Beside that I have work ex of 2.5 years.
I left my job for this attempt to give my full devotion and after this horrible attempt I am in deep dilemma whether to go for next year attempt or go with whatever option I got with this score.
I feel i tried to give my everything for this attempt and still couldn’t able to get desired score. I have given other exams XAT, NMAT, SNAP but still not able to secure top percentile getting percentile in the range of 80’s. Deep down I don’t want to settle with this score but the result I am getting is indicating different thing and also afraid at some level with cat unpredictability. To get into top colleges I am open to take up the job and go for executive mba or for one more attempt but the current market scenario scares me whether I will be able to get job in time. And this whole scenario have increased pressure from family to go for MBA this time only with whatever option I get. Please give guidance for how to navigate in this scenario.
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Hi Agrim,
I can only guess at the stress you are feeling.
Many years ago, I had taught VIT students for a brief while and I know that the students who get through the entrance exams route are really good.
So I understand you desire to do an MBA from a college of good repute.
I would suggest something different since it looks like somehow the Indian tests do not seem to be working out for you despite your best efforts and commitment. Trying to go after these exams for a third time might be counter-productive.
I would suggest taking the GMAT and applying to 1-year (ISB and others) and 2-year programs (SPJIMR and others).
Since the GMAT can be taken at anytime and is valid for five years, it gives you the flexibility to find a job settle into and then prepare and take the exam. You can choose to take the test apply to 2-years programs this year, join if you get something good or apply to 1-year programs the year after since your work-ex is still only 2.5 years.
I know the job market is not great but you will find something good given your profile.
I think. this is the best way forwards since it takes away the time pressure and timeline pressure.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hi sir,
I hope this message finds you well. Thanks for showing us the right path through your blogs and helping a lot of lost people like me through replying on each and every comment. Your advice means a lot!
I am a general engineer female with 25 months experience from a leading IT company. I left my job in August to prepare for CAT23. But I didn’t give my best and that’s why got 80%ile. After CAT I started studying for XAT with full dedication but got 88%ile , so didn’t get shortlisted for XLRI. Cleared my NMAT cut off but got waitlisted in the interview round. Since I left my job also, I am really stuck.
I don’t want to start working again in my industry. But I am sure that I want to pursue 2 year MBA plan from a reputed college only. I know if I try harder this time I will get a decent college. But now I don’t have any job. If I join college next year I will have a gap of 1+ year. One option I have is that I can help my father in our family business and simultaneously I can study for my exam. But I am not sure if colleges count that as work ex. Second option is I can study for CAT and go for some courses side by side. But then would the gap of 1+ year be that difficult to defend in the interviews? I am really confused and want your guidance on what my action plan should be. I value your advice very much and your insights will help me to make an informed decision.
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Hi Muskan,
Your family business can be counted as work-ex if you actually take it up like a full-time paid job with offer letter, salary slips etc., and you actually work there.
If you just tell them I helped my family business it will not be considered work-ex.
If that is not possible then prep for CAT and take up certification courses. Since you already have 24 months of work-ex, they will not hold the gap year but against you. They will ask about it in the interview. All you have to tell them is that doing this was a better plan for your career than continuing in your job.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Hello sir. Thank you for the wonderful post.
I gave CAT 23 in my final year, however I didn’t score well.
I want to go in for a 2nd attempt, but it would cost me a gap year since I am graduating this June. (Burnt out)
I want to pursue online coaching. And I need your guidance for the same.
Thank you
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Hi GB,
You should take another shot since only a small fraction of people manage to ace the exam in the first attempt.
I suggest you join the IMS CATapult Focussed Program. You can find the details here: https://www.imsindia.com/programs/cat/online-coaching/
Ideally you should work as well as prepare for CAT. If you want to only prep then do take up certification courses in Marketing or Finance or Operations depending on the domain you want to take up in your MBA. All premier international colleges have courses on offer on Coursera.
Hope this helps,
All the best!
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Thank you sir!
I was planning to continue with my previous coaching online so that I could start from basics to advanced level again.
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