MBA Entrance tests in India:an overview

It all begins in the month of November as lacs of enthusiastic students with a common goal of seeking entry into the most prestigious of all B-schools, the Indian Institutes of management (a brand name that needs no mention) appear for the most intimidating of all entrance tests, the CAT usually held on the second or the third Sunday of the month every year. One of the toughest exams to crack, the CAT year after year continues to bewilder one and all with its unpredictable nature. With 2000 seats available at these leading institutes (IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode and IIM Shillong) and approximately 3 lac students (a number that keeps on increasing every year and frightfully so) in the fray, gaining entry into the IIM is certainly not a child’s play. It certainly requires a great acumen, tremendous mental fortitude and a little bit of luck to crack the CAT (in fact it’s true of almost all the entrance exams in India), your first step towards a glorious career as a corporate manager.

But it doesn’t end at that. You also need to prove your worth in the gruelling Interview sessions and Group discussions (the GD/PI format varies from institute to institute as some may prefer essay-writing or extempore over group discussions). Credit is also given to those with relevant work-experience. But mind you if you haven’t been up to your best anywhere in your past academics, you are almost out of the race because you need to prove your credibility there as well. So basically you have to be a perfectionist when it comes to getting into the IIM. But then there’s hardly any reason to be dejected if you can’t make it to the IIM since there’re quite a few other B-schools in India that offer admissions on the basis of CAT the most prominent ones being MDI Gudgaon, SPJIMR, UBS, LBS, BIM, NITIE and IMT Ghaziabad

But as I said this is only the beginning. The CAT is followed by an entrance test conducted by Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (based in Delhi and Kolkatta), one of the premiere most institutes for pursuing a program in foreign trade in India. NMAT and SNAP conducted by NMIMS Mumbai and Symbiosis institutes of management at Pune respectively for their business management programs come next in line. Engineers with a first class in graduation have another good option in the form of JMET conducted by the IITs for their management programs. For those who wish to pursue a career in HR, XLRI (Xavier Labor research Institute) is the institute you ought to be vying for. The XAT that has proved time and again to be as intimidating as the CAT is the hurdle you need to clear to get into XLRI which also has a BM (business management) program apart from its flagship HR program. XIM Bhubaneshwar, another good institute for a program in business management and LIBA also consider the XAT score for admissions followed of course by the GD/PI sessions. TISS is another reputed institute that offers an M.A in Human resources management. FMS (Faculty of management studies) Delhi with a placement record consistently equivalent to IIM Ahmedabad (the top ranked IIM) conducts its own entrance test a first class in graduation being an eligibility criterion thus admitting only the crème de la crème.

Surprised at the plethora of options that have been thrown open to you for a career in business management? Well hang on since there’s more to come. ATMA and MAT are the other entrance exams conducted at the national level and the number of institutes offering admissions on the basis of these exams is incredulously large but the quality of their programs is beyond the purview of our current discussion. MAH-MBA-MMS-CET is the last one of the long examination season and scores of students appear for it to get into JBIMS probably the only institute in Mumbai that comes closer to the IIM as far as the placement scenario is concerned. SIMSREE, Welingkar and SIMSR are the other institutes you can look forward to through the CET. And mind you can also get into these institutes through CAT, XAT, MAT and ATMA as there’re a certain number of seats reserved on an All-India basis.

So here’s wishing a very good luck to those who’re ready to plunge into this pool of entrance examinations. Cheer no doubt if you succeed but don’t be disheartened if at first you don’t. Keep trying hard and success will one day be yours!