CAT Exam or Common Admission Test is conducted every year by one of the Indian Institute of Managements. (IIMs). CAT entrance exam is used as a criteria to shortlist applicants for admissions to the six IIMs-IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, and IIM Kozhikode. Besides the IIMs some other top management institutes like Management Development Institute, S.P. Jain Institute, Nirma Institute of Management, T.A. PAI and IMT also shortlist the applicants on the basis of CAT.
CAT tests the skills of candidates in five broad areas i.e., verbal ability and reasoning, reading comprehension, quantitative skills, data interpretation, and analytical and logical reasoning. The duration of the test is of 120 minutes. The number of questions asked in Common Admission Test vary every year and a typical CAT question paper can have anywhere between 75 and 150 questions. All the questions are of multiple-choice nature with four/five alternate answer choices and the candidate has to choose the best answer for each of the questions and mark it on a special Optical Reader answer sheet. For every correct answer, one mark is awarded and for every wrong answer, 1/4th of a mark is deducted. Differential marks are allotted to the questions. A question may be of 0.5 marks, 1 mark or 2 marks.
Common Admission Test evaluates the candidate's presence of mind and his ability to perform under pressure. Key to success in CAT exam depends on two important parameters. Firstly, it is important to get a strike rate of over 85% and reduce the number of negatives. Secondly, be smart in choosing the questions. Attempt the easy questions first. Don't try to attempt questions about which you only have a vague idea.
The CAT exam is conducted once a year in November/December. In order to sit for the exam, one must be a graduate with a minimum of 50% in aggregate. Those appearing in the final year examination of graduation are also eligible to appear in Common Admission Test.
Xavier Admission Test (XAT)
XAT, acronym for Xavier Admission Test is a national level admission test conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur to select students for admission to management courses. There are 35 other Management Institutes which selecting students on the basis of XAT. Some of them include XIMB (Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar), LIBA (Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai), and BIM (Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Trichy).
XAT is usually conducted on the first Sunday of January in 31 cities all over India. These include: Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bangalore, Berhampur, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Goa, Gurgaon, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Noida, Patna, Pune, Raipur, Ranchi, Rourkela, Trivandrum, Vadodara, and Visakhapatnam.
Eligibility for XAT: An applicant for XAT must have three-year Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline recognized by the Association of Indian Universities.
XAT Test Pattern: XAT is an objective paper consisting of multiple-choice questions. There are four alternative answers for each question. One mark is awarded for each correct answer and 1/3 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. The duration of the test paper is 2 hours and there is an essay paper of 20 minutes.
The objective paper comprises three sections: (1) Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability (2) Quantitative Ability, Reasoning and Data Interpretation (3) General Awareness. There is a time limit of 40 minutes for each section.
For more information on XAT, visit www.xlri.edu/
Joint Management Entrance Test (JMET)
JMET (Joint Management Entrance Test) is used to screen applicants for admission to 2-Year full time Management programs in Indian Institutes of Technology, Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Roorkee, and IISc Bangalore.
Programs offered by the different institutes are:
IISc Bangalore: Master of Business Administration IIT Bombay: Master of Management IIT Delhi: Master of Business Administration, with a focus on Management Systems; Master Business Administration, with focus on Telecommunication Systems Management IIT Kanpur: Master of Business Administration IIT Kharagpur: Master of Business Administration IIT Madras: Master of Business Administration IIT Roorkee: Master of Business Administration.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligibility requirements vary from institute to institute.
IISc Bangalore: BE/ BTech or its equivalent in any branch of Engineering. IIT Bombay: BE/ BTech or its equivalent in any branch of Engineering OR a post-graduate degree in Science with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent. IIT Delhi: Bachelor's degree in Engineering/ Technology/ Architecture/ Pharmacy/ Agricutlural Engineering with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent OR Master's degree in Commerce/ Economics/ Physics/ Chemistry/ Mathematics/ Statistics/ Computer Application/ Electronic Science/ Environmental Science/ Operations Research/ Computational or Information Science/ Agriculture with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent. IIT Kanpur: BE/ BTech in any branch of Engineering with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent OR Bachelor's degree in Agriculture with Mathematics at the 10 + 2 level. IIT Kharagpur: Bachelor's degree in any branch of Engineering/ Technology with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent OR Master's degree in Science (with Mathematics or Statistics at bachelor's level) with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent OR Master's degree in Economics/ Commerce (with Mathematics or Statistics at bachelor's level) with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent. IIT Madras: BE/ BTech from a recognised institution/ university with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent OR Master's degree in any discipline from a recognised institution/ university with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent. IIT Roorkee: BE/ BTech or its equivalent from a recognised institution/ university with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent OR Master's degree in any discipline from a recognised institution/ university with a minimum overall aggregate of 60 percent.
Test Pattern of JMET: The duration of JMET is 2 hours and it consists of multiple-choice questions. The test paper consists of following sections: Verbal Communication, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation Ability, and General Business Environment Awareness. There is negative marking and for each wrong answer 1/4th of the marks allotted to that question are deducted.
Managenent Aptitude Test (MAT)
Management Aptitude Test (MAT) is a National Entrance Test conducted by Centre for Management Services (CMS), the specialized division of AIMA. MAT exam is used as a benchmark by hundreds of AICTE approved Institutions & University departments to screen candidates for admissions to MBA programmes.
Eligibility for Management Aptitude Test: Graduate in any discipline from a recognized university. Students who are in their Final year degree course can also apply.
MAT Test Pattern: The test paper comprises objective multiple-choice questions. The duration of the test is two and a half hour. The test paper is divided into five sections of 40 marks each. These sections include: Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation/Data sufficiency, Quantitative Aptitude, Logical and Critical Reasoning, and General Awareness.
MAT is held at test centers spread all over India. The exam is also held at some select centers abroad. MAT test centers in India include: Guntur, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Tezpur, Bihar, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Patna, Chandigarh, Bhilai, Raipur, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Jammu, Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Bangalore, Belgaum, Mangalore, Calicut, Cochin, Kottayam, Trivandrum, Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Fatehpura, Udaipur, Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Salem, Trichy, Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Noida, Varanasi, Dehradun, Burdwan, and Kolkata.
MAT test centers abroad are: Canberra, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Chicago and Washington.
Contact Address:
All India Management Association,
Management House, 14, Institutional Area,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110 003 URL: www.aima-ind.org
OPEN Management Aptitude Test (OPENMAT)
OPENMAT is conducted by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for admission to its management programs. OPENMAT examination is held twice a year in the month of February and August.
Management Programs offered by IGNOU are:
Master of Business Administration (2.5 years)
Post Graduate Diploma in Management (1.5 year)
Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (1 year)
Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Management (1 year)
Post Graduate Diploma in Operations Management (1 year)
Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management (1 year)
Diploma in Management (1 year)
Eligibility for OPENMAT: For all the courses other than Diploma in Management, a candidate must have a Bachelors' Degree + 3 yrs. Supervisory / managerial experience; OR any Professional Degree; OR a Master's Degree in any subject. For Diploma in Management, non-graduates with 6 years of supervisory / managerial experience are also eligible.
Test Pattern: The duration of the test is three hours. The test comprises 200 objective type multiple choice questions of 1mark each. The test is divided into four sections: General Awareness (30 marks), English Language (50 marks), Quantitative Aptitude (50 marks), and Reasoning (70 marks).
AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA)
ATMA (AIMS Test for Management Admissions) is conducted by the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) as a credible, comprehensive and single-window test for admissions to different postgraduate management programmes. . ATMA has been approved by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India for admission on All India Basis to the MBA / PGDM and other Postgraduate Programmes like MCA.
The Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) was formed in 1988 as a network of management schools in the country and today it is the second largest network of management schools in the world. Presently, AIMS has a membership of about 400 management schools.
Candidates wishing to appear in ATMA must have a Bachelor's Degree. Final year graduation students can also apply for ATMA. There is no age limit and no minimum percentage or minimum experience is required for ATMA.
ATMA contains 200 multiple-choice questions spread over three sections - Analytical Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Verbal Skills. The total test duration is 3 hours and each section is timed at 60 minutes. ATMA is usually held in the month of February.
Some the institutes, which consider ATMA scores for admission are:
Northern Region:
Asia-Pacific Institute of Management, New Delhi
The Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad,
The Integrated Academy of Management and Technology, Ghaziabad,
Indian Institute of Rural Management, Jaipur, Rajasthan
The Lloyd Institute of Management and technology, Greater Noida
NIILM University, New Delhi.
Institute of Marketing and Management, New Delhi
Institute of Rural Management, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
IILM Institute of Higher Education, Gurgaon, Haryana
Jagan Institute of Management studies, New Delhi
Maharshi Aravind Institute of Science and Management, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Shiva Institue of Management Studies Ghaziabad
Southern Region:
Department of Management Studies, National Institute of Technology, Trichy, Tamil Nadu
Indian Business Academy, Banglore, Karnataka
The Institute of Finance and International Management, Banglore, Karnataka
The MATS School of Business and Information Technology, Banglore, Karnataka
Ohio-Manipal School of Business, Bangalore, Karnataka
Acharya Institute of Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka
Alliance Business Academy, Bangalore, Karnataka
Indo- American School of Business, Vishakapatanam
Institute of Business Management & Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka
Magnus School of Business, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
School of Communication and Management Studies, Kochi, Kerala
Prathap Institute of Management Science, Kochi, Kerala
SCMS School of Technology and Management, Kochi, Kerala
SSN School of Management & Computer Applications, Kalavakkam, Tamil Nadu
St. Joseph's College of Business Administration, Bangalore, Karnataka
Western Region:
Apex institute of Management, Pune
Central Institute of Business Education and Research, Kolhapur
Department of Management Science at the University of Pune
Indian Institute of Management Training, Pune;
Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research, Pune.
Auyogik Shishan Mandal's Institute of Business Management and Research, Pune
BPHE Society's Institute of Management studies, Ahmednagar
BRAC Trust's Vishwakarma Institute of Management, Pune
Global Business School, Agpur
Indian Institute of Cost and Management Studies and Research, Pune
Indian Institute of Management training (IIMT), Pune
Indira Group of Institutes, Pune
Institute of International Business and Research, Pune
S.P Mandali's Naralkar Institute of Career Development & Research, Pune
Suryadhatta Institute of Management and Information Research, Pune.
V.P. Institute of Management Studies and Research, Sangli.
Eastern / Central Region:
Indian Institute of Science and Management, Ranchi
International Institute of Foreign Trade and Research, Pidamber;
Maharshi Institute of Management Bhopal;
Xavier Institute of Development Action and Studies, Jabalpur.
Assam Institute of Management, Guwahati
Bansal MBA College, Bhopal
Prestige Institue of Management & Resarch, Indore
University Institute of Management, Jabalpur
Contact Address:
Office of ATMA Association of Indian Management Schools
House No. 8-3-677/57 A
Plot No. 57, Sri Krishnadevarayanagar, Street No.6,
Yellareddiguda, Hyderabad 500 016. India
Tel: 040-23750247, 23750248.
Email: atma_aims@vsnl.net URL: www.atma-aims.org
MBA FROM ABROAD
Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
About GMAT
If your are planning to do an MBA or a PhD in Business Management or a Masters program in Finance, Human Resources etc. from a business school in US, Europe or Canada you will have to take the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). Many universities in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore also ask for GMAT scores.
Who conducts GMAT?
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) under the sponsorship of Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) publishes GMAT. In India Prometric administers the test.
Who can take GMAT?
The US Universities require 16years education for admission to graduate studies. However if you have more than 3 years of work experience some universities may waive the 16th year requirement.
For students with work experience between 0-2 years, the academic record plays a very important role. It ultimately shows how well you managed your time, resources and money as a student.
How much does GMAT cost?
Test Fee: US$ 250* (Includes fee for reporting scores to 5 universities)
Additional Score Report: US$ 28* per university.
*subject to change
When can I take GMAT and how to apply?
You can take GMAT any day, throughout the year, (except on holidays and weekends - Saturdays and Sundays). You can register by telephone or fax or mail at-
Prometric Testing (P) Ltd.
Senior Plaza 160-A, Gautam Nagar
Yusuf Sarai, Behind Indian Oil Building
New Delhi 110 049.
TEL : 011- 26512114/26531442
Fax: 265229741
Or online on www.mba.com
How is GMAT structured?
GMAT is a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT). The Computer Adaptive Test as the name suggests picks the questions based on the test taker's response to the given question. The first question is always of medium difficulty level and from then on the score graph starts to move upward or downward as per the performance of the candidate. A test-taker of higher calibre will get tougher questions than a test-taker of a lower calibre. As the test progresses, the score graph begin to narrow down to a range and that range will determine the final score.
The Analytical Writing section is always the first section followed by the Quantitative section and then the Verbal section.
All questions are multiple-choice having five answer choices.
You cannot move to the next question until you have answered the one posed to you. And the difficulty level of the next question is based on the answer you give for the present question
Analytical Writing Assessment:
Analysis of Issue: Students are required to present their perspective/opinion on an issue.
Analysis of Argument: Students are required to analyse a given argument.
Test Scores:
The GMAT score is for a total of 800. The score is based on a combination of the Quantitative and Verbal sections and will be in a range of 200-800.
AWA Score:
The essays are scored in a range from 0 to 6. The ratings of the essay will be 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0,2.5, 2.0, 1.5 and 1.0. The desired level is 5 and above.
Where do I give GMAT?
Ahmedabad
Allahabad
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Kolkata
Mumbai
New Delhi
Trivandrum
How long is my GMAT score valid?
Your GMAT score is valid for five years, however most of the universities insist on a GMAT score not more than 2-3 years old.
What is the preferred GMAT score by the universities?
