Steps to Follow for Admission to Top MBA Colleges

The steps to follow for admission to top MBA colleges include attempting entrance exams, participating in GD/PI/WAT and meeting the cutoffs. The most common MBA entrance exam amongst them is CAT which is a national-level exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission to top MBA colleges in India. Other important MBA exams for admission to the best MBA colleges in India include SNAP, CMAT, XAT, NMAT, etc.

IIMs such as the IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kolkata, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow etc., are the premier MBA colleges of India and offer admission to PGDM and MBA courses. Besides IIMs, Christ University - Bangalore, XLRI - Jamshedpur, NMIMS - Mumbai, SPJIMR - Mumbai, Symbiosis - Pune etc. are some of the popular management colleges in India. In the government sector too, Delhi University, Pune University, Rajasthan University, Mumbai University etc. are popular destinations for MBA.

Why Pursue an MBA?

• MBA enables individuals to achieve exponential growth in their careers and makes them eligible to contend for managerial-level positions.

• This programme offers more versatile opportunities as the curriculum provides education about the various functional areas of different industries.

• MBA programmes allow you to meet and interact with professionals and field experts from all over the world who help you broaden your business perspective. It is one of the best education platforms to start networking.

• An MBA programme is designed to tap the interpersonal skills and decision-making skills of an individual. As a result, an individual gets the opportunity to learn a great deal about the business environment through an MBA programme.

• Pursuing an MBA also enables individuals to get a good raise in their annual salary packages.

Top MBA Specialisations in India

Some of the leading specializations of an MBA course can be found listed below.

• Marketing
• Entrepreneurship
• Retail Management
• Human Resource Management
• Supply Chain Management
• E-Commerce
• Information Systems
• Operations Management
• Product Management

Career Opportunities after pursuing an MBA

Provided below are some job profiles available after MBA

• Human Resource Manager
• Export Manager
• Territory Manager
• Hospitality Manager
• Bank Manager
• Executive Chef
• Luxury Brand Manager
• Front Office Manager

MBA Entrance Exams

Once you have shortlisted the colleges that you want to apply to, you must start gathering information about the different entrance examinations that are essential to secure seats in the B-Schools that you have selected.

Common Admission Test (CAT)

Common Admission Test (CAT) is a computer-based entrance test conducted every year by one of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission to the business administration programs offered by the premier Indian B-Schools. Apart from the IIMs, a valid CAT score opens the gate to more than 100 management institutes across India. CAT is a yearly exam which is conducted every year for eligible graduates and students studying in their final year of graduation.

Check the CAT Important Dates here.

CAT Exam Pattern

CAT exam comprises of three sections and the distribution of questions is as follows:

For every correct answer, the candidate is awarded 1 mark and for every incorrect answer, 0.25 marks are deducted.

Performance in CAT exam plays an essential role in getting a seat in one of the IIMs, however, each IIM shortlists candidates for the second stage of selection that may be independently analyzed. The procedure of shortlisting includes a Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussions (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI).

Apart from this, IIMs may also consider the academic performance of the candidates, their work experience and other similar inputs for selecting candidates. This procedure may vary across different IIMs.

Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT)

XAT is organized by the Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI) for admission to the postgraduate management programmes offered by some of India’s best management institutes including XLRI, XIME, GIM and XIMB. It is a computer-based aptitude test and general awareness test. The exam also has a subjective writing test for which the candidate has to write an essay.

Check the XAT Important Dates here.

XAT Exam Pattern

The XAT entrance test can be segregated into the following four sections:

The candidate is awarded 1 mark for every correct answer whereas for every incorrect answer 0.25 marks are deducted. There is no negative marking in the General Knowledge section.

NMAT by GMAC

NMAT is another entrance exam that allows MBA aspirants to contend for business programmes offered in some of the leading B-Schools in India. It is a computer-based test that is conducted by GMAC. A valid score in NMAT is accepted by reputed business schools such as NMIMS University, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad campuses among others.

Check the NMAT Important Dates here.

NMAT Exam Pattern

NMAT is a 2 hours test that has 108 multiple-choice questions. There are three sections each of which has a time limit. The candidates can opt for either of the following sections in the order of their preference:

There is no negative marking in NMAT.

SNAP

Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) is an entrance test conducted in the online mode for the admission to all the Post-Graduate Institutes of Symbiosis International (Deemed) University. Although there is a single application form, the candidate needs to apply separately for each institute within Symbiosis International University, as per the details provided on the respective website of each institute.

Check the SNAP Important Dates here.

SNAP Exam Pattern

There are four sections in SNAP and the duration of the test is two hours. The structure of the exam can be understood with the help of the following table.

When to Start Preparation for MBA?

Ideally, the preparation for entrance exams like CAT and XAT must be started at least two years prior to the date of the exam. This is the amount of time every candidate will need to analyze his or her weaknesses and develop their skills in order to be exam-ready.

Also, two years is sufficient time for candidates who need to work on their English speaking and reading skills. It is essential for the candidates to have a good vocabulary and communications skills in order to crack group discussion and interview rounds of B-Schools.

Candidates who have any doubts can head on to our CollegeDekho QnA Zone and post their query. Fill out our Common Application Form or call our toll-free helpline 18005729877 and enjoy FREE admission assistance to top colleges in India.