CAT Topper: Sneha Mittal provides tips and guidance to CAT 2014 aspirants

CAT Topper: Sneha Mittal provides tips and guidance to CAT 2014 aspirants
MBAUniverse.com

CAT Topper Sneha Mittal has been flocked with queries on MBAUniverse.com Forum, not only from CAT 2014 aspirants but also from their parents and under-graduate students.
For Verbal, there is Word Power made easy by Norman Lewis. I suggest you start using the Wren and Martin English grammar book, 30 days to a more powerful vocabulary by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis.
In a sincere attempt to help out CAT 2014 aspirants with their preparation queries, MBAUniverse.com brought a round of CAT Topper 2013 success stories for the benefit of CAT 2014 aspirants every week on MBAUniverse.com Forum
In this CAT Topper 2013 series we presented before you the success story of Sneha Mittal, a CAT Topper who scored percentile of 97.91 in CAT 2013, 95 in XAT 2014, 99.24 in MAHCET and All India rank 454 in CMAT.
 Sneha Mittal has been flocked with queries on MBAUniverse.com Forum, not only from CAT 2014 aspirants but also from their parents and under-graduate students.
In this article we present before you some of the best queries and answers from the Forum Channel of Sneha Mittal. For more CAT 2014 queries, Click Here: Talk To CAT 2013 Topper Sneha Mittal.  CAT 2014 aspirants are free to chat with Sneha Mittal Directly on our Forum.

CAT Queries answered by Sneha Mittal:
Question 1. Hi Sheha, I am a working CA & want to attempt 2014 CAT.I can have 5 hours of study on weekday & 8 hours of study on weekend. I don't know quant except average, profit & few other topics related to Accounts. My English is poor. I find DI & LR easy.
What do you suggest?
1. Have I sufficient time?
2 How can I allocate time to different parts of CAT?
3 IN Verbal ability, how many passages should I read daily? How many times should I give to learn VOCAB.
4 How should I prepare for DI & reasoning. Can I do DI in October itself?
5 Should I go to crash course coaching as it will consume my time and I don't want to do that?

Sneha Mittal: Hi Amit, Given that you are a CA, you have an edge over the engineers as they give extra points to people from non-engg. background.
Now answering your queries:
First, if your English is poor, try reading newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economist on a daily basis from now on. If you cannot afford to buy them daily, I would suggest installing apps on your phone and giving time to read online. It will keep you prepared for the interviews and GDs also.

1) You have more than enough time to prepare. Start now!!
2) You can give a few hours to each subject, or you can take up one subject each day and work on it. Whatever suits you?
3) Given that your English is on the weaker side, dedicate an hour or two to reading newspapers, and practice answering RCs as many as you can. Solving many RCs help. I know, coz RC was a weak section for me too. Try reading the editorial section as much as you can.
4) Do not take DI lightly. It needs a lot of practice. Start DI from now itself, and do not leave it for the end time. You can take up study material from coaching classes or refer to Arun Sharma DI books, and solve as much as you can. The more you solve, the easier it becomes for you to solve.
5) I went for a crash course as I needed regular motivation, and someone to keep me on my toes. Go for the crash course if you find yourself wandering more than the time you give to studies. If you can dedicatedly give time to studies on your own, no need of a crash course.
Hope it helps! Wish you luck! Read More..

Question. 2. Hello Sneha, I want to give cat this year but I have lot of confusions, my academics are 10th-88% 12th-89% B.Tech-71%(2013 pass out) and am not from a reputed college .I heard that IIMs prefer students from tier 1 and tire 2 colleges like IITs NITs or else they will see for 2-3 years of work experience, is it true that a student from a normal college with average academics won’t get calls from IIMs even though having 99percentile. Also am still in search of a job, so am confused whether to write cat this year or 2015 after gaining at least 1year work experience. In the meanwhile I took 4mons coaching from time institute. So please suggest me.
Answer 2. Hi Anu, from my experiences, I would suggest you get 2 years work-ex in a good company, develop an attractive profile and then try for CAT. The IIMs do give preference to students from IITs and NITs. Even if you achieve a high percentile score, your graduation percentage will not even let you qualify for the top 6 IIMs.
It is definitely true that even after high percentile you may not get calls from top IIMs due to your low graduation percentage, You may be a topper of your college with your percentile, but it doesn’t matter. You could also opt for other top B schools except IIMs from your CAT percentile, but ask yourself this - Do you want to live with the IIM tag or compromise there? Wish you luck! Read More..

Question 3. Hello Mam, I am struggling with grammar and vocab. Plz tell me how can I improve upon this, as I am taking TIME coaching but that is not helping me much.
Answer 3. For Verbal, there is Word Power made easy by Norman Lewis. I suggest you start using the Wren and Martin English grammar book, 30 days to a more powerful vocabulary by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis.
Make it a habit to read newspapers like The Hindu, TOI, The Economist, etc. It will improve your vocab in a much faster and easier way.
To improve your vocabulary, maintain a journal for all new words you learn. Write down the exact meaning of every new word you encounter, and make a sentence with it. See the internet for examples of using that word in sentences; it will help you remember that word. Read those words regularly when you get time. That should help! Read more..


Question 4. Hi Sneha...I had given CAT 2013 and I got 85.64 %tile..For this year's CAT, I haven’t started Quant yet. I am ok with DI, LR and Verbal part. Assuming that I am very weak in Quant, please guide me how to ace Quant in 2 months time..This would be my last attempt and therefore I have quit from my job to focus entirely on the preparation. Your two cents of suggestion for Quant might help me. Thanks in advance.
Answer 4. Hi Ajey, given your percentile, I think you are a good student but you need more practice. Now, u say, u are weak in the Quant section. I had a similar case like yours. It was my last shot, and I did all I could to score well. For quant, you can take IMS course material. In case you joined any coaching classes, you must have learnt some short-cuts here and there.
Try and solve as much as you can using those shortcuts. It’s the most effective method. it might be confusing at first, but it will help you a lot in the long run. Practice as much as you can. I scored 98+ percentile, and this i can say for sure, that the questions aren't difficult. You just give good practice to each topic. Give tests and analyze your weak points. Work on those areas where you lose marks. You'll definitely score well.
Wish you luck! Read more..

Question 5. Hello mam, I am preparing for CAT 2014. What all areas I must concentrate to get a selection this year itself. I have joined TIME for 2014 programme. Should I stick on to TIME material alone? Please guide through mam.
Answer 5. Hi Ashwin,
a) I would suggest you concentrate on all areas.
b) Try to find out the areas where you are weak and are lagging behind. Work harder on those areas and practice more. Try to solve as much as you can. c) If you stick only to TIME material, and solve all the material at least once, you should have enough practice to score good in any competitive examination.
d) Try and give a lot of mock tests. Find out the areas where you lose score. Analyze your results and try to improve your score with each new test you give, Contact your teachers regularly, and keep in touch to find out tips and tricks for the paper.
Hope that answers your question. In case you have any other query, feel free to post here.
Wish u luck!

Crack CAT 2014: Identify your weaknesses and Strengths; utilize best the next 100 days

Crack CAT 2014: Identify your weaknesses and Strengths; utilize best the next 100 days
MBAUniverse.com

CAT is considered the most tricky entrance examination to top Management Institutes in India like IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR

Will the CAT-2014 be going to be the old wine in new bottle? Or it would an entirely modified test with different type of questions?
Combined Admission Test (CAT) is considered the most tricky entrance examination to top Management Institutes in India like IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMT, IMI, TAPMI. On the top of it TCS has taken over from Prometric as new testing agency for CAT 2014. The change may bring something unanticipated.
IIMs have always been the most sought after B-schools due to their great accreditation, the knowledge and Management skill they impart to their students and the excellent pay packages, their students get after completion of the course.
Will CAT 2014 be a different test
Will the CAT-2014 be going to be the old wine in new bottle? Or it would an entirely modified test with different type of questions?
There is no doubt that basic structure of CAT is expected to remain the same with similar number of questions and sections in 2014. Besides, since there is no fixed topic wise prescribed syllabus for CAT, aspirants are supposed to depend on the past published papers and replica tests. Interestingly past CAT questions are also not available in their exact form at least for last 4 years when CAT changed its testing mode from paper pencil to computer based online test.
Time to overcome the weakness
Aspirants usually love to go on working and practicing questions on the topics which are their strongholds and in the process the topics which are no less important and need more improvement are left behind in their preparation journey.
Prof S K Agarwal, expert on Verbal Ability suggests that aspirants should identify their weak topics and should focus on improving them as there are still 100 days to go for CAT 2014. The time if utilized in a disciplined manner can bring the desired results else even 365 days are not sufficient.
Segmentalize the topics and frame study schedule  
Planning your study schedule may not be a difficult task if you are focused and determined to crack CAT 2014. Whether it’s quant, verbal, DI or LR divide the entire course in topics and sub topics. Even if one topic takes a week to cover, a sub topic may be completed in a day or two after devoting an hour a day.
All the aspirants have matured mind and almost all the relevant topics they have already studied at one or other level, so it should not be a problem to refresh the concept and move on to practice sessions on the topics.  Try to come out of your comfort zones and plan a little tough study schedule. After all you will be doing it for your own future.
Focus your studies with the intense desire to get the utmost clarity especially on the topics, you know are the tricky.  For example, aspirants find it difficult to get the tone of the RC passage, fail to catch the dangling modifiers in error correction in the sentences etc. – pick out the topic, if you can do it on your own, else find out the mentor who will help you build the concepts and go for more and more practice.  The key words are speed and accuracy.  Bring out the strength from your reservoir and attempt to hit the goal.
Beware!  Only Quant or Only Verbal won’t do
Aspirants in the new system feel a little relaxed. Nothing to manage neither the flying sheets of paper nor the sharpening of pencil. Number of sections  have been reduced from three to two.  An aspirant may feel a little more comfortable since he/she has to individually qualify in two sections instead of three.  However, the candidate has to individually score a high percentile in each of the two sections, to receive the call for final selection round. .
Those who come from mathematics/Engineering back ground may have strong Quantitative Ability or may be skilled in Data Interpretation. They may get through this section more easily. This section of quant + DI has 30 questions- 20 on quant and 10 on DI and the entire section has to be attempted in 70 minutes; so more than two minutes per question are available and the time is considered sufficient enough. The past record shows that a candidate who hits 22-24 questions right, would get a percentile as high as 90+. The candidate has the choice to attempt more quant and less DI or vice versa.  There will not be any sub-segmentation of scoring separately in quant and/or DI. The section will be treated as one. Find out the areas where you are still weak and are strong enough. Make all out efforts and begin from now to convert your weak areas into strong ones and further strengthen the strong areas.
The second section - a mix of Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning, is agonising for those who do not begin their preparation a little early.  At least a six months’ thorough preparation is required to be well conversant with this section. The section may be divided into three parts instead of two as one of the topics in Verbal Ability has much more weightage i.e. Verbal Ability -10-11 questions; Reading Comprehension – 9-10 questions; logical Reasoning-10 questions. So this section again consists of 30 questions. It is always advisable not to have a biased mind or limit oneself to attempt a limited number of questions.  It may be that you may attempt more than anticipated questions. Be open to have the choice to attempt all the 30 questions, if you can. These 30 questions are to be attempted in 70 minutes-again you have more than 2 minutes per question at your disposal. Unlike the earlier CAT pattern or the paper pencil mode the candidates have more time with lesser number of questions but this relaxation is there at the cost of difficulty level.  The difficulty level has increased and more versatile study is required.
Size and length of questions have been reduced especially in Verbal Ability section there are no more Vocabulary questions with big sets of direct synonyms and antonyms. The pattern has been changed to usage of words in different contexts and this requires more understanding as well as regular practice, else one may forget whatever has been learnt. There are no mixed-up questions now.  They are well defined, placed in proper section
The RC passages, although reduced from 1200/1400 words to 800+ words, are followed by 3 to 4 questions based on each of the passage. One can expect three passages in CAT-2013 followed by 9-10 questions in all.  The difficulty level is moderate to tough. The passages are embedded with phrases/idioms and indirect references. It is necessary to read them between the lines and understand them.  The questions based on them are also not direct one, one has to understand the meaning and the indirect reference before proceeding to answer them.
Other parts in Verbal Ability section will have questions based on Error corrections in grammar usage, contextual usage of vocabulary, jumbled paragraphs, completion of last sentence in a paragraph, using one word in different ways etc. All these questions, taken together will not be more than 11. Where is the catch – the level of difficulty which is good enough to keep you thinking.
The aspirant has to remember a single wrong answer will dip the percentile by 8- and one right answer will improve the same by 6+.  So have the killing instinct to study with appropriate material and with the help of good institute that can provide you good guidance.
CAT has gone for perceptible changes but its charm has increased manifold and the number of CAT aspirants have been increasing every year.  The changes over a period of time in the formation & pattern, number of questions and the system of examination have been adding to the glory of CAT. While these changes might make the aspirant relax to some extent, the difficulty level has improved and need for skill in speed and accuracy has increased- a challenge which is to be met by the examinees. 

Know the key to CAT topper's Success

CAT Topper: From 59 to 99+ percentile in CAT exam; Know the key to his Success
MBAUniverse.com

This article showcases the dedication and hard work of CAT topper Ankit Saxena. Starting from a modest 59 sectional marks in CAT Verbal Section, he was able to score 98.51 percentile in CAT verbal Section in next exam.

This year in mocks and actual CAT I tried a different strategy. I solved Q 1-15 first and then attempted the set backwards. This helped me solve the easy questions quickly in less time and increased my attempts.
There are students who get satisfied with whatever CAT percentile they get. For them 50 or 60 percentile is enough as they just want to get an MBA degree.
And there are other kind of people like Ankit Saxena who believe that satisfaction is the roadblock to improvement. For him being at the top is the ultimate goal. This is the reason that inspite of appearing for CAT exam in the past he made sure that he will take admission only when he has achieved one of the highest percentiles.
Starting from a modest 59 sectional marks in CAT Verbal Section, Ankit improved upon his preparation style, verbal skills and made sure that he achieves excellent sectional marks in verbal. With dedication and hard work, he was able to score 98.51 percentile in CAT verbal Section in next exam.
This article showcases the dedication and hard work of CAT topper Ankit Saxena who scored 99.52 percentile in CAT 2013.
If you are weak in a particular section or are trailing behind in CAT 2014 exam preparation, then follow the tips and suggestion by these CAT toppers to re-structure your CAT 2014 preparation schedule.

CAT Topper Ankit Saxena Interview:
Q.1 What was the CAT 2013 prep strategy
Ans : I have taken CAT 4 times and every time I scored well in Quant section but ultimately a very low percentile in VA section dragged down my percentile every time. This year I decided to give a lot more emphasis to VALR section. I decided to complete Wren n Martin and then practice and apply those concepts in various mock series. This definitely helped me a lot in improving my VALR score from mere 59%ile in CAT'12 to 98.51%ile in CAT'13. I used to practice and solve a lot of questions on VALR. Basically I identified the section of CAT in which I felt I was very weak and then focused to improve upon it.

Q.2 What was the strategy in testing room to attempt the question from different sections: Quantitative Ability & DI, Verbal Ability & LR?
Ans: Based on my experience mocks and actual CAT, I found that many a time the easiest questions are placed towards the end of the set. If I went on solving the questions serially, I often missed out on 1-2 questions that were framed at the end of set. This year in mocks and actual CAT I tried a different strategy. I solved Q 1-15 first and then attempted the set backwards. This helped me solve the easy questions quickly in less time and increased my attempts. This gave me some confidence boost in the exam room. In CAT'12 I spent too much time on one question that was from my strength part. Because of this I was not able to complete the set. This year I decided not to spend more than 2-3 mins on any question. If I am not able to solve, I will move on to the next.
In VALR section, I attempted LR first as it gave a confidence boost to me.

Q.3 Apart from CAT which other exams did you appeared? How did you prepare for them after CAT?  What score did you get?
Ans: Apart from CAT, I appeared for XAT. In XAT I scored 89.xx %ile, due to my low efficiency in DM section. XAT is quite different from CAT as it has DM section and comparatively difficult quant questions. I was not able to study and prepare well for XAT due to my job commitments.

Q.4 How many GDPI did you take part in?
Ans: I took part in 9 GD/PI Process. These were IMT-G, XIMB, New IIMs, IIM-S,IIT-B,IIT-D,MDI,FMS,NITIE

Q.5 The institutes that offered you admission
Ans: All 6 new IIMs, IIT-B, IIT-D, MDI

Q.6 Which is the institute that you have decided to take admission and why?
Ans: I have taken admission in MDI, Gurgaon. I decided this on the basis of certain parameters:
1) Well established infrastructure
2) Strength of Alumni Base
3) Well renowned faculty
4) Industry Interaction
5) Perception of brand MDI in the industry
6) Consistently ranked amongst top-10 B Schools in India

Q.7 What advice and tips you would like to share with the candidates preparing for CAT 2014?
Ans: My advice to CAT 2014 aspirants is first find out your strong and weak areas. Focus on your weak areas as much as you can and keep practicing on your strong areas in parallel. Give a lot of mocks, as many as possible. Analyze each mock w.r.t. where you went wrong in attempting a particular type of question, whether your approach to the question was correct or not.
Last but not the least, keep calm and practice as much as possible. Always believe in yourself.

Q.8 Your message to CAT 2014 aspirants.
Ans: CAT tests your ability to solve not so tough questions under a limited time-frame and immense pressure. Try to balance the pressure and tough nature of CAT by self-confidence, hard work, practice and you will be through.

What is the Prep Strategy of CAT Toppers?

What is the Prep Strategy of CAT Toppers? Follow the same
MBAUniverse.com

This article brings to you the successful CAT exam preparation strategies adopted and followed by CAT 2013 Toppers. Read carefully and try to adopt their strategies in your study time table to achieve few extra marks in your CAT 2014 exam.

Mock tests are very important as they help you to understand your strengths, weaknesses and most importantly help you in time management.
Everyone wants to be a CAT topper, everyone wants to achieve high percentile in CAT exam, but very few succeed. Why?
The main reason is lack of preparation strategy. What to study, when to study and analyzing your preparations are the three key questions to be answered.
This article brings to you the successful CAT exam preparation strategies adopted and followed by CAT Toppers of past years especially CAT 2013. Read carefully and try to adopt their strategies in your study time table to achieve few extra marks in your CAT 2014 exam.
This story is not only for 99+ seekers but those thousands of CAT aspirants who desire to be a part of Top 10 B-schools. Not all can achieve 99 percentile but what matters is how you achieve your dream.

IMC2014


Aayush Agarwal, a qualified CA & CS. Offered Admission in IIFT Delhi and IIM Shillong.
CAT exam Preparation Strategy: I am a Chartered Accountant engaged in a full time job. Despite my rigorous schedule, I made it a point to take out at least 2 hours on a daily basis for my CAT preparation. CAT is a test where performance is relative. I being from a commerce background, realized that I am at a slight disadvantage in quants. I made up for it by sharpening my skills in DI and LR. Practice is the key in those two areas. In VA and RC, vocabulary plays a big part. To improve my vocabulary I referred to ‘Word power made easy’ by Norman Lewis which was of immense help.
To Chat directly with Aayush Agarwal and to get right advice and suggestions for CAT 2014 preparation, Click Here:  How CA Aayush converted calls from IIFT, IIM S, SPJIMR, MDI and XIMB


IMC2014


Ankur Khanna, 5 time CAT taker. Took admission in SJMSOM IIT Bombay
CAT exam Preparation Strategy: Taking CAT almost became a habit and I fell in love with Quant. Then in 2013, I decided to take it a final go and left my job in June 2013 as I analyzed that 3 months of rigorous preparation is enough for cracking CAT 2013.
I started my Preparation on July 1, 2013 when I used to devote 15 hours a day to CAT preparation. My Strategy was to improve my accuracy and then capitalize on my strong part i.e. Quant.
To Chat directly with Ankur Khanna and to get right advice and suggestions for CAT 2014 preparation, Click Here: How an Undergraduate scored 99 percentile in CAT exam

IMC2014


Sumesh R Nair, CAT 2013 Topper, All 6 new IIMs and SPJIMR Mumbai offered admission
CAT exam Preparation Strategy: I had given around 30 mocks which I did carefully analyze. However, I never hit a 99 in any of my mocks. The pressure was on me since I had quit my job to take a break and prepare whole-heartedly for CAT. I made it a point; I wouldn’t do random guessing for the mocks. I benchmarked myself on the different sections. I build on my strength areas and stayed confident with that.
In the last month, that is October I made it a point to revise each and every concept studied for last 2 months. The strategy was to strengthen topics which I already knew and not be worried about questions which I didn’t know to solve.
To Read More on Sumesh Nair, Click Here: He quit his job for CAT exam; Meet CAT 99 percentiler Sumesh Nair


IMC2014


Kuldeep Jha who gave CAT 2013 and got admission in IIM Indore
CAT exam Preparation Strategy:  I was very low in confidence and all sort of negative thoughts kept on creeping in my mind but I didn’t give up and slowly started studying the basic concepts late at nights (11pm to 3am). Within a month or so, I started getting the feel of preparation and also somewhat became regular in classes. I started reading online materials, watching class room videos, asking doubts, learning from various other sources and materials, giving free online Mocks. I somehow got the feel that I can crack the exam and just need to be more regular before the exams. I chose the second last day for the CAT exam, took 10 days leave from office and used to study 16-17 hours daily to cover up as much as I could. I used to study for 8-9 hours and then rest 7-8 hours giving Mocks and analyzing it.
To Chat directly with Kuldeep Jha and to get right advice for CAT 2014 preparation, Click Here: How self-belief leads Kuldeep to an IIM, lessons for CAT 2014 aspirants


IMC2014


Ishika Ray, CAT 2013 topper, Took admission in IMT Ghaziabad
CAT exam Preparation Strategy: I am a working professional so managing coaching classes was a difficult task, but I made sure that I never missed lectures on any single topic.
Everyday no matter how difficult my day was at office, I took out 2 hours for self study, either early in the morning or late at night. One important strategy I followed was never leaving out any topic. One should at least go through the basics.
This is because CAT is an unpredictable exam; it can sometimes surprise you with very easy questions from 'not so popular topics'.
Another thing, never wait to finish your syllabus to take mock tests. CAT has a huge syllabus. It is only through solving questions that one gets to form a comprehensive idea about the different topics from where questions can come.
Lastly I took almost 50+ mock tests. Mock tests are very important as they help you to understand your strengths, weaknesses and most importantly help you in time management.
To Chat directly with Ishika Ray and to get right advice for CAT 2014 preparation, Click Here: How CAT Topper Ishika Ray got admission in Top B school


IMC2014

Anubhav Kunnel, CAT 2013, XAT 2014, NMAT and SNAP topper, Got admission in XLRI & IIM Kozhikode

CAT exam Preparation Strategy: I started my CAT 2013 preparation keeping in mind that accuracy is a key factor. As I started giving many mocks, I was able to realize that RCs were proving to be my weak-point. I analyzed my mocks till then and found out that it was due to more number of attempts and low accuracy. Quickly, I figured it out. As for QA and LR, I never had any problem. I tried to identify the areas that I am strong in and the areas that need improvement. This was possible only by a careful analysis of the mocks. I finished the preparation at least 3 weeks before the test. I spent the last few days only in revising and not in learning new topics.
To Chat directly with Anubah Kunnel and to get right advice for CAT 2014 preparation, Click Here: Chat with CAT 99.73 %iler Anubhav Kunnel


IMC2014


Sneha Mittal, CAT topper, XAT 2014 topper & MAHCET 2014 topper. Took admission in XIMB

CAT exam Preparation Strategy: Regular study, practice, self analysis and adaptability to tricks were the main stakes for my preparation. I started solving the study material provided to me by my coaching institute and finished all of it as soon as possible. There were some tricks which appeared difficult at first, and the traditional methods appeared easier to me, but I made sure I solved the questions using the tricks rather than the traditional method. That helped me a lot.
The tricks that teachers teach appear difficult at first, but practicing those helps you develop a faster approach of solving the CAT questions.
The best thing is to have peers who motivate you to do better. My friends and I used to sit and solve papers together, and compare our marks. We also compared the amount as to how much each of us has solved from the study material. This competitive streak helped me stay motivated all through those months of preparation.
Another important thing, however, is analyzing your papers to find

DIVIJ MBA ENTRANCE EXAM PREP: New redesigned website

DIVIJ MBA ENTRANCE EXAM PREP: New redesigned website

How to choose B-school that matches your skills ?

By Murtaza
  how to choose B-school

Becoming an MBA is in trend these days! Every graduate who wants to see himself as a corporate or wants to earn a quick buck thinks this is the solution and an easy access to six digit pay check, well the dream is not unworthy, but it takes a lot to become one. After the
mindset, the journey to become an MBA leads to the selection of a proper college. An MBA not ONLY opens a plethora of options but also lead you to develop a broad perspective in people management skills.

A proper MBA college gives you a variety of future options (not to forget a chance to get a six digit pay and a holiday in Hawaii).  The
decision is crucial but yet it will be better if an aspirant chooses a B school which not only rewards his capabilities but also provides him a host of grand opportunities.

Let us take a look about what points should be taken into consideration while choosing a B school that matches your skills:

Reputation: Not all colleges can provide you better facilities,competitive environment and a platform to grow, apart from this you
need to select the college which majors in your preferred specialization, It will be highly recommended to get a background check of the list of colleges you’re planning to apply into. A college’s reputation can be determined by, not by the huge number of courses it offers but by the accreditation and the value of the courses it provides. Apart from that, you can also use forums and other internet means to get a reputation check.

A good college faculty: As William Arthur Ward has said, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” Choose a college with good faculty. It won’t be necessary that colleges with good brand name will provide a good faculty; you will have to look out for that. A good faculty not only adds to your skills and knowledge but also equips you to enter/re-enter your career at a higher position of responsibility.

Every college has a section of “Faculty and Research” in their websites where you can check their credibility, educational qualifications, courses they teach, and work background. Some faculty also has their mail Ids given.

Courses available & Fee Structure: The leading branches of MBA include: Retail Management, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Media, Services, Banking, HR Finance, and Health Consultancy. Apply in the college which offers the branch you’re interested in also well suiting your budget. But you must also keep it in notice to not compromise the quality of education or future prospects in the account of checking your budget. Also, check the accreditation of courses you’re willing to apply and the future job opportunities it beholds.

Placements: The most important thing to look out while applying into an MBA college. A two year degree, hard work, time and money spent will become worth if you get a college gives you a platform to work for a company you have dreamt of.  Consult your seniors, faculty, and teachers to know if the respective college will take to the place where you desire and remember to not fall in the trap of “we give 200% placements (by 200% they mean, 2 jobs for every student), the fact is most of those
jobs are either in sales/marketing (of no value, field job) or are “internships”

Miscellaneous: Other than the above mentioned things, if you have an inner will to explore more, you can go for following:
Check if the college has Place for recreational activity.
Look for things such as hostels, libraries and internet connectivity

You can also grab the info of student’s teacher ratio, which will help you to understand the teaching environment.

Ask yourself if you can cope up with the competitive environment provided by the respective college. If you can’t, then don’t bother to apply where you can’t have a firm ground.

7 deadly sins of GD/PI

By Sukrut
  Seven-deadly-sins
GD and PI are an essential part of clearing an MBA entrance test. Here are 7 deadly sins you should avoid at all costs to sail through.

Watch out if you are doing this unconsciously and if you are doing it, make corrections.

Trying to be someone else :Be as natural as possible. Don’t try to be someone you are not. Be yourself. Don’t try to fake it. Interviewer can sense it very easily.If you are not comfortable saying something then don’t say it.If you want to know what happened with me when I tried to be someone else—read it here
Start speaking before understanding the topic : Take time to organize your thoughts. Think of waht you are going to say.
Don’t start speaking until you have clearly understood and analyzed the subject. I know of someone who started discussion just 30 seconds after , when that case study was 2 page long.
Opening the discussion is not the only way of gaining attention and recognition. If you don’t give valuable insights during the discussion, all your efforts of initiating the discussion will be in vain.
Lose control when someone objects or disagrees with you : There are many people I know (including me) who lose their cool when someone says something against their view. Don’t loose cool if anyone says anything you object to.The key is to stay objective : Don’t take the discussion personally.
Being too aggressive to prove your point : Being aggressive in GD is like walking to the coffin of rejection. Always be polite and try to avoid extreme phrases like “I strongly object” or “ I disagree“. Instead try phrases like :
“I would like to share my views on ” or “one difference between your point and mine” or ” I beg to differ with you“.
Being Assertive is the key. There is a marginal difference between being aggressive and being assertive. You would be better off if you find out the difference.
Speaking too much and not allowing other to speak : This can be considered as a sign of insecurity and weakness. When someone is speaking way too much, what he/she is trying to do is trying to win approval of professors because he/she thinks he/she has to talk continuously because he/she has no value to add or he/she thinks of him/herself superior.
Asking for permission to speak : This is a big NO-NO. When you want to make some point, don’t say ” Please, let me make my point.” If your fellows are shouting (which is most obvious as they haven’t read this article ) raise your voice a little bit and say something like ” Though X has valid point, I would like to add Y” and state your point. You can also add if you have exactly opposite view by saying ” Although you have X view, I beg to differ on this” and make your point.
Prepare by just reading : Some people just read how to prepare for GD and how to crack PI and they never practice stuff. Practice , practice and practice.  If you have group of like minded friends, you can have a mock group discussion where you can learn from each other through giving and receiving feedback

XLRI Interview experiences and tips

XLRI is a B-school which puts more emphasis on your overall profile including your academic achievements, work experience,  co-curricular & extra-curricular achievements, your XAT score (including essay)

For BM (Business Management), in GD, there are topics like “Naxalism – a law and order problem or a social one?”, “MNCs are better than Indian Companies“.”Is Management education at a crossroads?“

For HRM (Human Resource Management) , in GD, you are a given a case where you prioritize points given by them. You can add points of your own also if you want.

They are looking for approach rather than the correct answer.

If you have problem writing an essay,

Learn “How to Write Kickass Essay even if you suck at Writing ?“

And if you have problem Creating ideas or expanding on them, check out How to Quickly Create Content Ideas from Scratch for GD & WAT Using 3 Short-Cut Methods ?

The questions are sometimes structured and sometimes random. They are either from your work experience , hobbies , academics or any random stuff. Sometimes they are asking questions from the essay you have written. Sometimes you can expect questions from your GD.

Give honest but diplomatic answers.

For HRM, they are asking questions like the difference between close meaning words— empathy vs sympathy, efficacy vs efficiency.


The last and the most important thing is don’t get depressed if you don’t fare well, wait for the results or prepare for the next interview. Crying over spilled milk is not worth.

IIM Calcutta Interview experiences and tips

IIM-C is a B-school which puts more emphasis on your CAT score alone while giving you a call, the process is divided into WAT and PI. WAT topics are offbeat , understand them first and then start writing.



If your academic record is not good or consistent (especially on graduation), prepare for an answer backed by the facts, don’t just try to bluff the interviewer.

Never lose your cool.
Don’t take any offense from the interviewer
Don’t be desperate to impress the interviewer.
Don’t talk too much, it shows your nervousness.
Look into his eyes while answering his questions.
Most of the times, your interview will be a stress interview. Interviewers will try to put you in a corner, will ask the unexpected questions, dig on the topics you are not good at. It’s your responsibility not to lose your temper and give control in their hands.

The panel will treat you like mature adults and you should mention your selection. However, it is a high risk-return situation. You shall definitely be grilled on why you are appearing for an IIMC interview if you have better calls and admits. You should prepare a good answer and justify your preference of IIMC in the interview and if you have clarity about your reasons and goals it would benefit you immensely. Otherwise you might be taken as someone unsure about a 2 year PGDM.

Insider Secrets to crack CAT Quant

Insider Secrets to crack CAT Quant in Smarter Way

By Sukrut 

  insider secrets to crack quant in smarter way

We are going to learn some smart techniques which will help you an incredible edge over other aspirants in tackling Quantitative Aptitude.

I am going to reveal 5 smarter techniques you can use right now to increase your percentile by atleast  10-15 right now.

The percentile game is actually different from what you think. Test series won’t prepare you for this game because in actual CAT , your percentile can be radically different from someone who actually solved same no of questions correctly, because in CAT, for every question , there is difference weightage given for every question.

So get over the concept of more percentile if you solve more questions correctly.

The secret lies in choice of questions.

So the best strategies are to tackle difficult problems in a cool and smart way and score your way to the top.

When you come across a problem which is solved using a formula which is not included in any book, consistently make a note of it ( if possible try out how that formula was derived, that will help you to solve similar problems even if they twist the problem).

Also when you analyze your mock tests, keep a separate notebook for maintaining such formulas, it will help you in the long term and it also can be used for revision purposes.

Make a note of all such uncommon formulas and use them consciously while you practice mocks.

If there is a problem, where there is a tedious calculation involved, then instead of solving that particular problem and you can easily eliminate some of the options easily.

a) If you can easily eliminate 3 options, your job is cakewalk.

b) If you can eliminate only 2 options, then simplify the problem a little bit and then again try to eliminate one of the options.

It may happen that , you have to solve the problem completely in some cases but don’t  be discouraged though. If you sense that in the early stage, then move on to next problem and come back to that problem later.

If you are tackling a problem which consists of series of 2/3 questions, then don’t make mistake of solving questions in a linear fashion.

Read all the questions first, read all the options. Sometimes you might get across some information in 2nd or 3rd question which you can use in 1st problem or even if you can’t, you can always find out what answers are required and you can save a lot of your time by not wasting it on finding out something which is not required.

When there is a problem which asks you whichever of the following satisfies the criteria of the conditions given in the problem, then always start checking from last option. Most of the times, 3rd or 4th option is the right answer. This is not a thumb rule though but it can be a good strategy to tackle such problems.

The answer is given generally in the last part so they want you to purposely waste your time in wrong options.

When you see options as “either of these” for any problem, what you need to check is those two options mentioned in either of these and many if not the most of the times, that’s the answer. You don’t need to check the other option remaining because if you check both of those options, eventually, you are going to get the same answer because even if all other options are not right mentioned in either of these, remaining option is the answer

Mistakes to avoid while solving Quants

 Quant preparation mistakes ?

  Mistakes to avoid while solving Quants
If you are not getting decent percentile in Quants, then you are probably making this mistake.


The mistake most people do is not analyzing the questions they got right. They just don’t go over the solution in order to check if there is any shorter method available or not. They assume that they know it all and sometimes this mentality can kill your chances especially if you are preparing for exams like CAT, XAT, IIFT, SNAP etc etc., so if you are not aiming for top 25 MBA colleges then please don’t bother to read further because it may not be for you.

But if you are serious enough then I have a suggestion for you.

Always analyze the questions you got right. No matter what and if you do that it will not only teach you some invaluable lessons but it will also teach you whether your right answer was a fluke or not.

Other mistake most people do is when they learn shortcut methods which I wrote in book “Quant 101” which you can get here , if they become successful in solving questions using tricks or smarter methods, they just don’t attempt the question using actual concepts and the downside of it is, when you come across a problem which can’t be solved using any smart method, they just can’t crack it.

Why ?

Because they haven’t mastered the basics.

When you don’t master the basics, you are going to face a lot of problems.

The best strategy you can start applying right now

When you practice, solve problems using conceptual methods and then try to solve it using tricks.
When you give Mock tests, solve with smarter methods and then while analyzing , try to solve it using concepts.
If you master this now, you can conquer Quant easily.

7 surefire ways to crack any MBA entrance effortlessly

Cracking MBA entrance effortlessly doesn’t only come from knowing what to do but also from knowing what not to do.
There are 7 surefire ways to crack any MBA entrance effortlessly

Don’t actually solve the question but try to solve it from options.
This is one of the best strategies you can employ while solving any problem. Before trying to form an solvable equation, have a look at the options. This will sure make your life easy and it will save your lot of time and energy.

Instead of finding right one, eliminate wrong ones.
When you are stuck on a single question, the best strategy is to leave the question but if you think the question is in your grasp, instead of finding right answer, try eliminating wrong choices.

Don’t try to act smart by solving most difficult questions.
Many smart  people fall into this trap. They always want to stand out in the crowd so what do they do? They solve all the difficult questions in the paper and brag and when the results are declared, they are turned down by all B-schools for being smart.

One of the biggest pitfalls of acting smart is you will fail each and every MBA entrance you give no matter how genius you are, how much you have studied and how many questions you attempted.

IIMs or other institutes have different definition for the word “SMART”

Don’t solve questions in chronological order.
Many people have this bad habit of solving questions in a chronological manner, break this habit immediately. If you don’t , it will break you.

Never judge success from no.  of attempts.
I had many friends who always bragged about how many attempts they made. I used to get so nervous around them but eventually I realized that their results were exactly opposite. If you are one of those who measures your success by no of attempts rather than accuracy then wake up and smell the coffee.

Do calculated guesses.
If you are stuck between two choices, it’s always better to do calculated guess rather than living the question altogether.

Let go your ego by accepting that you can’t solve each and every problem.
Major cause of failure in MBA entrances is EGO. People are holding their egos so strong that they don’t even realize that it’s costing them a whole year. Don’t get your EGO attached to a single question or a single section. If you can’t handle your ego then it’s time to say goodbye to MBA.

how to crack CAT

 how to crack CAT


Interest and Energy are cyclical.
If I guarantee you 99.99%ile in CAT if you study for 18 hours everyday for next 3-4 months , would you do it ? Of course not—you wouldn’t.
It’s unsustainable.
You can’t increase your score by studying for so long, in fact if you really try this exercise you will actually score less marks.
Alternating periods of activity and rest is necessary to survive, let along thrive. Capacity, interest and mental endurance all wax and wane. Learn more about how to use activity and rest cycle alternatively here
Less is not laziness.
Doing less meaningless work, so that you can focus on things of greater personal importance, is not laziness.

This is hard for most to accept, because our culture tends to reward personal sacrifice instead of personal productivity.
Your focus should not be studying more but focus on outcomes. Don’t focus on time spent while studying, focus on the final result. This will dramatically change the way you study.
Do you really want to follow all those people who tell you to study more hours in order to get more done ?
Obviously not.
Then get over this concept.

timing is never rightThe timing is never right.
Many people ask me, are 6 months enough for preparation for CAT, are 3 months enough to prepare for CAT.
The answer to this question is “I don’t have any answer for this question” and nobody who is sensible enough is going to answer the same question for you as this question is personal and it depends upon your mindset , amount of preparation you have done in the past and your learning abilities.
The answer is there is no good time to prepare for CAT.
Are you still waiting good time to start your CAT prep ?
Conditions are never perfect and never will.
Ask for forgiveness and not permission.
If it’s not going to devastate those around you, try it and then justify it. When you are preparing for CAT, tell your parents, best friends or even bosses that they shouldn’t disturb you unless it’s very important. You don’t need to please everybody, don’t waste your valuable time unless your presence or you are required to carry out certain task.
Emphasize strengths and don’t fix weaknesses.
If you are miserable at Quants (Download this great resource here ) and phenomenal at verbal. Then don’t worry.
I was the exact opposite a few years back but you should learn to leverage your strengths instead of becoming extremely good at everything.
You can ask any CAT topper this question, were they expert in every subject ?
Obviously not.
They learnt the tactics in order to get more marks particularly in the topic where they were not very good at.
And CAT is not about being a Guru in every topic.

Right ?
I would like to give my personal example. I was not very good at Verbal but still I managed to get over 90%ile in VA & LR and overall 98.47%ile.
How ?
Because I solved each of the LR questions correctly and I didn’t attempt the questions in VA where I was not very sure of.
You can do the same.
So if you are not very good at Quants, become extremely good at DI and learn all smart tactics to solve many if not the most Quant problems.

Percentile is relative.
If you are getting 99%ile by working day and night , attending every class, joining every test series and solving tests every day. Then you are a real jerk but if you still manage to get 96-99%ile by working 2-3 hours a day by working smart then you are really a wise person. I want to be in your category.
Because person in the later category can easily outwit, outsmart the person in the first category by using some more smarter methods. 

Super Productivity Secrets for CAT preparation
By Sukrut http://mbakakeeda.com/super-productivity-secrets-for-cat-preparation/

If you are just spinning your wheels but are not accomplishing anything, you need to read this.

This is the compilation of my best kept secrets when it comes to CAT percentile maximization.

Use them with caution as it can probably change the course of your entire life.

a)     Clear Morning Anxiety : When you wake up, don’t start reading newspaper or don’t start studying but make sure you clear your morning anxiety. These are some things you can do to clear your morning anxiety.

Exercise in the morning
Take a brisk walk
Walk, Jump, Stretch
Do Meditation ( Read more about it here)
b)     Batter Box Secret: Baseball players spend several hours in “pre-game” practice hitting before the real game begins. They swing extra heavy bats before they step to play. Never start day with directly going to study.
Every morning start with exercise, meditation or reading some high quality book which sets the tone of the day, so when you start studying, you are fired up and motivated.
Some people wake up and check emails, read newspaper or watch TV. It’s a complete waste of your time.

c)      Turn off your phone: Either turn off your phone completely or put it on silent. If you are not doing that you are leaving door open for interruption. Don’t become servant to your phone.

Believe me, you won’t important any important news which will directly impact your CAT preparation.

Remember this when you feel obsessively compulsive to use your phone.

“Leaving the phone off and in an entirely different room is one of the best work practices you could ever engage in. A side benefit to doing this is that your battery will last you waaaaaay longer.”

d)     Never check your emails/facebook before you do any productive work : Work on result producing activity. Solve Sudoku, revise formulas, memorize words, give sectional test.


e)     Do hard stuff every day : If you find any topic difficult , study it when you are high in energy, don’t study when you are tired. You will learn or grasp much more when you are in high energy state. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

f)       Work in focused blocks of times: Don’t study for more than 2 hours without taking any break. If you are not giving full length mock, it’s better to take break every 45-60 minutes. Relax for 15 minutes, drink water, eat something nutritional.

Don’t start playing games, don’t browse facebook or don’t check emails in between.

g)     Maintain healthy lifestyle: Eat balanced diet. Eat atleast 5 times a day including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Drink enough water. Exercise daily. Take enough 7-8 hours of sleep , don’t cut back on sleep for study reasons. Lack of sleep will result in lack of problem solving capacity.

How to Let Go of Fear and Anxiety of an MBA Entrance once and for all ?

How to Let Go of Fear and Anxiety of an MBA Entrance once and for all ?
By Sukrut http://mbakakeeda.com/let-go-of-exam-fear-and-anxiety/
  let go of fear and anxiety of exam
Do you know, I get this question asked by a lot of people in my mails, Facebook and this question is not at all related to CAT preparation, it has nothing to do with any book, class, experts or test series.

But the question looks something looks like this

” I am very well prepared but at the time of actual exam but I get freaked out and can’t perform well. What can I do about it ?”

I tried to answer them in the best possible way I can but today I am going to go into the greater depth.

The main reason behind this concern is fear and anxiety of an exam.

Do you know, we attract what we are afraid of.
Did I mention, having higher IQ, lots of experience, tactics in your arsenal isn’t very important in the process of getting into a good B-school, excelling there, getting a satisfying and most fulfilling job ?

Then what’s more important ?

The answer lies inside your head. If you are not sorted out in your head, all your efforts go down the drain. You may get admit but your life will be a complete mess.

Let me share my personal example with you.

If you have read about my journey, you know that I have given CAT for 3 times. In case if you haven’t read it yet, read it here.

I had left my job to pursue CAT, so I had no job and I had everything to lose.

I was only focusing on my CAT preparation and I decided that I am going to get IIM calls this year anyhow, but as soon as some of my mock results started showing up , I started getting discouraged.
I started imagining what will happen if I fail again, my this year will be wasted again and I will have to hunt for the job again, that fear was continuously present in my mind even when I finally gave CAT.

On the day of CAT, I was so tensed about various things which were petty things including

What will happen if Alarm clock didn’t work ? (My CAT slot was in the morning)
What will happen if I don’t reach venue on time ?
What will happen if they reject my identity proof and send me back again ?
What will happen if my computer freezes ?
What will happen if I don’t get anything to do calculations ?
What will happen if I miss easy questions ?
What will happen if I get stuck on difficult questions ?
What will happen if I forget some important formula ?
Etc etc. Now if you have gone through any MBA entrance, you very well know, what I am talking about , but even though these issues seem very small at this moment, they tend to magnify at the moment of actual exam day.

Anything that we are afraid of happening, we actually have a subconscious desire for or expectation of happening.
Watch this video

Whatever I am going to say you will help you in dealing your fear and anxiety once and for all

Make yourself comfortable and focus inwardly.
Begin by bringing to mind something about which you feel afraid or anxious—you may want to start with something small—in order to see exactly what it is that you fear is going to happen.
Give yourself a moment to notice whether there is a strong feeling of fear at the moment, or a very light hint of fear. It doesn’t matter which it is—simply observe and welcome it.
Now ask yourself: “Could I let go of wanting/expecting this to happen?” The question might look silly but if you ask it again and again , you will soon discover that you will feel some difference and it might bring some imbalances, so hang on for a moment, I am going to give you a series of questions to release this fear.
“What is it that you’re afraid will happen?” “What is that you don’t want to happen ?” Now “Could you let go of wanting this to happen ?” Once you have gotten over the shock of the fact that you somehow want negative thing to happen, it’s very easy to let go of fear in that way.
For example , you are afraid that you will not perform well in Mock CAT, this fear has many aspects including

you will feel embarrassed in front of your classmates/colleagues,
you may get scolding from your parents or
you may think that you are not going to make it to IIM or any particular college this year.Just imagine that you have already got very pathetic marks in your mock and go through the whole feeling and it may help you to uncover your inner imbalances, ask the questions I mentioned above and get over them. It’s not a pleasant process every single time but it works well if you compare it to the things like “face your fear now” “now or never” or “do it anyway attitude”, this strategy works in the long term.
If you consciously practice this, it will help you out in dealing with exam stress in better way. Instead of getting into “panic” or “frenzied” mode, it will help you to concentrate on your exam and get better results.
.

This method is not a quick fix strategy so don’t expect magical results. I’m also learning this along with you.

Tactics, Strategies, Wisdom and CAT

sukrut khambete @SUKRUTKHAMBETE




A couple of weeks back, I got this question from an MBA aspirant which read something like this

"I am attempting CAT this year, my Quant is very weak.I don't have time to start from the basics, just give me some tactics so that I can quickly score more percentile."
After reading this question, I had a grin on my face. I remembered my past few years when I gave my IIT-JEE.

I gave IIT-JEE exactly twice and failed miserably both the times. First time by a small margin , second time, it was an absolute and utter FAILURE.

I remembered when I was preparing for IIT-JEE, I had mucho success in the last couple of months using smart tactics I was using to game the whole mock system.I was scoring home runs in last 4-5 of my mock tests at FIIT-JEE.

The good thing happened to me was, I failed. If I hadn't, then I would have failed miserably in the mains(old pattern you know) and even if I would have cleared the mains somehow, I would have messed up somewhere else.(God knows where)

Why I am sharing this with you?

It ultimately boils down to one thing.

Where you are investing your time ?
Are you investing your time in mastering the basics or are you mastering the upcoming gimmick coming out in the market ?

I talk about this to MBA aspirants a lot but people don't listen.

Pretty strange, right ?

They don't wake up until IIMs or other institutes started beating them bloody with a lead pipe.

It requires wisdom to understand this and wisdom doesn't come cheap.

First comes tactics.Second comes strategy.Third comes wisdom.

Wisdom knows using tactics to score more percentile is just a part of the big game.

Tactics give instant results.

Strategies take a bit long.

Wisdom takes the most time.

But once you acquire it, it takes care of tactics and strategies itself. You don't have to rely on them.

Unless you are wise, you won't be able to use all those fancy tactics you learned because you know how to use it but you don't know when to and when not to.

Wisdom takes a path which is initially paved with thorns , tactics is like walking on trap set for catching baby elephants, you don't know when you are going to fall.

The students who consistently score well are interested in no of attempts, accuracy, percentile.

Nos don't lie but most MBA aspirants can't swallow this bitter pill of harsh reality.

Most MBA aspirants hope to solve their problem with a magic pill. They try hard but they fail , miserably, sometime, it costs them a fortune (2-3 years).

My only advice to all the aspirants, get out of this bandwagon and focus on what works and what will work for next 15-20 years, no matter how many times IIMs change their pattern, you will face no problems whatsoever if you focus on acquiring real wisdom.

How to Increase your Percentile Overnight ? (Sort Of)

How to Increase your Percentile Overnight ? (Sort Of)
By Sukrut
  increase your percentile overnight
Yes.

You can do it.

You can increase your percentile overnight. Sort of.

So here’s a small thing you need to do which will help you to increase it literally overnight.

You need to do this small exercise before you do anything else.

Write down your last percentile. It can be anything ranging from 0-99.99 not 100.
Now instead of focusing on how to get more percentile, focus on your percentile killers and eliminate them immediately.
These are some killers. Stop them dead in their tracks or they will drastically reduce your percentile.

Killer no. 1 : Attempting Wrong Questions.

Killer no. 2 : Solving too may questions wrong.

Killer no. 3 : Using old-school methods to solve new-age problems.(Eliminate this problem by clicking here )

Killer no.4 : Curiosity and too much of ego-feeding in going after questions you want to solve ( but you don’t need to solve)

Killer no.5 : Doing silly mistakes by misreading the questions or going with overconfidence.

Killer no.6 : Doing LMR (Last Minute Revision) which only works for your stoopid graduation exam and not for MBA entrance.

If you get rid of all of these killers, you will increase your percentile overnight.

SOP : The Right Way and Not Write Way

By Sukrut 

SOP is the most important thing you have to write before you FACE your Interview.

That’s why it’s utmost important to write SOP in a proper fashion.

You can’t take it casually because your whole interview depends upon it. If you don’t give much thought to the answers you are writing down, you are going to get into trouble, because your final interview depends entirely upon your SOP.

The way you are going to play out in writing your SOP, the same way, your interview will be played out.

Make no Mistake.

These are some guidelines you can follow while you write your SOP.

1. Don’t use “Fake it till you Make it” approach.

Don’t exaggerate your achievements. If you haven’t achieved a lot of things or even if you don’t have biggest achievements, it really doesn’t matter. You just have to write what’s true for you. No matter how small achievement you have, you can mention it as long as it helps you to demonstrate your skills or expertise.

2. Be Original.

Always write in your own style. Don’t copy-paste others writing, you can always refer to other materials or adapt to the new style but trying to be original always helps. It would make you more comfortable at the time of the interview and most important thing is you don’t have to memorize the perfect answers.

If you be original , your words will find a logical flow. If you are not being original, you always have to think before you talk something.

3. Be coherent in your writing.

Make sure, there is a logical flow between two connecting paragraphs.

Read it aloud multiple times to make sure, everything is in the place.

4.  Spend more time thinking ON your SOP than actually writing your SOP.

This strategy alone will help you to create your SOP at faster pace.

(80% thinking, creating, forming flow and 20% writing down) If you give more time to thinking ….your writing time will

actually reduce.

http://mbakakeeda.com/sop-writing-for-mba/

MBA Abroad: Requirements

MBA Abroad: Requirements

  how to choose b school
In the view of the recent economic crisis it is important to keep adding more value to your resume. This will help you to deal with the economic fluctuations and maintain job security. An MBA or Masters of business administration program would be helpful in preparing up your resume. An MBA program provides skills and knowledge and enables you to explore more job opportunities in or beyond your domain. When you have to select an MBA program then it can be a full time or a part time program.

Let’s discuss the factor which you should keep in mind while selecting an MBA program abroad:

Location: The location plays a major role while selecting an MBA program. You should consider the possibility of relocation, and whether you’re ready for it or not. The decision should be taken on grounds such as your marital status etc. In case you don’t want to relocate you can opt for a school situated near your residential location or you can opt for a part time program.
Reputation: You should know that all MBA programs don’t have the same reputation in the market. It is essential to refer to the top business magazines which publish rankings of business schools and individual programs every year. A personal visit to the schools offering MBA is also recommended as it provides actual information about their reputation in the market.
Time factor: The time factor plays an important role while selecting an MBA program. If you’re a working individual, then a full time MBA would not be a feasible option for you and you may opt for a part time MBA program. In a part time MBA program, it allows for flexibility to work and attend classes along side generally during weekends or online.
Curriculum: It is essential to analyze the curriculum once you have selected an MBA school. You should be sure that the school is capable of imparting the skills which you desire. You can check out their course curriculum online to see what electives are on offer.
Cost: Yes, this is an important factor as well. You should analyze the cost involved in pursuing an MBA program. These costs should include the entire cost of course and you should also take travel, food and accommodation into consideration. The cost of the course should be compared to average salaries offered for job roles by these programs as requirements. In this way, you will come to know whether it’s worth the investment or not.
GMAT/GRE: A GMAT/GRE score is required at most of the MBA Schools selected. As there are number of MBA schools and also of them have a different criteria for admission to the MBA program(either GMAT or GRE). The basic preparation of either of them takes from 3-6 months
Recommendations: Plan your recommendation letters well. Get letters from mentors/teachers who have supervised you during that particular period of time. Make sure you get praised where you’re talented. Apart from that, there is no need for too many recommendations letters. Keep them less, but specific.
The above mentioned factors should be considered when you decide to pursue an MBA program abroad. These points are essential because they assist to take an important decision which will be beneficial for not only your resume, but for personal and professional growth. An MBA is a flexible program which allows a candidate to explore other fields as well. For example, after passing the MBA program in information and technology, a candidate can apply for certifications in IT field in networking or other domains. I wish you all the best and may you find the best MBA program for yourself.

About Bio

Jason Segel is an Oracle certified professional. He takes keen interest in database technologies from Oracle and prefers to keep himself up to date with the latest knowledge of databases. He takes online training session as well.

Connect with the World of Professionalism

Connect with the World of Professionalism (Masters of Jugaad)
By Murtaza
Master’s in Business Administration abbreviated, as MBA is a professional degree in management, which allows people to learn managerial skills and root of the corporate world. The article highlights the MBA scenario in India and what relevance it holds in the Indian context of education. It also takes the various aspects of MBA like distance education into spotlight.



MBA (Masters of Business Administration) is counted as one of the prominent education degree in the country. It is one education tool which promises an individual to enhance its personality traits as well as allows one to learn professionalism. After pursuing graduation from any stream many students opt for MBA programme as it is in high demand and a prosperous degree, which enriches one career.

MBA in India is constantly taking big steps towards reformed education. There are many renowned institutes in the country, who offers valuable MBA degrees namely IIM’s (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Lucknow), Xavier Labor Relations Institute (XLRI-Jamshedpur), Indian School of Business (ISB- Hyderabad). These institutes prove that India is capable enough to produce highly qualified professionals in management.

Long Live MBA
MBA in India is available in full time course as well as part time in the country. Students choose their program me according to their preferences. Many students prefer gaining experience while pursuing their post-graduation. MBA courses in India cover almost all the subjects in their two year program plus in the one year executive program.

The most popular subjects are General Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, Business Accounting, Sports Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Sales & Marketing. The professional degree seems to be the choice of every aspiring management student today however, it is imperative to stand out from the crowd in the era of cut- throat competition. In order to get your hands on a valuable MBA degree one needs to crack prominent exams like CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, etc. and then one can step into the world of professionalism.

MBA in Metro’s
In order to pursue the business administration program, students opt for metropolitan cities because they believe it would provide them adequate exposure and would cultivate their personality. Metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai are brimming with MBA institutes presently which provide them an ideal platform to achieve their management dreams. The management education promptly throws light on theory as well as practical aspects in the curriculum which directly helps students to get an idea of how the corporate place runs and also briefs about the workplace environment.

Both, Delhi and Mumbai is gradually becoming a hub of MBA education. Some of the marked MBA colleges in Delhi like Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi University, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Fortune Institute of International Business rank high on everyone’s list. MBA colleges in Mumbai like India Institute for Planning and Management, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Institute of Management, Development and Research, etc are also preferred by students.

Valuable Education
India is one of the fastest exuberant economies in the world and students are willing to spend humungous amount on education only if it’s valuable. MBA colleges are opened in abundance in the country today promising a better future with a stable job and good pay scale. However, this seems to be a distant dream as many private business schools are riding on money making game.

MBA in India has various aspects to it. In the last few years MBA has also stepped into distance education where online classes are held and the study materials are provided through electronic mails. This major step was taken by the private business schools keeping in mind the people who don’t want to give up on their job or students who want to gain experience while studying. This has given a new direction to MBA education in India.

NEW TRENDS
There was a time when classes meant only four walls, a blackboard and heavy notes however that is a passé now. Around a decade ago MBA in India was worshipped as the inimitable professional course and thus required regular classes at the campus. Gradually as the time passed new trend captured the attention of MBA aspirants and professionals. The trend was titled as Distance Learning Program. This was a blessing in disguise for the working professionals as the program no longer required regular classes and attendance at the campus. As the modernization took over the education, majority of the MBA institutes agreed for the Distance Learning Program giving a new direction to working professionals.

Distance Learning Programme (DLP) played a major role in online education. The program is considered to be a better option for working professionals because it allows them to work and study simultaneously. This programme offers dual benefits to the working professionals who step into corporate world after graduation. It hones their managerial skills at the workplace plus opting for a DLP they increase their probability of getting placed at a better organization. Some of the recognized institutes who offer valuable Distance Learning Program are Symboisis Centre for Distance Learning (Pune), Sikkim Manipal University (Gangtok), Maharishi Dayanand Univeristy (Rohtak), etc.

There has been a debate over the topic whether Distance Education is efficient or not and how longer will it survive. The answer to this lies in the education system itself as there are many who can’t afford the regular academic tuitions and therefore they are left stranded with one option i.e. to rely on Distance Education. This programme has two aspects to it- online education and correspondence education. The former one deal with online notes, where students/ working professionals study from home whereas the latter holds weekend classes occasionally. In both the cases heavy study material is the prime focus. Therefore, Distance Learning Education has been widely accepted in India because the prime motive for any individual is to attain valuable education and survive in the competing world.

MBA is an educational blessing to the students plus working professionals. It provides an ideal platform for every person who is related to the corporate world. Its various aspects like Distance Learning Program and online education are one of the vital ingredients that lend a helping hand to the needy and deserving students. The MBA professional degree is thus considered to be of great importance as it develops managerial skills and expertise and it is a winning bet for a successful career.
http://mbakakeeda.com/connect-with-the-world-of-professionalism-masters-of-jugaad/

Have backup plans, even if you go for CAT

Have backup plans, even if you go for CAT
By Sukrut
Exploring options apart from CAT would help people to identify back up plans and would reduce their dependency on just a single exam like CAT.
Says Asad Ali who recently converted his NMIMS and IIM-Shillong calls and waiting for IIM-Indore results.He was working at Infosys as a System Engineer. He is a fitness freak, believes in quality over quantity. His work experience boasts of developing application for Apple Inc., where he was a sole fresher in that team. He is interested in making career in Consulting but still he is flexible in his choices.

Was this your first attempt at cracking MBA entrance ? If not tell us more about your previous attempts ?

No, this was my third attempt at CAT. I secured 73 and 91.24 respectively in my first and second attempt. My first attempt was not a serious one. In my second attempt I started preparing seriously. But a disciplined and systematic approach was what helped me in cracking CAT,  the third time I wrote.

You know when people fail to crack CAT, they feel like they have lost everything, what tips you will give them to cope up with failure and what they should do in order to get over that feeling ?

People should first of all decide whether they want to go in for a management career or not. And if yes, then what is the reason behind that. Based on that they should explore all the possible options available. This would help them to identify back up plans and would reduce their dependency on just a single exam like CAT.

How did you prepare this year? Had you joined any classes for written exam and GD/PI ? Did classes really help you or you would have still cracked the CAT without classes ?

I had already done my basic preparation in the last attempt. This time I mainly focused on solving mock CATs and analyzing them. Yes, I had registered for test series with TIME and CL. They were really beneficial. I also joined classes for GD/PI and that really helped me in my presentation and communication skills.

How was your NMAT experience? We heard that you had an awesome PI, can you share your experience in brief?

NMAT experience was good. I wrote NMAT twice. In my first attempt I had low marks so wrote it again and secured 220 marks. PI was smooth. I was able to handle it well. It mostly revolved around my work experience and some general questions on my hobbies etc.

What’s the biggest contributor in your success?

My biggest contributor in this success in the hard work and my dedication and determination. A proper study schedule and managing studies with work was something challenging but I was able to manage it well.

Why did you decided to do MBA ? Have you decided the field? How flexible are you?

I decided to go for MBA as I wanted to make a move from IT and get into consultancy. No I haven’t decided my field yet. I have to gain some more information before I make up my mind to study a particular course.

You have got some IIM calls also, can you tell more about your IIM experience?

I got calls from IIM Bangalore, Indore and Shillong thanks to my good academic record. While IIM Bangalore interview was a different one in the sense it was more of a stress interview, IIM Shillong had a smooth interview where they touched almost all the aspects like academics, hobbies, work experience, general knowledge and ethics. IIM Indore interview was also a smooth one focusing heavily on academics. I got a reject from IIM-Bangalore but was able to convert IIM-Shillong. Awaiting results for IIM-Indore.

Can you throw more light on your experience at IIM-B ? You said, it was stress interview, did everybody face the same situation ? Any tips to handle stress interview ?

Yes, at my center everybody faced a stress interview.To handle a stress interview, one should remain calm and not get bogged down by the behavior of the panel. That’s the key to it.

What mistakes students should avoid while handling difficult situation in GD or PI ?

During PI, one should stay away from lying or beating around the bush. You should be very crisp in your answers. In a GD, avoid rephrasing someone else’s point. It never helps. You should read a lot. Current affairs help you in GD as well as in PI.

How to choose the specialization area in MBA courses?

 how to choose MBA specialization
By Akansha Pandey

A typical two-year MBA program, where first and the second year is separated by the summer internships. The first year is generally common for most of the students where the students get an idea of all that they must know regarding various management functions. All introductory MBA courses are taught in the first and second tri-semesters during the first year. Later in the first year, they are also introduced to the specialized areas.

In the second year, the students have to choose from a variety of specialization choices. There are five main specializations that are offered by almost all MBA institutes. They are Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Development, Operations Management and Information Technology.

Generally most of the students have no idea when it comes to choosing specialization, they tend to choose it mostly on their preconceived notions. They are largely influenced by ongoing trends, their peers and teachers.

So sometime, it happens that, someone actually has initial inclination towards one field and then after he/she gets into the college, his/her taste changes and he/she starts liking another profession. I know many of my friends whose likings have changed after they were admitted into the B-school while some people choose to stick to their initial choice.

To get some facts , let me tell you very frankly, ” MBA courses do not provide many choices during the first year. Students generally learn core subjects in the first year in all MBA courses. But at the end of the first year, the choice of specialization should become pretty clear.”

In the second year, the students take elective or optional courses to specialize in a maximum of two functional areas. These areas are:

Finance
Information Management
Marketing
Strategy
Operations Management
To specialize in an area, a student must take a minimum of certain elective course credits offered which is decided by that particular college”

Making a choice

When you are choosing a college, “You have to choose your career very carefully. You should select the right path on the basis of your interest and instincts and not on the basis of peer pressure or high salary.”

Students who have mechanical ability, who prefer to work with objects, machinery and tools should choose Production and Operations.
Students who love to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate or solve problems, interact with people and have a good communication skill should go for Marketing.
Students who have artistic, innovating or institutional abilities and like to work in unstructured environment using their imagination and creativity should work for the Strategy sector.
Students who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, help, train, or are skilled with words should join HR and those students, who like to work with data, have numerical ability, carry out tasks in detail or follow through on others’ instructions should go for Finance.”
Although all of these are general guidelines to select the specialization , it’s not hard and fast rule. You may be having qualities which matches both of these specializations, so when you choose , you have to choose very carefully.

It’s said that ” MBA is like a marriage, it happens only once in the life.” (if you belong to general and sensible crowd)

Specialized MBA institutes offer some specialized options too. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) provides specialized MBA in International Business. The MBA program is also called MBA (IB). Other example could be Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF) which provides diploma in Banking and Finance. MICA offers Post Graduate Diploma in Communication.

MBA Gurus recommend that passion and interest should be the key, rather than external reasons like market condition, job prospects and following the herd. While doing an MBA program, the specializations should be chosen on the basis of your passion, choice and capability.

The first year is the time when you will have the hunch regarding choosing your specialization subject. The MBA institutes can only introduce you towards the various domains of an MBA program. But you have to be your own judge to take decisions regarding specializations.

By Akansha Pandey

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