TAPMI, India’s leading B-School, Jindal Global Business School (JGBS), a part of the O.P. Jindal Global University, and TCYonline.com, India’s No.1 Test Prep portal, have joined hands to provide impetus and guidance to thousands of MBA aspirants who will be appearing for various MBA entrance tests in the next few months. Winners would be awarded with cash prizes up to Rs. 10,000 and many other rewards.

The three organizations have joined hands to launch MBA Wizard-2012, a twelve week MBA pre-entrance contest that will help identify and groom India’s best future managers. The contest will be live on www.TCYonline.com from October 3^rd to December 24^th 2011.

Every week, Top 10 students will be selected on the basis of their performance and all these students will be given cash prizes, certificates of appreciation, and complimentary admission forms from sponsoring institutes & career counseling sessions. There are special prizes for Top 3 performers of the event.

With more than 50,000 MBA aspirants expected to participate in the MBA Wizard 2012 contest, the results will be less ambiguous than the results in a traditional classroom where skills of a limited number of students can be benchmarked against one another. TCY Analytics, a database of nearly 4 crore analytics will help the students identify their strengths and weaknesses, which in turn will help them improve their performance by targeting weak areas.

About TCYonline.com: TCYonline.com is India biggest test prep platform with 1.2 million enrolled students. The portal features more than half a million questions catering to over 50 categories of international and national tests. The tests have been contributed by thousands of educators who are registered with the portal. When students attempt a test, they can benchmark themselves against thousands of other students who have already attempted the test. TCY Analytics, a database of nearly 4 crore analytics, evaluates each student’s attempt by comparing it to the attempt pattern of other students who have already taken the test.

About TAPMI: The T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) located in the international university town of Manipal (Karnataka), is among the leading management institutes in India, and is reputed for its academic rigour and faculty-student interaction. Founded by the visionary, Late Shri. T. A. Pai, TAPMI’s mission is to provide much needed impetus to the task of building professional management capability in the country.

Since commencement of the PG Programme in 1984, TAPMI has received recognition and respect amongst the well-known industrial houses and academic institutions in India for the quality of its education. Over the years, the institute has earned a name for its Post Graduate Programme in Management (equivalent to MBA) and the quality of student talent it has produced. Continuous improvements in the curriculum, structure, academic systems and faculty resources have contributed significantly to making TAPMI a preferred centre for management education. Today, over 1900 TAPMI alumni hold responsible managerial positions in India and abroad.

About Jindal Global Business School:  A part of the O. P. Jindal Global University, JGBS started its operations in 2010. The vision of JGBS is to impart global business education to equip managers and professionals with skills and knowledge to efficiently tackle challenges faced not only by businesses but also by NGOs, entrepreneurs and government organizations. JGBS offers multidisciplinary education to foster academic excellence, global collaborations and linkages between inter-disciplinary research and teaching. O.P. Jindal Global University has collaborative partnership arrangements with a number of globally reputed universities in the Asia Pacific Region, Europe, UK and the USA. JGBS currently has memoranda of understanding (MoU) with the School of Management at the University of Texas, Dallas and Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

The partnerships provide for student and faculty exchange, joint seminars, and collaborative research. The Global Immersion Program at JGBS extends opportunities for experiencing business, cultural and academic centres in different global institutions with which JGBS has established partnerships.

Click http://www.tcyonline.com/india/MBA-wizard.php to know more.

Subject experts at www.TCYonline.com, India’s largest online test prep platform, will be solving the test paper and hosting the JMET 2011 solution key on their website. Students wanting to check JMET 2011 answers can find them on http://www.tcyonline.com/exam-analysis/jmet-2011-solutions latest by 4:30 p.m. of the same day as the test.

Students from across the nation can also participate in ‘JMET 2011 Questions Discussion‘ on the website. They can also leave their queries on the website and the experts at TCY will revert back with the answers within a short time. Candidates will also be able to input their expected scoring range and TCY Analytics will also compute the inputs to give a cross section of expected scores.

Unlimited free JMET 2011 and other MBA program Mock Tests are also available in the tests section on www.TCYonline.com. Aspirants can do last minute revision and hone their skills for the upcoming test. They can also target self improvement by using TCY Analytics to analyze their attempt pattern, time taken on each question, sub topic and topic wise analysis of strengths and weaknesses.

time or how the federal government works. Instead, it is a distinct

piece of the biological makeup of our brains. Language is a complex,

specialized skill, which develops in the child spontaneously, without

conscious effort or formal instruction, is deployed without awareness of

its underlying logic, is qualitatively the same in every individual, and is

distinct from more general abilities to process information or behave

intelligently. For these reasons some cognitive scientists have described

language as a psychological faculty, a mental organ, a neural system,

and a computational module. But I prefer the admittedly quaint term

“instinct”. It conveys the idea that people know how to talk in more or

less the sense that spiders know how to spin webs. Web spinning was not

invented by some unsung spider genius and does not depend on having

had the right education or on having an aptitude for architecture or the

construction trades. Rather, spiders spin spider webs because they have

spider brains, which give them the urge to spin and the competence to

succeed. Although there are differences between webs and words, I

will encourage you to see language in this way, for it helps to make sense

of the phenomena we will explore.

Thinking of language as an instinct inverts the popular wisdom, especially

as it has been passed down in the canon of the humanities and social

sciences. Language is no more a cultural invention than is upright posture.

It is not a manifestation of a general capacity to use symbols: a three year old,

we shall see, is a grammatical genius, but is quite incompetent at the

visual arts, religious iconography, traffic signs, and the other staples of

the semiotics curriculum. Though language is a magnificent ability

unique to Homo sapiens among living species, it does not call for

sequestering the study of humans from the domain of biology, for a

magnificent ability unique to a particular living species is far from

unique in the animal kingdom. Some kinds of bats home in on flying

insects using Doppler sonar. Some kinds of migratory birds navigate

thousands of miles by calibrating the positions of the constellations

against the time of day and year. In nature’s talent show, we are simply

a species of primate with our own act, a knack for communicating

information about who did what to whom by modulating the sounds

we make when we exhale.

Once you begin to look at language not as the ineffable essence of

human uniqueness but as a biological adaptation to communicate

information, it is no longer as tempting to see language as an insidious

shaper of thought, and, we shall see, it is not. Moreover, seeing language

as one of nature’s engineering marvels an organ with “that perfection

of structure and co adaptation which justly excites our admiration,” in

Darwin’s words  gives us a new respect for your ordinary Joe and the

Much maligned English language (or any language). The complexity of

language, from the scientist’s point of view, is part of our biological

birthright; it is not something that parents teach their children or

something that must be elaborated in school as Oscar Wilde said,

“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to

time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” A preschooler’s

tacit knowledge of grammar is more sophisticated than the thickest

style manual or the most state of the art computer language system,

and the same applies to all healthy human beings, even the notorious

syntax fracturing professional athlete and the, you know, like,

inarticulate teenage skateboarder. Finally, since language is the product

of a well engineered biological instinct, we shall see that it is not the nutty

barrel of monkeys that entertainer columnists make it out to be.

• Read the passage and answer the questions

below:

1. According to the passage, which of the following

does not stem from popular wisdom on language?

1. Language is a cultural artifact.

2. Language is a cultural invention.

3. Language is learnt as we grow.

4. Language is unique to Homo Sapiens.

5. Language is a psychological faculty.

2. Which of the following can be used to replace the

“spiders know how to spin webs” analogy as used by

the author?

1. A kitten learning to jump over a wall

2. Bees collecting nectar

3. A donkey carrying a load

4. A horse running a Derby

5. A pet dog protecting its owner’s property

3. According to the passage, which of the following is

unique to human beings?

1. Ability to use symbols while communicating with

one another.

2. Ability to communicate with each other through

voice modulation.

3. Ability to communicate information to other

members of the species.

4. Ability to use sound as means of communication.

5. All of the above.

4. According to the passage, complexity of language

cannot be taught by parents or at school to children

because

1. children instinctively know language.

2. children learn the language on their own.

3. language is not amenable to teaching.

4. children know language better than their

teachers or parents.

5. children are born with the knowledge of

semiotics.

5. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

1. Language is unique to Homo Sapiens.

2. Language is neither learnt nor taught.

3. Language is not a cultural invention or artifact as

it is made out.

4. Language is instinctive ability of human beings.

5. Language is use of symbols unique to human

beings.

• Click here for MBA Exam Alerts, CAT 2010 Notifications and to get complete study material for CAT Preparation.

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The basic objective of studying these subjects, is to ensure that your fundamentals are strong. No one expects you to master all the subjects. Tomorrow when you take up a leadership role, you should have the basic knowledge about all functions, to ensure that no one takes you for a ride.

At the end of the first year, students go for summer placements. The summer placement runs for around four months. After finishing their summers, students come back and the second year begins wherein they specialize in their core area.

Before the students go for their placement, they have to choose their core specialization, as in, Finance, Marketing, Operations and Human Resources. The students have a dual specialization. On most occasions, whenever I interact with students, I see students choosing the core field due to peer pressure. When I sit with them and discuss as to what made them choose that field, the replies that I get are:

Majority of my batch mates have chosen that field

We heard it is a sunrise industry

This field pays much more than any other line

As a teacher, it pains me a lot when I see students getting into functions they are not fit for. Personally I do make it a point to tell students to identify their strengths by doing an honest introspection and  to discuss the same with their family members and close circle of friends. If they have professional contacts, they are the best people, since they are already working in that line. They are not only the best source of information they will also guide you properly.  Once the student narrows down on his core specialization, he will know the gap to be bridged in terms of skill sets after he interacts with professionals working in that industry.

Lot of B Schools have come out with super specialization programs which is an add on to the core specialization. The areas are:

Airlines and Airport Mangement

Shipping and Logistics Management

Retail Mangement

Supply Chain Management

Let me also tell you that there is nothing called as a sunrise industry. Each and every industry has to go through the stages of Infancy, Growth, Stability and Decline. It is part of the economic cycle.

I also reiterate the point that compensation is totally secondary. According to me, at the start of your career what you learn, is more important than what you earn. I also see students having unrealistic expectations and living in their own dream world. Your specialization should be in tune with your skills. If you choose the wrong line, apart from being a misfit for the job, you are also putting your entire career at risk. If you get into an industry purely for money, the day is not far off when you will get frustrated and land up in a mess.

Once you have identified your skill sets and decided your core specialization, ensure that you keep yourself updated in that line. You need to seriously devote time to understand the industry, the major players, the standing of the industry right now and the future of the industry. The best source of information will be newspapers like Economic Times and Business Standard. Apart from this, try to identify a mentor, when you go for your summer placements. If you prove your worth during the summer placements, there is every chance that the organization will consider you, when they come for the final placements.

I would like to share some critical points to be kept in mind throughout the program:

• Integrity is the foundation on which your career is built. Never lie. If you have done a mistake have the courage to accept your mistake, instead of trying to hide it or getting into arguments.
• Be the first person to take the initiative. Put your heart and soul in your job, when you go for summer placements.
• Be disciplined and punctual. Never take any leave.
• Strictly adhere to organizational decorum.
• As I mentioned earlier, this is the apt time to identify a mentor, who will be your guiding and inspirational force. Never try to put on a mask and show interest. They are seasoned professionals and your reputation will take a beating. Be genuine. Be yourself.
• Be in touch with your mentor and work on your weakness. This should be done throughout the program.
• If you have the habit of gossiping, work seriously on it. All relationships are built on trust. Trust is built up only once. It cannot be built again and again. Likewise during the course of your program never criticize any of your batch mates or professors.
• During the program, you will get lot of opportunities to make presentations. Take each presentation as a challenge and keep on raising your bar.
• Be mentally alert and focused on the program.
• In group presentations you may have to work with other candidates who are not known to you. Extend your full cooperation and take the responsibility of keeping the group bonded together. Each individual will have his idea. Genuinely congratulate your group member if he has come up with excellent points. It is natural to get discouraged if your points are not included in the presentation. Try to find out why the point is not relevant. Always remember that our learning process continues till death. Moreover when you start your career you will inevitably be part of a team. You cannot afford to create disharmony within the group.
• Be very careful whenever you speak. Choose your words with care. Never indulge in any kind of casual talk. Likewise ensure that you are well dressed and maintain good hygiene. Groom yourself to become a person who can be trusted.
• Work on your vocabulary. Keep a daily target and strictly adhere to it.
• Keep working on honing  your listening skills. There is a huge difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is done with the ears. Listening is done with the mind and the heart. Powerful listeners can create miracles.

The basic objective of having summer placements is to get exposed to what an organization is, how does it work, the role of each department and how the industry works as a whole. This is because most of the students are fresh from college and directly enroll for an MBA Program.

The second year is the time when you have to hone your skills in your line or function and ensure that you keep abreast of all the latest developments in that line.

Likewise during your final placements make a very careful choice. There are two critical points which you need to keep in mind. The first is the reputation of the organization. The second is the Human Resource Interventions that the organization has in place. All professional organizations have an individual career growth plan for each employee. They also have structured training programs to help the new employee develop his skill sets and also get him exposed to all the functions. Your first job is the most critical because it is going to determine the entire course of your career. When an organization selects an employee, it does so with a long term perspective in mind. Never make the mistake of job hopping. It is suicidal. As of today, job hopping is looked upon very negatively by all reputed players in the industry. Even an experience of five years in an organization,  makes the other company think. You need to have a really valid reason for quitting the organization.

My only advice to all  MBA students is to make the right choice in terms of their specialization. Once you make the right decision, believe me, it will be an eternal honeymoon for you.

CHEERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The basic rule is a known factor. One has to be an avid and good reader of English. The preparation must be such that a student is able to read and comprehend a sentence in one go. Repetitions or going back and forth will not help the cause.

Nevertheless, for scoring high marks in a MBA entrance examination, one needs to be smart as well.

Firstly, it is important to practice on all types of topics during preparation for entrance tests. Many students prefer to go to tutorials and benefit from a series of practice tests and mock tests conducted by them. Very often, RC tests have an option, say, to attempt 5 out of 7 or more passages.  Now, the passages, which are left unattempted, are most probably the ones that were either lengthy or difficult to comprehend.  It is advisable to practice these passages, later on at home.  The students will be in better frame of mind during MBA entrance, if they cover them as well.

Secondly, it is important to be an intelligent reader. Answering questions would be easy, if the student focuses on what the passage is trying to convey, rather than on the specific words or jargons used. Again, one has to practice and learn to fine tune the reading speed in accordance with different topics and their complexity. It helps in faster understanding of passage and swift answering of questions.

Thirdly, it is preferable to attempt the RC section after the English Usage (EU) test.  The initial few minutes of the test may create nervousness.  Attempting EU, which is far easier, before RC, provides the much needed warm up. It may also help in gaining confidence before attempting RC which requires high levels of concentration, fast reading and quick comprehension.

Fourthly, one is advised to glance through the RC section. This is important:

a)  to have an idea of the length of different passages and number of questions at the end. Remember, it is not necessary that a bigger passage will have more questions or a small passage will have fewer questions. To save time, it is advisable to attempt those passages first, for which passage/questions ratio is less.

b) each passage may be diverse in terms of subject-matter and flow of language.  The passage may relate to social concerns, politics, philosophy, economics and business among others. Again some passages may be difficult to comprehend and some may be easier. Therefore, one needs to choose those passages first, which he or she is comfortable with.

c) time management is extremely important. Students who are not so good in mathematics may be required to devote more time for that section. It is more crucial for such students to take preparation for RC very seriously, which would enable them to complete the RC section efficiently in less time.

Finally, and more importantly, one is required to be calm and confident while attempting the RC section. It’s a combination of preparation and temperament, which holds the key for scoring high marks in a MBA entrance examination.

Me: Yaar, this is the last time i am writing the CAT exam. if this time nothing happens, i will continue in my field ( whereas i knew that CAT form filling is going to be an endless festival for me which i would be celebrating each year, hehe)

Me again: You know, XYZ has got admission into ABC (choice of words is not coincidental!), i have been preparing for so long but nothing happens. It all about Luck and no hard work!

Me again: I hate this job, this year i am gonna prepare for GMAT, enough of CAT now. CAT doesn’t deserve me ( innocent me )

Me again:I will apply for executive MBA now..what is the eligibility criteria for that?

There are umpteen sentences i remember which I used to share with my noble friends ( Thanks guys for that).

But now, the story has ended. Finally i got admission into one of the reputed colleges in India and i am joining on 13th June.

As they say, it is not the destination which matters, rather the journey. My tryst with this journey has ended….have learnt a lot from it and value what i have got more so because of this journey…

Have loads of stuff to write about it, but finally ending it with the crux of what i have learnt from this – “Yes, luck does matter…but it is nothing in comparison to the hard work and conviction you put in to reach where you want to be!”

Since I attended so many GD, GT and PIs, it would not be possible for me to narrate all the experiences.               However, I would like to share a few things which are very important for any college.

1) Be honest. Never bluff.

2) If you are a fresher, be prepared for technical questions like – ur final year project, ur seminar, ur training, ur favorite subject, etc

3) If you have work-ex, be prepared for questions related to business of ur company like – who were ur clients, what was the business of the clients, ur company’s hierarchy, sales and turnover of ur company, number of employees, etc.

4) Interview is a pre-planned game. Pls understand this. Go prepared with answers for all the question like – introduce urself, why MBA, why this particular college, ur hobbies, ur strengths, weakness, career goals,  etc.

5) For every question, ur answer shud be logical and if the interviewer asks, u shud be able to give suitable examples to justify wat u have said.

6) Be prepared for cross-questions.

7) Smile wen u enter the room.

Come formally dressed. Proper haircut and clean shaven. It is very important. .

9) Remain updated about all GK and current affairs stuff. Read morning’s newspaper on the day of interview.

10) Always have a stand and have ur own opinion about whatever is asked to u, esp. in the case of debatable issues and current affairs.

11) Never talk about placements in the interview. Never compare any college.

12) Do a lot of research about the college before attending its interview. It helps u to speak confidently in the interview wen asked for questions related to why mba and why this college, etc.

13) Be thorough about ur hobbies. It is very much possible that ur entire interview can go discussing ur hobbies. If u don’t know all the details, say, about ur favourite game, u are out. It gives a very bad impression.

(the old prof went out for some reason he joined the interview after 2 mins)
me :- good morning sir, good morning ma’am
lady : good morning take a seat
me- thank U ma’am
lady:- have u brought any identity proof with U
Me- yes ma’am
(i handed my driving license to them)
lady:- oh ur license has a smart card.
(alumnus joins in)
alumnus :- what is the need of a memory chip in ur license
me- sir to save information in it.. information about the license holder
alumnus: what kind of info
me :- data like address , name ,expiry date etc
alumnus :- that data can be printed on the card .. why do we need a separate embedded memory chip.. See the information u said is already printed in ur card.
( old prof arrives and takes a seat )
me :- well I guess the police who catches U swipes the card in the smart card reader to check the authenticity of the printed data,or maybe it saves his time by swiping the card rather than reading the printed data…
old prof :- well I will repeat the question .why do we need a memory chip on ur driving license when all the data is printed on ur license…take ur time.. think on it .. it won,t save his time to read the printed data.. the reason is something different.. take ur time .. think and answer
me :- ( after thinking) since there r lots of information about lakhs of license holder .. we need to store the data in digital format
alumnus :- U r talking about lots of data at the server.. we r talking why is there a memory chip on a smart card
Lady:- which branch u have done ur engineering
me :- electronics
Lady to old prof:- (with a smile ) he must answer the question then
me :- (thinking)
old prof :- have u ever been caught by a police while driving..
me :- no sir
old prof kay whenever U get caught the police checks the data in the smart card to see if there is any previous default done by U.. if u r a serial offender it can be seen from the smart card. say for instance u were caught drunken by police .. that would be updated in the memory chip and next time if ur caught U won,t be spared .. understood.
me :- ( nodding my head) yes sir
old prof :- don,t u think u shud have thought of this answer
me :- yes sir , as a manager we need to think of all possibilities
old prof:- (nodding his head with a smile)
alumnus :- do u think smart cards can u used to store money
me :- yes sir
old prof :- give me an example
me :- (thinking) sir In Mumbai there is Go smart card which can be used to travel anywhere
old prof:- does it store money ..
me :- i guess its like prepaid card .U buy the card .. it doesn’t store money
alumnus :- what bout ATM cards
(dumb me didn’t recall ATM stores money)
old prof :- what u mean by data warehousing and data mining
me :- sir i can make a guess, am not sure of the answer.
lady:- ( with a smile ,encourages me) go ahead , go ahead
me :- Since a warehouse means a place where goods are kept , data warehousing must be a place to store lots of data.. which can be used for analysis later
and from mining ,i can guess data mining means , searching for a particular piece of data
old prof :- nice
alumnus:- I see ur a 2006 pass-out and u have only 26 months of experience
(what did u do for 2 years)
me:- sir i worked for a BPO for some time
alumnus:- then u shud have mentioned that here
me:- sir but i don’t have an experience certificate for the same and last year in the month of April I was asked to resign from my job in Patni due to lack of projects…
old prof :- so u were given a pink slip
me :- yes sir, But in stead of searching for other jobs i took it as an opportunity to crack CAT and get into IIMs .
Lady :- ( encourages me again) that’s good and u managed to get IIM calls
me :- I found is unethical to do a job for few months and leave it since i wanted to do an MBA eventually
old prof :- so how do u manage ur finances.
me:- sir I stay with my family and i got enough support from them
old prof:- oh so u r from mumbai
old prof :- that’s great then U seem well determined ..( looking at the lady ) he has decided he is gonna make it
lady:- which other IIM calls
me :- IIM indore
lady :- then u got good chance to make it from a good college ( smiles)
( i don,t recollect exactly but those profs were praising me too much that I am determined ,no one can stop him and blah blah)
its then that i made a biggest mistake by saying
me :- sir I have already converted Symbiosis
old prof:- see no one can stop him
alumnus:- ( who was silent ) which college u said
me :- SIIB
alumnus :- okay ..
( smiles everywhere)
U may leave
me :thank u sir, thank u ma’am

“Tell us something about yourself”

“What are your views about the current Indian cricket team”

“How did Punjab get its name?”

These were some of the opening questions I was asked during my interviews for admission into various top b-schools of the country. As you can see, some are clichéd questions whereas some are a bit off the course and there is no way you can be sure of what you are going to be asked. The best you can do is to be well prepared.

You may come across a lot of experts who tell you different things about how to crack an interview. A lot of the things might be true, but always take them with a pinch of salt. A lot of times their judgement is based on the past experiences of themselves or of others. The experience of others can surely give you a good idea of what can happen but it won’t be what will happen. Once I met a so called expert who told me, “ I will give you the answers to the questions like Why MBA and you just have to put them in your own words and present them.” Frankly this seemed totally absurd to me. In the end it is you who is going to be interviewed and it is you who knows about yourself, about Why you want to do an MBA! Being yourself  is of utmost importance in any interview. If you don’t believe in what you are saying, how can you convince someone else about the same?

Confidence is the key when it comes to cracking an interview. Remember that most of the questions that you will be asked in the interview are going to be very basic and generic in nature. So, what the panel looks for is whether you can answer those questions with confidence and conviction. If an interviewee says that he wants to be entrepreneur, the panel invariably asks whether he has any business idea in mind. This counter question is just to check whether you are bluffing or are you actually serious about it. They also know that you won’t be having a fool proof business plan because otherwise what would you be doing there!

The question that gave me sleepless nights was whether or not I will be asked questions regarding my academics. I didn’t have a very good academic background which means less marks in graduation which  made me doubt my own capabilities in answering those questions. This has been a query pointed at me by a number of aspirants as well. Again, like I said right at the start, you can never tell what you will be asked. For a fresher, you can generally expect at least a couple of academic questions as lack of work experience takes away one dimension of questions that can be directed at you so the odds increase. But this is not something that should worry you much as the panel more often than not will try to bring the best out of you and if you don’t seem to comfortable with your academics they will shift to other questions and you should try to answer them well.

Generally there is a lot of buzz about stress interviews. This is the case when the interviewer is trying to judge how bad your worst is. In such interviews, always remember, a smile never harmed anyone.

Sometimes the panel can also ask you current affairs or general knowledge questions. These questions are never the make or break questions. Whereas knowing the answers can give you some brownie points for sure, not knowing them will not end it for you. The bulk of your interview will be on the basis of the form that you will be asked to fill. Do take that form seriously as the form in itself won’t matter in your selection but the form is what can drive your interview in a certain direction. Try not to express extreme views as that shows you as being stubborn and less room is there for you to change your answer in the interview if you feel necessary.

A lot of times you can end up being your own interviewer. The questions you will be asked can be the loose ends in your previous answers. This can be to your advantage and also to your disadvantage. So, try not to leave loose ends and if you want it to play to your advantage, be extra careful as it can backfire as well.

All said and done, don’t forget that it is just an interview- One among many you will appear in this “MBA-season” or for that matter in your life. It will be good if you make it but won’t be the end of the world if you don’t. It may just be a blessing in disguise as who knows, You may get much better opportunities in the future.

The Common Admission Test (CAT), like all MBA entrance examinations, is basically a test of speed and accuracy.

The most important strategy is effective time management. The bulk of poor scores result from mismanagement of time on exam day.

But why do student so frequently make this mistake?

Some say that mounting pressure during the test caused them to panic. Others say they came across new material that left them shocked and confused. Still others got entangled in a few lengthy questions, leaving them precious little time to complete the test.

Let’s discuss time management strategies that will help you secure an excellent score. Here are some exam day tips:

When you receive the CAT, do not start attempting the questions immediately. It is better to scan the paper and try to determine which sections and questions will be easiest to answer.

The exam lasts for 150 minutes. Here’s how you should divide your time:

~ 5 minutes for filling in personal data and marking the OMR sheet (145 left)
~ 5 minutes to scan the paper and plan your approach (140 left)
~ 45 minutes at the most for your strongest section (at least 95 left)
~ 45 minutes for the medium section (at least 50 minutes left)
~ 45 minutes for your weakest section (5 minutes left)
~ 5 minutes to review your test and make sure everything is in order

If you feel that 45 minutes is more than you need for your strongest section, allocate the time to your weakest section. The extra time may help you get a good percentile in your weakest area.

For each section, start by selecting the questions which will consume less time and you are able to solve with confidence. Only after handling easy questions should you move on to more difficult ones.

Verbal questions such as direct dictionary meanings and sentence corrections should be the priority, as they do not require much time. Say you are good at vocabulary — you will only need a few minutes for ten questions. The time you save here can be utilised while doing an inference based question from a passage that requires more work.

Some more important tips:

• Answer all questions that you can confidently solve. Avoid all questions that confuse you.
• Do not attempt a question that takes more than five or ten minutes to solve; it will only hurt your score.
• Read ALL instructions carefully before you start
• Always keep an eye on the clock; check every ten minutes to make sure you are on track.
• Never watch your neighbours; the person next to you may work quickly but inaccurately. Your only measuring stick should be the clock.
• Stop studying at least 24 hours before your exam. Relax and enjoy the day. This will keep you stress-free.
• It is a myth that the CAT is difficult. If you prepare beforehand and effectively manage your time on test day, you will do well.
• Be smart; be confident.

To get a call from an IIM, you’ll need to clear the sectional cut off scores. If these lofty requirements are not possible for you, don’t panic. Instead, focus on enhancing your score through the above methods and you will earn entry at institutions such as MDI, IMT, SP Jain, KY Somaya and so on.

In short, it’s best to understand your limitations. Don’t let your ego get the better of you and don’t try to secure a perfect score. Recognise your ability and earn the best score possible for you.