Key Steps

KEY STEPS:

B-schools in India follow a 2 stage selection process – the written exam and the GWPI (Group discussion / Written ability test / Personal Interview). A good understanding of this process will help you identify the B-schools which would better suit your requirements as well as the steps for getting into the same.

STEP 1: APPLICATION AND ELIGIBILITY

The notifications for admission to most national-level management institutes are released in the period between July and October and the written exams of these institutes are conducted between October and February. These institutes release their GDPI shortlists between December and March, and the next stage which comprises GD, essay & interview is held in the period between January and April (May for lower rung b-schools ). The final results of most national-level management institutes are released in the period between February and May with the new academic year typically beginning in June/July. 

The eligibility requirement for most management institutes is a graduation degree in any field. Usually, the minimum percentage in graduation is 50 to gain eligibility to apply to most management institutes. The students from the reserved categories(SC/ST/PH ) need only 45% at govt b-schools like IIMs. A qualification equivalent to a degree is also considered adequate provided it is recognised by the appropriate authority. 

STEP 2: WRITTEN EXAM 

The written exams can be classified into 2 categories – common exams like CAT, XAT, SNAP, and CMAT and another category of Institute specific exams such as TISSNET, NMAT, IIFT, MICAT and IBSAT. 

Management entrance exams test a student's aptitude and proficiency in the test areas like Verbal Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency, Reasoning, General Awareness etc. The number of questions, sections, the duration of the exam, the number of questions from each area and the level of toughness of the paper varies from exam to exam. 

STEP 3: INTERVIEW SHORTLIST 

A shortlist of candidates is prepared after the first stage taking into account the performance in the written exam, academic backgroud, work-experience, extra-curricular achievements etc. The shortlisted applicants are required to appear for the second round - GDPI, wherein they would go through a personal interview, written ability test and/or a group discussion. The final list of selected candidates is prepared taking into account the performance in the written exam, the GWPI stage, academic background, work experience etc. 

STEP 4: ADMISSION OFFER 

The admission offers are made taking into account your performance in various components of the selection process. The weightage of these components varies across institutes and varies from year to year for most Institutes. In general, we can say that the non-IIM institutes give increasing importance to the entrance exam (CAT in this case) with the remaining weight being allocated between the GD and PIs. However, for the IIMs we need to be a little more careful before drawing any generalisations