Aptitude test for MBA Preparation

Aptitude test for MBA Preparation

Organisations use many methods to assess applicants: application forms; interviews; written tests and exercises; group discussions and practical exercises. They use these to choose the most appropriate candidate for each vacancy. Different methods provide different sorts of information. One method that is increasingly used is aptitude tests.

Aptitude tests are structured systematic ways of evaluating how people perform on tasks or react to different situations. They are characterised by standardised methods of administration and scoring with the results quantified and compared with how others have done at the same tests. They are increasingly administered on a computer.

No test is perfect, and some candidates such as those with disabilities, may be at a disadvantage when taking this type of test. Employers should make allowance for this.

Tests are usually only part of the overall assessment procedure. Employers will use them alongside interviews, application forms, academic results and other selection methods, so test result usually be the only information looked at.

The section on quantitative ability in CAT (and other competitive exams also) now shows a shift towards questions having greater element of commonsense rather than pure maths (this might have something to do with paper-setters having more commonsense!!!). This doesn't mean that we don't need formulas and calculations now, but that we use calculations or formulas in the situation when logical thinking (a euphemism for commonsense!!!) needs to be supplemented with these and we don't rush to the formula at the sight of the questions.

Before you enter the CAT room, the invigilator would instruct you to keep calculators and other helping gadgets (so desperately required near the half time!!!) out. Fortunately, there is no instruction to keep the commonsense out. So, take it along and use it profusely. This could be your best bell (oops, bet) for the CAT.

Let's take an example. In this season of "sale" every where, you find on one shop a board that says "Buy 3, get 1 free". And on the nearby shop "Get 30% off". Ask the students in a maths class to find out the better offer and they are zapped. Many of the mathematicians will promptly find the discount in the first case to be 33.33 % and in the other to be 30%, thus declaring the first offer better. However, a little common sense (which somehow appears only when you are in the market and disappears as soon as you enter the class room!!!) would tell that in the first case, you are getting a discount of 25%, as you are not paying for 1 out of 4.

Now, ask someone to find out the sale price when an object costing Rs. 151.25 is sold at a loss of 130%. The mathematician will enter the jungle of formulas and calculation, while the one with commonsense (a rare species!!!) would know that nothing could be sold at a loss of more than 100%. Even if you give something free to someone the loss is 100%. And even if you spend something further on its disposal, that is added to the cost and the percentage loss still remains 100%.

Organisations use many methods to assess applicants: application forms; interviews; written tests and exercises; group discussions and practical exercises. They use these to choose the most appropriate candidate for each vacancy. Different methods provide different sorts of information. One method that is increasingly used is aptitude tests.

Aptitude tests are They are characterised by structured systematic ways of evaluating how people perform on tasks or react to different situations. andardised methods of administration and scoring with the results quantified and compared with how others have done at the same tests. They are increasingly administered on a computer.

APTITUDE, ABILITY AND INTELLIGENCE TESTS

• Administered under timed examination conditions. These tests assess your logical reasoning and become increasingly difficult throughout the test. They commonly take the form of multiple choice with right and wrong answers.
  
  
• You are not expected to finish the tests, although of course you may do so. Your score relates your performance to a 'normed' group. So, your aptitude, ability or intelligence has a relative value to it. This is important to an employer who may want to know how well you can do something in relation to other applicants, the general population or people already doing the job.
  
  
• Your score can be used in different ways. There may be a pass mark, which, by achieving, you get the job. Or the employer may have planned to interview a certain number of candidates and provided your score puts you in this group you will continue on to the next stage of selection. Alternatively, your score could simply be a further measure considered by an employer alongside a variety of other measures, such as interviews etc.
  
  

SOME PREPARATION TIPS

• Practice makes perfect. Evidence suggests that some practice of similar tests may improve your performance slightly on actual tests. However, don't spend too long practising. It may be wise to brush up on your exam technique and perhaps become more familiar with the types of test you may face. Even basic word and number puzzles may help you become used to the comprehension and arithmetic aspects of some tests.

  
  
• Treat it as you would any other occasion when you visit an employer. Plan your journey to the test site, arrive on time and appropriately dressed. Listen to the instructions you are given and follow them precisely.
  
  
• Before the actual test, you will be given practice examples to try - make sure you ask questions if anything is unclear at this stage.
  
  
• Work quickly during the test, but pay attention to your accuracy. Try not to get bogged down on any one question, but remember that questions may get harder as you proceed. You can only score points for questions you answer, not for those you don't.
  
  
• Educated guesses are worthwhile. In math's tests you may be able to use the technique of estimating the answer rather than working it out exactly, to save time.
  
  
• If you have a numerical test coming up and haven't done any maths since school then brush up on your numeracy - Stop using a calculator for everyday calculations, practice your multiplication and division, ability to calculate percentages, and to read graphs and tables. Similarly if your English is weak brush up on this.
  
  
• REMEMBER - Listen to the instructions. They are crucial to your success in any psychometric test!

MBA Preparation - Tips for CAT

MBA Preparation - Tips for CAT M.B.A, Master of Business Administration is a degree which will never go out of fashion. It is the most coveted profession.

Common Admission Test (CAT), is the common entrance exam that you have to take to get admission to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, and Kozhikode. Many other institutes like, MICA, Nirma Institute of Management, S.P. Jain Institute, also draw out their candidates based on the performance in CAT.

The exam itself consists of four parts which are Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Problem Solving and Data Interpretation. All the questions are multiple choice and you should shade your choice of answer (only with a HB pencil) in the computer coded answer sheet. For every correct answer, one mark is awarded and for every wrong answer, 1/4th of a mark is deducted.

With CAT only few days away, it would be wise not to waste time working on anything new. In the next few days, just revise your fundamentals and take few full length or module tests. While revising, put stress on varied application of the same concept. Check if there is a better way of doing a question. At this stage, your study hours should be down to a minimum of 2-3 hours a day and all that you should work towards improving your concentration.

The Optimum Strategy:

There should be no fiddling with your Test-taking strategy at this late stage. As long as you know that the strategy you are using is giving you rewards, don't change it… For example, you would know if your best bet is to scan a passage and then move onto to the questions, while another person could be more at ease scanning questions before going onto the passage. So just stick to whatever works best for you.

Analyse the Tests:

Test-taking is the most important aspect of your preparation now. Take two or at the most three tests a week. Test-taking should be followed by an in-depth analysis of the complete paper. Analyse what mistakes you have committed and how you will rectify them. Also check the questions that you have missed, and whether you have missed any 'easy' question! That will help in your choice of questions later. Remember, CAT is not about last minute cramming and revising. It's about being alive and mentally alert, here and now.

For CAT-Day:

One of the biggest pitfalls is that as students we always search for short cuts, asking 'which is the easiest way out and which are the easiest questions?' A critical issue here is the tremendous urge to skip questions. We tend to lose concentration at different stages during the exam and tend to skip questions because of the pressures of time. But things get better if you follow a couple of golden rules. If you want to identify the questions to attend, it is imperative that you read all the questions.

Learn to relax.

CAT is not the end of your life. Many a time, very high potential students have not made it to the IIMs because they could not handle the pressure. So unwind, go for movies, do things that help you relax, go for walks, listen to soothing music, meditate…. People who stick it out, hang in there and continue to peg away will make it.

How much time should I spend on CAT preparation?

This is the most common question asked by many cat takers esp. those who have just started their preparation and it is the most difficult question to give an answer. One can be give the guidance only if all the details of that person are known. To find a standard answer to this question one must consider few parameters. Go through the following few lines carefully if are unsure about how much time you should spend on your preparation, it might help you.

Before preparing for CAT you must know your competency level in all the three departments that IIMs assess through CAT. There are very few persons who have the same level of competency in Maths, DI/DS and English. Out of the three, there must be one or two section which you like most and you can easily score high in CAT. My advice to all who are about to start their CAT preparation -The first thing you need to do is to arrange last year paper and attempt it as if you are appearing the real CAT.

While taking the test, be sure you are true to your self. Take the test for 15 minutes less than the allocated time (2 hours or 2.30 hrs). As it’s your first test you should give equal time to all the sections, during the test if you feel you have done enough to get a good score in that section continue with that section till the allocated time.(you are giving this test to judge your competency level). After you have done with your test check the answers .Match your results with last year cutoffs section wise.

If you have cleared the cutoffs then its great if not then check by how much marks you missed it. If you missed it by 2-4 marks then with a little bit of preparation you can cross the cut off level. 2 months of preparation with weekly 25-35 hours for the basics, then another 2 months on FLTs and revisions of basics should be sufficient. You should always fix last 2 & 1/2 months for Mocks.

If your score is in between than 60% - 80% of the cutoff, then you need to do a lot of hard work. It’s not that easy to increase the score in a very sort time span. You need to make a long term plan. I would suggest 4 months to basics. First check out in which area you find yourself comfortable. (for ex in Number System, Geometry, arithmetic, algebra ,etc ) Select only one section and give a full month or so to it. Start it from the basic and do all the problems in that section. Give few sectional tests without any time constrain and try to achieve 100%. With number of questions reducing & level of difficulty increasing, the importance given to accuracy should increase. When you find most of the questions are familiar to you go to another section.

If you have scored less than 60%, I ‘ll suggest please forget about IIM and target 2nd tier institutes. Less than 60% means you were not serious in your school and no way one can go to that level to learn the basics. You follow the methods that I have described earlier for 60% - 80% category. But if you feel you have all the basics but you couldn’t score well because of not remembering the formulas or for few silly mistakes then you can hope for IIMs too. In summery If you cleared the cutoff or missed it by 10%-20% then - 2/3 months of preparations + times for mocks should be your total time If you score 60% -80 % of the cutoff marks then - 5/6 months of preparation (with weekly 25-35 hours) + times for mocks should be your total time If you score less than 60% , start preparing now. Give how much time you can spend for your preparation.

Skipping tough questions is the key to success

CAT Preperation Tips

… Do not get unduly concerned if you seem to skipping questions. In the first go attempt only those questions that are really really easy (that will take around a minute or less to answer). Though this is generally true across all three sections, it gains greater importance in the quant section. As you go through each question if you encounter a question that you do not know or happens to be difficult, put an X mark next to it, skip it and forget it. If you find a question that you know, but will take 2 or more minutes, put an A next to it, skip it and proceed. Attempt in the 1st round only those that will take about a minute. After exhausting all these easy questions, if you still have time come back for the questions that you have marked an A. This way, your selection of questions follows the rule of attempting the easiest ones first and then the tougher ones. Putting X and A marks next to the question eliminates the necessity to re select questions when you revisit the section.

On an average, students who crack CAT need to get about 50% or lesser of the number of questions in the quant and DI section as their net score. That essentially translates to skipping every other question, provided you can maintain very high levels of accuracy. So, go ahead and skip questions that are difficult. It will be more detrimental to get stuck in a question and spending a lot of time on it than skipping a question that is easy by mistake.

2 feet above the paper view of each question

CAT Preperation Tips
Look at each question from a relatively macro perspective. As you read the question, see if the answer choices give you any clue. More often than not, it will not give much of a clue at this stage. It will just let you get an idea as to whether the answer choices are really close or are they spaced apart. For instance, if you find answer choices for a DI question as 34.3, 34.38, 34.42 and 34.55 skip the question. What is the point in wasting time computing to two decimal points accuracy. Anyway, after you become an MBA you will have the best of calculators and Pentium HT machines at your disposal. What the IIMs are probably testing with such questions is to find out if you are smart enough to skip the question.

You have skipped questions where answer choices really close. What next? Proceed to solve the question. In many instances, even though at the first step answers may not give you much of an idea, as you proceed with the second or third step of solving the problem the answer choices will start making lot more sense. Make it a habit to take a quick glance at the answer choices after each step. It is tantamount to taking a glance at the rear view mirror when you drive a car (that is provided you use the rear view mirror for the intended purpose!!). This time around, it will give you more clues that could help you eliminate answer choices that are not plausible. If your elimination leaves you with only one choice, go ahead and tick it and proceed to the next question. Do Not compute till the last step. It might help get a sense of satisfaction to get the answer after solving all the steps. But then, getting peace of mind in one question will surely cost you missing out on three more.

There will be adequate number of questions in quant section where you should be substituting the answer choices and solving them instead of solving up the logical way. This way you will cut down the time you take for that question by over 50%. Saving time on 10 such questions could mean you will be able to attempt 3 or 4 more questions. Well that is essentially the difference between getting four or more GDPI calls from the IIMs and getting no calls.

Striking a right balance - Accuracy vs Speed in CAT

CAT Preperation Tips
The usual dilemma that one faces while preparing for CAT takes the form of a trade off between accuracy and speed. Honestly, one need not trade off one for the other. In fact, to use a combinatorial term, these two are not mutually exclusive events. However, I will not definitely conclude these two events to be independent ones.

Accuracy is important. But you are not launching a space ship. Essentially this means that you should not hesitate to approximate whenever needed and proceed. For instance, if you realize that you have to find the amount of time taken by two pipes A and B to fill a tank. If these two pipes individually take 20 and 30 minutes respectively, do not spend time trying to solve the problem as 1/20 + 1/30 and then find the LCM and then the answer. If a pipe takes 20 minutes to fill a tank, it fills 5% in a minute. Similarly, another pipe takes 30 minutes to fill a tank, it fills 3.33% in a minute. So, together they fill over 8% a minute. This means they will take about 12 minutes to fill the tank. This kind of approximation and switching between % and fractions will help you gain time.
Similarly, one important thing that you need to keep in mind is that as you proceed with each step of solving a question, take a quick glance at the answer choices. This way, in may instances, you will find that you do not have to go to the last step and find the answer. Even if it is only one or two steps saved for each problem, that will give you enough time to crack another 3 or 4 more problems in CAT. That is a huuuuge difference when it comes to getting calls from the IIMs.

GD Preparation for MBA

GD Preparation for MBA

GROUP discussions are used by the B-schools as a selection tool because they provide a lot of useful information about the candidate’s personality in a very short time. GDs are used to assess certain group skills that cannot be evaluated in an interview situation. These skills include leadership skills, social skills, listening and articulation skills, situation handing ability and interpersonal ability. A typical GD involves 8 to 12 participants sitting in a circle or semicircle discussing a topic for a stipulated time, usually for 15 to 20 minutes. Most GDs follow one of the three formats: Structured, Unstructured, or Specialized.

1. Regular Structured GDs:
Here the time limits and topic is defined. No consensus expected at the end. No leader is to be selected for facilitating the process. These are easier to handle. Topics chosen are usually general and do not require technical knowledge.

2. Unstructured GDs:
Choosing a leader is mandatory and the group has to reach a consensus at the end of the GD. The leader has to direct the group, set the tone for discussion and control the dynamics of the group. Things are sometimes made more complicated by asking the group to propose a topic, discuss it and reach a consensus.

3. Specialised GDs:
These include role-plays or scripted GDs where the candidates are given a certain brief about a role that they need to play. For example, a business situation where to companies are negotiating a deal may be used. Candidates would be given the profile of the two CEOs, marketing managers, HR managers, advisors, and a neutral entity like a consultant. Alternatively, candidates could be given the role of the five Pandavas and the main Kauravas negotiating the distribution of their kingdom in 20th century setting.

Content Vs Process

It is crucial to understand the difference. Content refers to things like your level of preparation, the ability to organize your thoughts in a logical way, understand the topic in its totality and the ability to innovate. Process includes manner of expression, communication skills, body language and the attitude of the person.

Most candidates are preoccupied with process. Consequently, all too vital questions like ‘what should I say? ’,’ do I have enough reasoning to sustain my line of argument? ’,’can I think of examples to substantiate my logic? ’, take a back seat. A preoccupation with process alone is fraught with disastrous results. Both content and process are equally important for an effective contribution to a GD.

Take A One Minute Pause:
This is the only way to ensure that you perform above a threshold level of quality. Take your mind off the context for one minute. Utilise this one minute to focus on WHAT you are going to say and to organize your thoughts. All this must be done much before you are swept away in the maelstrom which will follow.

Critical Success Factors In A GD

• Innovativeness: Ability to have an entirely different perspective.
• Quality Of Content: It shows the level of preparedness.
• Logical Ability: Ability to reason, think and debate the pros and cons.
• Behavioural Skills: Aggressiveness is negative while assertiveness is positive. Assertiveness is standing on your own feet, while aggression is trampling on others’ feet.
• Communication: This includes articulation, listening and body language. Clarity of thought leads to articulate language and frequent and consistent participation. Fundamental knowledge of language is all one needs.
• Leadership: Leadership involves all the above skills. More importantly, the fundamental strength that you need to portray to be effective is MOBILITY. It is mobility that lets you demonstrate leadership skill as the context demands.

Roles People Play

Broadly speaking, participants play the following familiar roles in a GD.

1. Mr. Brain/Plant

He brings in a lot of substance and comes up with wide interpretations of the topic.

Downside: It is difficult to stop him, as he is preoccupied with topic discussion as opposed to group discussion. He is happily obvious to simple things like who is sitting next to him. At the end of the GD if you happen to ask him whether the person sitting next to him was a boy or a girl, the answer would likely be ‘I do not know’.

2. Shopkeeper:

He is the sales man who can sell anything, has the gift of the gab, a very strong ability to relate to people and be at the centre of things.

Downside: He does not usually come up with original thoughts himself. Needs Mr. Brains to feed him with readymade ideas that he can sell.

3. Watchman

His role is to maintain order in the group, usually content is low.

Pre-occupied with directing the group process such as controlling entry and exit of participants.

He is crucial for meeting time commitments made to the panel. Especially, in ensuring consensus.

4. Critic

He criticises everybody’s points without contributing anything new.

5. The Butcher

Does great service to the group by enhancing the quality of content by not letting participants get away with just about anything.

Is most welcome in a group which has one or two aggressive elements in it.

6. The Spectator or The Passenger

Is involved in the proceedings but plays a limited role.

Contribution is very limited and does not affect the out come of the group task.

So What Role Should You Specialise In?

Each role has several benefits. However, strong attachment to any single role throughout the GD could limit your chances of success.

What is more important is that you demonstrate leadership at every moment. You must be able to move across these roles as the situation demands. Anyone seen to be Performing more than three of these roles will definitely make a strong impact on the on the panel. Mobility is the keyword in becoming effective in GDs.

The key to success in GDs is to be able to effortlessly move from one role to the other depending on what the situation demands.

Holding Centre-stage In A GD

There are certain tricks that help you retain centre-stage for longer durations on time and which provide you with many chances to speak. However, these should be used with caution, and at appropriate moments, like the legendary Brahmastra in the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Give data, examples, anecdotes, survey figures, compelling short stories. This gives people the impression that you know a lot, also, participants do not brand you a bore or Mr. Brains. In this way you avoid facing interjections or arguments. However, be sure of the validity/relevance of your data or story. Always remember the age-old formula for success: KISS-Keep It Short, Stupid.

PEST Analysis: Pest basically stands for aspects of the topic which pertain to

• Political
• Economic
• Social
• Technological

For example, you can start with a basic blasting of the politicians in the context of the topic and you will have the whole group swearing by you.

Use hand motions. When you start speaking, use your hands to count the points on your fingers. Everyone will get impression that you have several well-structured points in your head and they will not mess around with you.

Cardinal Sins In A GD/Interview

• Do not use slang like Yaar, Univ, Princi, etc.
• Do not pepper your language with an accent.
• Do not use verbal tics such as Hmm, like, But, etc.
• Do not use verbal stresses unless a method actor like Al Pacino or Naseeruddin Shah trains you for it.
• Never bluff as the panel will easily figure out that you are an accomplished liar.
• Never interrupt or finish a sentence for an interviewer.
• Never show up late.
• Never get defensive or try to rationalise.
• No negative words about anyone.
• Never give an answer that does not answer the question asked.
• Never allow yourself to lose focus after a string of unanswered questions.

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) - COMMON ADMISSION TEST (CAT - 2008) Date of Issue: Sunday, July 13, 2008

COMMON ADMISSION TEST (CAT - 2008): 16th November, 2008 (Sunday) from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm

Last date for receipt of completed CAT Applications by the IIMS: 5th September, 2008 (Friiday)

This advertisement along with the Common Admission Test (CAT) Bulletin details the eligibility, the admission process, and other terms and conditions related to admission to the Post-graduate and Fellow programmes of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), for which CAT is an important pre-requisite. Candidates applying for admission to Post-graduate and Fellow programmes of IIMs and writing CAT are advised to keep the advertisement for future reference.

■ PROGRAMMES

• Post Graduate Programmes in Management (PGP)

IIM Ahmedabad: PGP, PGP-ABM
IIM Bangalore: PGP and PGSEM and PGPPM
IIM Calcutta: PGP-PGDM and PGP-PGDCM
IIM Indore: PGP and Ex-PGP
IIM Kozhikode: PGP
IIM Lucknow: PGP and PGP-ABM
RGIIM Shillong: PGP

• Fellow Programme in Management (FPM) [equivalent to Ph.D.]
IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow

Note: Separate advertisements will appear for the Fellow Programme of each institute as well as the PGP-ABM of IIM Ahmedabad, PGSEM and PGPPM programme of IIM Bangalore, PGDCM programme of IIM Calcutta, and the Ex-PGP of IIM Indore. See the CAT Bulletin for further information.

CAT Eligibility

The candidate must hold a Bachelor`s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST) or Persons with Disability (PWD) category], of any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.

The Bachelor`s Degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent. The percentage obtained by the candidate in the bachelor`s degree would be based on the practice followed by the university/institution from where the candidate has obtained the degree.

In case of the candidates being awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, the equivalence would be based on the equivalence certified by the university/ institution from where they have obtained bachelor`s degree. In case the university/institution does not have any scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by the IIMs by dividing obtained CGPA with the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the resultant with 100.

Candidates in the final year of bachelor`s degree/equivalent qualification and those who have completed degree requirement and are awaiting results can also apply. Such candidates must produce a certificate from the Principal/ Head of the Department/ Registrar/ Director of the university/institution certifying that the candidate is currently in the final year / is awaiting final results and has obtained at least 50% marks or equivalent (45% in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD category) based on latest available grades/marks.

• Eligibility for Post Graduate Programmes in Management of IIMs:

The candidate should meet CAT-2008 eligibility as detailed above. A candidate who is in the final year of bachelor`s degree/equivalent qualification, if selected, will be allowed to join the programme provisionally only if he/she submits a certificate latest by June 30, 2009 from the Principal/Registrar of his/her college/ institute (issued on or before June 30, 2009) stating that the candidate has completed all the requirements (the results may, however, be awaited) for obtaining the bachelor`s degree/ equivalent qualification on the date of issue of the certificate.

The admission will be confirmed only when the candidate submits the mark sheet and a certificate of having passed the bachelor`s degree / equivalent qualification referred to in the certificate issued by the Principal/Registrar with at least 50% marks (45% in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD category).

The deadline for submission of the mark sheet and the certificate is December 31, 2009. Non-fulfillment of this condition will automatically result in the cancellation of the provisional admission. IIMs would not allow any candidate to join their programme in case the candidate is unable to complete all the requirements for a bachelor degree on or before June 30, 2009. The IIMs would also not offer admission to any candidate after June 30, 2009.

• Special eligibility requirements:

IIM Ahmedabad: PGP in Agri-Business Management (PGP-ABM)

(1)The candidate must hold a Bachelor`s or Master`s Degree in Agriculture Sciences or in Agriculture-related disciplines, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in Bachelor`s Degree [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) or Persons with Disability (PWD) category], of any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The Bachelor`s Degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent.

OR

(2) The candidate must hold at least a Bachelor`s degree or equivalent qualification in any non-Agriculture discipline, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) or Persons with Disability (PWD) category] from a University or Institution as defined in the above paragraph and should have an interest in Agriculture, Agro/Food Processing, Rural and Allied sectors.

The Bachelor`s Degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent.

Rules for conversion of CGPA, for computation of percentage scored, for the candidates appearing in the final year of qualifying examination, and for candidates who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results, would be same as mentioned above in the eligibility criterion for admission to PGP for all IIMs. Please note that though the registration date for the PGP-ABM is June 1, 2009, students who are in the final year of their bachelor`s/ Master`s degree education and may have to go back to complete their examination formalities during June 2009 will be granted special leave for this purpose. The provisional admission of students who DO NOT complete ALL their examination formalities on or before June 30, 2008 will be CANCELLED. Under no circumstances will an extension of this date of June 30, 2009 be granted.

You are required to produce the mark sheet and a certificate on or before December 31, 2009 of having passed the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of issue of the Institute. The admission will be confirmed only when you submit the mark sheet and a certificate of having passed the bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification as mentioned in the certificate issued by the Principal/Registrar with at least 50% marks (45% in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD category). Under no circumstances the deadline of December 31, 2009 will be extended.

IIM Bangalore: PGP in Software Enterprise Management (PGSEM)

Participants are admitted to the program based on a combination of requirements. First, the candidate must hold a Bachelor`s Degree of any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.

The Bachelor`s Degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent. Second, applicants need to have (or are expected to have) a minimum of two years experience in the Software Industry as on June 10, 2009.

Applicants having 4 to 5 years or more of work experience are likely to gain most from this program.

CAT applicants applying for PGSEM are required to submit a separate application for PGSEM available from December 01, 2008. The application may be submitted online, or can be downloaded from our website (http://pgsem.iimb.emet.in).

Application forms will also be issued free of cost on request. Completed applications along with a Demand Draft worth Rs. 500/- if using CAT/GMAT ; Rs.1300/- if using PGSEM test payable to the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, must reach the PGSEM Office, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560 076 by January 31, 2009.

Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM)

Apart from eligible Government Officials, PGPPM is also open to Civil society functionaries, mid career executives belonging to PSUs and Corporate Undertakings and other individuals with minimum 7 years of professional experience. CAT applicants seeking admission to PGPPM are required to submit a separate application which can be downloaded from our website (www.iimb.ernet.in) from 1 September 2008 onwards.

Completed application forms along with a demand draft worth Rs.500/- payable to the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, must reach the PGPPM office, IIMB, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560 076 by December 31, 2008. PGPPM admissions will be separately notified in national dailies, journals and magazines during end August 2008.

IIM Calcutta: Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Aided Management (PGDCM)

Candidates can apply to both the Post Graduate Programmes, i.e. PGDM and PGDCM, by darkening the circles against PGP-PGDM and PGP-PGDCM along with other options. Please note that no further application fee is to be paid. Further, no separate application or test for admission will be required for the PGDCM Programme from this year.

The eligibility criterion for the PGDCM candidates will be the same as detailed under "Eligibility for Post Graduate Programmes in Management of IIMs". For further details, kindly refer to the CAT Bulletin.

IIM Indore: Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (Ex-PGP)

The candidate must hold a Bachelor`s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST) or Persons with Disability (PWD) category], of any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The Bachelor`s Degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent. The candidate should also have a minimum of 5 years of managerial/ entrepreneurial/ professional experience as on May 31, 2009. Work experience obtained only after graduation will be considered. Organizational sponsorship is welcome.

A separate Ex-PGP Application form also needs to be submitted for applying to Ex-PGP For obtaining the Application Form and Brochure, write to Ex-PGP Office, Indian institute of Management Indore, Prabandh Shikhar, Rau-Pithampur Road, Indore - 453331, with a crossed demand draft for Rs.1000/- (Rupees One Thousand only) drawn in favour of IIM Indore, payable at Indore along with a self addressed A4 sized envelope. Application Form can also be downloaded from the website www.iimidr.ac.in . The Ex-PGP Application Form(s) will be available from August 01, 2008 to October 25, 2008. The last date for receiving the completed Application Form is November 12, 2008. For further details, kindly refer to CAT Bulletin.

IIM Lucknow: PGP in Agri-Business Management (PGP-ABM)

Candidates should have any of the following qualifications:

(a) A Bachelor`s degree in Agriculture Science / Agricultural Engineering or allied subjects with at least 50% marks (45% in case of SC/ST/PWD category) or equivalent CGPA from any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the Central or State legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The Bachelor`s Degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing Higher Secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent.

OR

(b) The candidate must hold a Bachelor`s degree with at least 50% marks (45% in case of SC/ST/PWD category) or equivalent CGPA of any of the Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State legislature in India or other education institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized` by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The Bachelor`s degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing Higher Secondary schooling or equivalent with at least two years experience or strong interest in the field of Agriculture or allied sector.

Such candidates (eligible under criteria-b given above) must submit a special form available with the Admission Office, IIM, Lucknow. This form can also be downloaded from the IIML website http.//www.iiml.ac.in. This form should be directly submitted to the Admission Office, Indian Institute of Management, Prabandh Nagar, Off Sitapur Road, Lucknow-226013 by September 19, 2008.

Candidates in their final year Bachelor`s degree programme can also apply. However, if selected, they will be allowed to join the programme only if they complete their examinations, practical, viva voce, and all other requirements for obtaining the degree before 30 June 2009 and produce a certificate to this effect from Principal/Registrar of the college/Institute at the time of registration. There will be no relaxation on the deadline under any circumstances.

■ CAT SCORE CARD:

The CAT score-card will be mailed to the candidates after January 14, 2009. The CAT score will remain valid for admission to PGPs of IIMs only for the year 2009-10, unless specified otherwise. For further details, kindly refer to CAT Bulletin.

■ SCHOLARSHIPS/FINANCIALASSISTANCE:

It is the endeavour of all IIMs that no student be denied opportunity to pursue the Post-Graduate Programme in Management for want of adequate financial resources. Substantial need-based scholarships are available for students belonging to economically disadvantaged families. (Please see the write-up on each IIM in the CAT Bulletin for details.)

RESERVATIONS

As per the Government of India requirements, 15% of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 7 & 1/2% for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. In addition, 27% of seats are reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates belonging to the "Non-Creamy" layer. However, the implementation of this 27% reservation for such OBC candidates will be undertaken by each IIM in a phased manner.

3% seats are reserved for Persons with Disability (PWD). The three categories of disability are: a) low-vision/blindness, b) hearing impairment, and c) locomotor disability/cerebral palsy.

Candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD categories are required to enclose a photocopy of their caste/category certificate at the time of submission of CAT application form. Candidates belonging to "Non-Creamy" OBC category are required to enclose a photocopy of the certificate to this effect as per the suggested format available in CAT Bulletin.

The candidates belonging to categories for which seats are reserved need to note and read carefully the eligibility requirements before applying. It should be noted that while it is the endeavour of IIMs that the candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD/Non-Creamy OBC categories join the Programme in proportions mandated by the law, they have to meet the minimum eligibility criteria and a certain minimum level of performance in the admission process. The candidates should read carefully the description of admission process followed by each IIM in CAT Bulletin.

■ TEST CENTRES:

Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Noida, Patna, Pune and Varanasi

Note: IIMs reserve the right to change or cancel any test centre at their discretion.

■ SALE OF CAT APPLICATION FORM AND BULLETIN BY BANKS

The CAT Application Form and Bulletin can be obtained from branches of Axis Bank, between July 14 and August 8, 2008 for Rs. 1300/- (Rs. 650/- for SC/ST candidates). Please note that a candidate needs to buy only one CAT Application Form irrespective of how many IIMs he/she is applying to. Candidates must enclose the 3rd Copy of Bank`s Pay-in Slip along with the CAT Application Form. Note that the name appearing in the pay in slip is that of the CANDIDATE only.

SC/ST candidates should submit a copy of SC/ST Certificate to the Bank at the time of obtaining the CAT Application Form. Candidates should ensure they meet the eligibility criteria of the Programme in which they are interested, before procuring the CAT Application Form.

CAT Application Forms of ineligible candidates and application forms with incomplete information will be summarily rejected. CAT Application Forms, once sold, will not be taken back and no claims of refund of CAT Application Fee will be entertained.

■ SALE OF CAT APPLICATION FORM AND BULLETIN BY IIMs

Under exceptional circumstances [such as (a) the stock of bulletins get exhausted in the nearby branch of the bank, (b) the bank branch is inaccessible to the candidate, and/or (c) the bulletin sale through banks has closed], CAT Application Form and Bulletin can also be obtained directly from any one of the IIMs till August 13, 2008 by sending a crossed demand draft for Rs. 1300/- (Rs. 650/- for SC/ST candidates with a copy of the SC/ST certificate) drawn in favour of the respective IIM. Request for the bulletin should be accompanied by a cloth-lined self-addressed unstamped envelope of size 12" x 10".

The completed application form for CAT 2008 with supporting documents should be sent so as to reach the concerned IIM on or before September 5, 2008.

IIMs will not be held responsible for non-delivery or postal delays in case of CAT Application Forms and Bulletins sent by the speed/ registered post/ courier and/or non-delivery or postal delays in receipt of completed CAT 2008 application forms.

Important Dates

Issue of Cat Bulletins by AXIS Bank Starts: 14th July, 2008 (Monday)

Issue of Cat Bulletins by AXIS Bank Ends: 8th August, 2008 (Friday)

Issue of Cat Bulletins by IIMS Ends: 13th August, 2008 (Wednesday)

Last date for receipt of completed CAT Applications by the IIMS: 5th September, 2008 (Friiday)

COMMON ADMISSION TEST (CAT - 2008): 16th November, 2008 (Sunday) from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm

Postal Address:

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad-380015: admission@iimahd.ernet.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Bannerghatta Road. Bangalore -660076 : pgpadm@iimb.ernet.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. D.H. Road. Joka, Kolkata-700 104: pgpadmissions@iimcal.ac.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management Indore, Pigdamber, Rau, lndore-453331: pgpadmission@iimidr.ac.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, IIM Kozhikode Campus P.O.. Kozhikode-673570: admissions@iimk.ac.in

Admission Office, Indian Institute of Management, Prabandh Nagar, Off Sitapur Road, Lucknow-226013: admission@iiml.ac.in

Administrative Office, Ragiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management Shillong, NEHU Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymmai, Shillong – 793 014 ; E-mail: admissions@rgiim.ac.in

Interactive Voice Response System Numbers

Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad: 079-26307258
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore: 080-26484650
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta: 033-24380266
Indian Institute of Management Indore: 0731-4058371
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode: 0495-2803005
Indian Institute of Management: 0522-2736666
RGIIM Shillong: 0364 – 2230041

Websites

CAT WEBSITE: www.catiim.in
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad: www.iimahd.ernet.in
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore: www.iimb.ernet.in
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta: www.iimcal.ac.in
Indian Institute of Management Indore: www.iimidr.ac.in
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode: www.iimk.ac.in
Indian Institute of Management Lucknow: www.iiml.ac.in
Indian Institute of Management Shillong: www.rgiim.ac.in

Instructions for Candidates

1. CAT Application Forms are sold or sent (along with Bulletins) only to the candidates, who are interested in appearing for CAT 2008 and are applying to one of the programmes of IIMs. The CAT Application Form sold or sent to one person cannot be used by someone else for applying to IIMs. CAT Application Forms and Bulletins, once sold, would not be bought back by the banks or by the IIMs. The CAT Bulletin can also be perused or downloaded from the CAT website (www.catiim.in).

2. CAT Bulletin has considerable information on how to fill up the form. Please read the bulletin carefully before filling-in the form. The candidates should ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria of the programme(s), which they have applied for, that the form is complete in all respects and that they have read the checklist in the CAT Bulletin before forwarding the application to the concerned IIM.

3. If a candidate is eligible based on his/her performance in a professional examination (e.g. CA, ICWA), which is considered equivalent to graduation, he/she should indicate in the CAT Application Form marks obtained in that examination as marks obtained in graduation.

4. The candidate may note that his/her application would be summarily rejected if the application is incomplete in any respect, specifically if documents supporting qualifications and caste are not provided, any mandatory field is left blank, the form is not signed, photograph is not attached or the candidate fails to meet the eligibility criteria. No corrections will be permitted after submission of the application form. However, in case a candidate identifies any mistake in the submitted form, he/she may buy and submit a fresh form duly filled-in by September 5, 2008.

5. A candidate can check the information related to the admission process from CAT website (www.catiim.in) at different stages - (a) whether the application form has been received, (b) Allotted test registration number and the CAT "venue where a candidate will appear for CAT 2008. A candidate can also check the CAT website (www.catiim.in) for information related to (c) whether the application form has been accepted/rejected (d) CAT 2008 scores, (e) whether the candidate has been short listed for Group Discussions and Personal Interview of different IIMs, and (f) whether the candidate has been offered admission by different IIMs CAT-takers can also access their CAT-2008 scores by using SMS facility of mobile phones. For SMS, candidate can type `CAT test registration number date of birth (ddmmyy)` or `CAT test registration number application number" for example: "CAT 5370082 030482" or "CAT 5370082 123456" and SMS to "57333". IIMs have also made arrangements to deliver results by e-mail. Candidates who wish to get their results by e-mail should register themselves between October 17. 2008 and November 30, 2008 by sending an SMS to 57333 as follows: `CAT test registration number date of birth (ddmmyy) email id` Please note that only one e-mail id will be registered against a test registration number.

6. While CAT Bulletin and the CAT website would provide most of the information, a candidate may still have queries about filling the application form. In case a candidate needs further assistance, he/she can call up the concerned IIM. An interactive voice response system (IVRS) would help in resolving the queries. The telephone numbers given in this advertisement would allow the candidate to access this system. Please note that the IVRS provides answers to common queries related to admission process and IIMs are not responsible for any misunderstanding created by the IVRS in the mind of any candidate. IIMs, however, own up the responsibility for written responses to queries raised through e-mail/ letters/fax, for which addresses have been provided in this advertisement.

7. In case a candidate has any special query which cannot be addressed to by the IVRS or the CAT Bulletin, the candidate can write to the admission office of the concerned IIM quoting the application number before receipt of admit card and test registration number after receipt of admit card. The candidate must retain a photocopy of filled-in application form and the admit card as long as the candidate remains interested in the admission process of the IIMs.

8. In case the candidate chooses to write to any IIM, he/she may send an e-mail or may use any other mode of written communication. Please note that no IIM official will directly answer queries of the candidates over phone.

9. The candidates belonging to OBC/SC/ST/PWD categories are requested to indicate their status while filling-in their form and enclose supporting document as a proof that they belong to the specified caste/categories.

Please note that no change in category would be allowed after the last date of receipt of application form. In the absence of any supporting document or inappropriate supporting document, the candidates having paid full fees for CAT Bulletin would be treated as candidates belonging to general category. The applications from candidates who had only paid half the fee for CAT bulletin but who do not submit any supporting document or who submit inappropriate supporting document, would be rejected.

10. The admit cards of the eligible candidates, whose applications are complete would be sent starting from October 13, 2008. The candidates who do not receive the admit cards by October 31, 2008 should immediately write to the concerned IIM quoting their application number.

11. On the day of the test, candidates should reach the test venue by 9:45 AM. Please note that no candidate would be allowed to enter the venue after 10:00 AM. Please do not carry any valuable articles such as cell phones, calculators, pens etc., as only admit card, HB pencils and erasers are required for the test and all other articles would have to be left outside the test hall at candidate`s own risk.

12. The application form should be filled up by the candidate himself/herself. Any attempt to impersonate during the test or while filling up the form would not only lead to immediate and automatic disqualification from the admission process of IIMs but may also lead to prosecution. Please note that detection of such malpractice at any stage including after obtaining admission to any IIM would lead to immediate and automatic disqualification or expulsion.

13.The score card details of all the valid candidates, appearing in CAT 2008, will be available on the CAT website on 9th January, 2009. Subsequently, it would be dispatched to all the candidates. Adequate care is taken to ensure that there are no mistakes in reading the answer sheet by the machine. There is no provision for revaluation of the answer sheet of any candidate. The candidates should ensure that they have read section 3 of the CAT Bulletin carefully regarding the precautions to be taken while answering the questions.

Indian Institute of Management

IIM in Haryana to cost Rs.2.5 bn

Rohtak (Haryana): North India's first Indian Institute of Management (IIM) will be set up in Garnavadhi village of Haryana's Rohtak district at a cost of Rs.2.5 billion.

Deepinder Singh Hooda, Rohtak's MP and son of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said here Saturday that the campus of the Rohtak IIM will be larger than that of a university.

He said that youth from Haryana now need not go to other states to study management as the facility would now be available within the state.

He said the Haryana government had already put into place a policy to set up industrial estates in the Rohtak belt on the lines of Gurgaon and the proposed IIM and new industrial units will help youth get better jobs.

"I foresee that the future of this area will change after the IIM starts functioning here," Hooda said.

IIM Shillong set for July 4 debut

Shillong (Meghalaya): The seventh Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong will begin its first academic session on July 4, 2008.

The Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM) in Shillong will begin functioning with its first batch of students at the Mayurbhanj complex in Nongthymmai, which previously housed the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU).

A total of 60 students who appeared for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2007 have been selected for the institute's flagship programme - Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM).

The intake capacity will be increased to 120 in the third year and 180 in the sixth year.

A pioneer of the Indian IT industry, Mr. Arjun Malhotra, currently the chairman and CEO of Headstrong, San Jose (California), will be present during the commencement of the first academic session of the institute.

Apart from the flagship PGDBM, the institute will also offer a fellowship programme in management, management development programmes and tourism & hospitality management courses.

The new IIM in Shillong has been setup with an aim to provide a new impetus to quality management education in the North-Eastern region. The institute will also focus on subjects of local relevance such as horticulture, hydel power etc.

The Meghalaya government has provided 120 acres of land free of
cost in the new satellite township of Mawdiangdiang, 20 kms from Shillong, for RGIIM's permanent campus.

Interestingly, admission to RGIIM through CAT was not mentioned in the CAT-2007 bulletin.

The Government of India (GOI) setup the IIMs with an aim to train the brightest intellectual talent and produce world class managers.

The existing IIMs are located at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode and Indore.

The IIMs in Ahmedabad and Calcutta were setup in 1961, whereas the IIM in Bangalore was setup in 1972, Lucknow in 1984, Kozhikode in 1996 and Indore 1998.

The 11th Five Year Plan proposed the setting up of seven new IIMs by 2012 one each in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Meghalaya (RGIIM).

What is CAT?

CAT, like several others must have told you, is one of the most competitive exams. Also, it is the most unpredictable of all the tests. Formula work and rote learning don’t help to a greater extent when you are dealing with something like the CAT. This makes the test preparation interesting. CAT challenges your aptitude. And, there is no better motivation than a challenge.

If there is something typically CAT-like, it is only the ever-changing test structure. Consequently, you need to go beyond the mere understanding of concepts and be well versed with the application of concepts as well. CAT questions are like the real life scenarios where you are required to interlink two seemingly unrelated concepts and crack the problem.

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