The Common Entrance Test (CAT) is a computer-based test administered yearly by IIM (Indian Institute of Management) for admission to Management programmes. MBA (Master of Business Administration) and PGDM programs are available (Post Graduate Diploma in Management). The exam has three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). As a result, it is 3 hours long with one hour allotted for each portion. CAT 2023 will be held on November 26, 2023.
Following the exam, you may have several queries, such as what the CAT 2023 cut-off is. When will the CAT 2023 results be released? Will I get admission into IIMs? Will I be admitted if I do not perform well in Cat 2023? How can I determine my CAT 2023 percentile? etc.
What after CAT Result 2023?
After taking the CAT 2023 exam, one of the first things a candidate should do is analyze their performance and estimate their results as precisely as possible.
The CAT exam conducting body, or the IIMs, uses a highly complex system to determine each candidate's final CAT percentile scores. Exam administrators ensure that all candidates are treated equitably by employing approaches such as the CAT normalization process.
Following the CAT exam, here are a few tips to help you decide what your next move should be:
1. Examine your CAT 2023 result and look for institutes
Test takers will be able to view their CAT 2023 results online at iimcat.ac.in, the official website. Candidates must begin their college selection procedure after obtaining their scorecards and reviewing the information on them. They should concentrate on narrowing down the institutes to which they want to apply. Any percentage between 90 and 70 would also help them get into any Top MBA College in India that accepts CAT.
2. Apply for B-School Admission
Many B-schools begin the MBA admissions application process even before the CAT results are released. So, evaluate your performance in the CAT, check the cut off percentile of B-schools, build a list of colleges you wish to target for admission, research their application procedure, fees, and timetable, and apply.
There is nothing better than being accepted into one of the IIMs, but what if this does not happen? The next step would be to seek a top business school that is not IIM. When selecting a college, an applicant must consider a variety of factors such as ranking, alumni, placement record, faculty, return on investment, and atmosphere.
3. Choosing a Specialization
Candidates must choose their favorite institute while picking the institute. Most applicants identify their college first, then choose a speciality. While others choose institutions based on the speciality they intend to pursue. Both ways are valid. Candidates just need to be upfront about what they want.
4. Prepare for WAT-GD-PI (Gear up for next level of evaluatiomn)
The second stage of MBA admission is the WAT/GD-PI. When the CAT results are announced, the IIMs publish their cut off for shortlisting applicants for this round. The WAT/GD-PI cycle runs from February through May. This round is also held at other MBA colleges during the same months. As a result, after the CAT exam, you will have approximately two months to study for this stage. Candidates can improve their chances of passing the GD-PI by doing the following:
Attend a GD/PI workshop: No matter how talented you believe you are, you will never know what it is like to present in front of a large audience unless you attend a GD/PI session. Before attending a session, make sure there are a big number of participants; this will give you confidence in front of a large audience.
Concentrate on case-based and topic-based GDs: B-schools are progressively embracing case-based teaching style, and with that in mind, they are transitioning to case-based WAT and GDs. Some B-schools, on the other hand, use topic-based GDs to fully assess the candidate's general knowledge. The best strategy is to plan for both.
Seek advice from seniors/mentors: Your mentors and seniors have almost definitely confronted a GD-PI, and their advice can be beneficial. They may also supply you with some tips and methods that you will not discover in books or on the internet, so take advantage of this.
Prepare for a specialty (if you have 4+ years of work experience): Professionals with four years or more of experience may be questioned about the speciality they wish to pursue; being prepared for this in advance is critical.
Read in detail: How to Prepare for GD-PI/WAT for Admission to IIMs
5. Back-Up Plans
Taking additional examinations is probably the last thing on your mind right now. On the plus side, you're already prepared, and having a backup won't harm.
- GMAT: If you have any job experience, you may always apply to business schools overseas.
- GRE: If you are a newcomer, you will just need to create a fantastic college essay, which you can use for all of your applications with little changes.
- XAT: B-schools include XLRI, XIME, SPJAIN, and many others.
- MAT: This test is given four times a year, and the scores are accepted by over 500 business schools.
- TISSNET: It is run by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), which includes campuses in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Calicut, Guwahati, Tuljapur, G-SET Ranchi, and Chennai.
Following the CAT test, MBA candidates are advised to prepare for the following phase of selection at various institutes. For subsequent selection, IIMs use WAT and PI, but some institutes use GD and PI. As a result, candidates must properly prepare for the subsequent steps in order to get admitted to their selected institute.
Top 10 IIMs Accepting CAT Exam
The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are a collection of 20 public, independent institutions in India that offer management education and research. Among them, top 10 IIMs are given in the below table along with nirf ranking.
| College | NIRF Ranking |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 1 |
| IIM Bangalore | 2 |
| IIM Calcutta | 3 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 5 |
| IIM Indore | 7 |
| IIM Lucknow | 6 |
| IIM Raipur | 14 |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | 18 |
| IIM Udaipur | 22 |
| IIM Ranchi | 15 |