The document provides insights into applying to business schools in India, emphasizing that admission criteria can vary widely across institutions. It debunks several common myths about business school admissions and highlights the importance of diverse profiles and preparation strategies for entrance exams. Major entrance exams discussed include CAT, XAT, and IIFT, along with tips on selecting suitable schools and preparing effectively.

1. Tips on applying & getting into the
right B-School
Sahil Sameer
IIM Indore ’20-’22 | IEEE Kerala YP
* Many of the institutes mentioned here might change the pattern of exam and selection. Please do not use this PPT as
an ultimate guide to your b-school applications

2. Parameters
Considered for Admission
(differs from B-school to B-School)
Personal Interview
Entrance
Examination
Group Discussion
/Group Process
Written Ability Test
10th, 12th,Graduation
Marks & Work Ex
Gender & Academic
Diversity

3. Myth-buster
Myth: You need to have great Academics in 10th, 12th and Graduation to get
into a top business School
Reality: The weightage for academics varies greatly from B-schools ranging
from nil to 70 percent. There will at least be one right B-school ( Top ranked
ones) matching your profile.

4. Myth-buster
Myth: Backlogs(supply) during UG will limit your chances of getting into a top
business school
Reality: Backlogs are not taken seriously by most B-schools, provided you
will be able to substantiate it during the interview. (Don’t worry, the coaching
institutes will train you to cover up for that during the Interview
preparations)

5. Myth-buster
Myth: You need to have a minimum work experience for getting into and
building a good career in management
Reality: While some of the B-schools offer 5 to 10 % weightage for workex
during selection, this can be taken care by performing well in other
parameters.
Many domains like Marketing prefers fresh minds and reduces your chances
with increasing workex(ideal 0 workex)
Workex adds your chances to get into certain domains like Product
management, IT and analytics etc. More that 2 years of workex is not
favourable for any domain during placements.

6. Myth-buster
Myth: Indian Institute of Managements(IIMs) are the only good B-Schools in
the country
Reality: There are a total of 20 IIMs in India, which greatly varies in brand,
quality, legacy, alumni and placements. Not all IIMs are at par with the old
IIMs. At the same time there are several private/other B-schools which are at
par with the old IIMs (XLRI, SPJain, FMS, ISB, SJSOMS IIT Bombay, NITIE, MDI,
TISS, NMIMS Mumbai, SIBM Pune etc)

7. Myth-buster
Myth: You need to speak like Shashi Tharoor to get into and stay relevant in
a B-school
Reality: B-school and subsequently companies are not looking for great
orators, but great managers. If you have good critical thinking skills, can
work in deadlines and under pressure, come up with innovations and interact
with a team, fluency in accent and fluency doesn’t matter much.
Interviewers look for your ideas.

8. Myth-buster
Myth: Getting into a B-school is all about preparing well for the entrance
exam
Reality: Many of the top B-schools have only minimal weightage for the
entrance exam for the selection. A good entrance score has to be backed by
a descent interview and other credentials as well.
Nobody is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting into a B-schools.
There are always B-schools which do not consider your weaknesses
as a criteria.

9. Myth-buster
Myth: MBA is only meant for the financially sound ones
Reality: Banks in India offer collateral and co borrower free education loan
for any good B-schools in the country. The fees of a B-school is fixed in
alignment with the return you can reap out of the institute. The fees can be
easily repaid within a few years on graduation.
Eg: IIM Ahmedabad – Fee appx 25 lakhs, Avg Package – appx 25 lakhs
IIM Jammu – Fee appx 12 lakhs, Avg package – appx 12 lakhs

10. Myth-buster
Myth: Your B.Tech is a waste if you are going to pursue an MBA
Reality: A majority of the companies visiting the B-schools are in the
technology domain. Technology is inevitable for any industry and a B.Tech
adds your chance get into firms working in technology and create a huge
impact. Eg: Product manager, CTO, IT analyst etc.

11. Myth-buster
Myth: B-school entrances are completely dominated by Engineers
Reality: It is true that a large proportion of B-school students and the top
percentilers of entrance exams are engineers. But B-schools do value
diversity and has separate weightage and lowered cutoffs for non-
engineers. Non engineers won't have to compete with fellow engineers.

12. Major Exams to Target
● Common Aptitude Test (CAT)
• Most popular B-school entrance Exam in India
• Conducted by the IIMs
• Usually in November of every year
• Scores are accepted by IIMs, IITs, MDI, SPJAIN, NITIE and most of the top
B-schools in the country
• 2 -2.5 lakh takers every year
• 3 sections – 1 hour each (changed due to COVID)
• Verbal, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability
• IIMs don’t have to be registered separately

13. Major Exams to Target
● Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT)
• Second most popular B-school entrance Exam in India
• Conducted by XLRI
• Usually in December of every year
• Scores are accepted by XLRI, SPJAIN, XUB, IMT and many other institutes
• Appx 1 lakh takers every year
• 3 hours examination
• Verbal, Decision making, Quantitative Ability
• XLRI don’t have to be registered separately

14. Major Exams to Target
● IIFT( for admission to IIFT)
• One of the top B-schools of the country focusing on International
Business
• 3 campuses – Delhi, Kolkata and Kakinada
• Have to separately register for the exam
• IIFT institute registration is also covered

15. Major Exams to Target
● NMIMS Management Aptitude Test (NMAT)
• NMIMS Mumbai is another top B-school of the country known for
marketing domains
• Many campuses of which the Mumbai campus is the best
• Have to separately register for the exam and the institute
• Can take up to 3 tries for the exam
• Have to register for the institute as well as the exam every time

16. Major Exams to Target
● TISSNET
• Tata Institute of Social Science
• Offers MA in HR program
• One of the best looking specifically for HR domain
• Have to separately register for the exam
• Relatively simple exam with higher cut off

17. Major Exams to Target
● Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP)
• Conducted by Symbiosis group of institutes
• Can take up to two try
• Has to separately register for each institute (SIBM and SCMRD Pune are
the most popular ones)
• Relatively simple with high cutoff

18. Major Exams to Target
● MICAT (For MICA)
• Conducted by MICA Ahmedabad
• Good for people into branding and creative marketing
• Can have up to 2 tries for the exam
• Relatively simple
• Has separate GK section

19. Major Exams to Target
● Common Management Aptitude Test (CMAT)
• Happens after most of the other mentioned entrances
• A good backup option
• Accepted by many good tire 2 B-schools of the country
• Relatively simple with high cut off

20. Tips while applying
• B-school applications are costly
• Should plan and strategize while applying
• Apply for a minimum of 2 B-school entrances ( I would suggest CAT and XAT
as it is accepted by most number of institute)
• Only apply for B-schools that you have a chance of making in. (If you have
poor marks in class 12, there is no point in applying for a B-school with 12th
marks having high consideration)
• Analyse yourself and make a list of B-schools you have chances to get into
• Always apply for a couple of B-schools as a backup option

21. Some of the Iconic Institutes
Indian Institute of Management
● Entrance Exam - CAT
● 20 IIMs
● 6 Old IIMs - Ahmedabad, Bangalore,
Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode
● New IIMs - Shillong, Udaipur, Ranchi, Trichy,
Raipur, Kashipur, Rohtak
● New Generation IIMs - Bodhgaya, Sirmaur,
Sambhalpur, Nagpur, Jammu,
Vishakpatnam, Amritsar

22. XLRI
● Entrance Exam - XAT
● Location - Jamshedpur, Delhi
● Programs - Human Resource
Management, Business
Management
SP Jain
● Entrance Exam - CAT/XAT
● Location - Mumbai
● Profile Based Call
MDI
● Management Development Institute
● Entrance Exam - CAT
● Location - Gurgaon
● Programs - PGPM, PGP HR, PGP IB
TISS
● Tata Institute of Social Science
● Location - Mumbai
● Entrance Exam - TISSNET
● Program - MA in HR
● High Return on Investment

23. FMS
● Faculty of Management Studies
● Entrance Exam - CAT
● Highest Return of Investment
● Location - Delhi
IIFT
● Entrance Exam - IIFT
● Location - Delhi, Kolkata, Kakinada
● Program - International Business
ISB
● The Indian School of Business
● Entrance Exam - GMAT
● Location - Hyderabad
NITIE
● Exclusive for Engineers
● Location - Mumbai
● Entrance Exam - TISSNET
● Program - PGDIE(Industrial
Engineering), PGDISEM(Safe. & Env.

24. SIBM
● Entrance Exam - SNAP
● Location - Pune
● Programs - MBA
SCMHRD
● Entrance Exam - SNAP
● Location - Pune
● Programs - HR, Operations,
Finance, Marketing
NMIMS
● Narsee Monjee IMS
● Entrance Exam - NMAT
● Location - Mumbai
SJSOMS
● IIT Bombay
● Location - Mumbai
● Entrance Exam - CAT

25. Other B-Schools To Target
● IIT Delhi
● IIT Kgp
● IMI Delhi
● IMT Ghaziabad
● XIMB
● TA Pai
● KJ Somaiya
● GIM
● Great Lakes
● DSE
● DFS

26. B-Schools offering Niche Programmes
● IIMC, IIT Kgp, ISI Kolkata - Post Graduate Diploma in Business Analytics
● IIM A, L, MANAGE - Agri Business Management
● IRMA - Rural Management
● Symbiosis - Mass Media, Telecom Management, Sports Management,
Construction Management
● MICA - Brand Management

27. MBA: Major Specialisations and Domains in India
● General Management
● Sales and Marketing
● Consulting
● Product Management
● Operations and Supply Chain Management
● Information Technology
● Banking and Finance
● Human Resource Management
● Agri Business Management
● Rural Management
And the list continues...

28. Explore!
The engineering student
in me Explored, the
businessman in me.
01 Failure
Failure never stops you.
It drives you.
02
Gateway
Prep, blues, chaos &
motivation.
03 Success
Proudly, Sahil Sameer
MBA 2020-22 | IIM Indore
04

29. —David Arnold, Kids of Appetite
“We are all part of the same
story, each of us different
chapters. We may not have
the power to choose setting
or plot, but we can choose
what kind of character we
want to be..”

30. Explore!!
Model Engineering College, Thrikkakkara
B.Tech -Electrical, Electronics and Communications
Engineering
2015 – 2019
01

31. Engineering was not my cup of Tea
Manager
IEEE, Training Cell MEC,
DEBATE Club,
MUNSOC, Excel
Critical
Thinker
keralarescue.in
Orator
Crowd was pulled.
Not a magnet! But
power of words..

32. keralarescue.in
An initiative by Govt. of Kerala,
Kerala State IT Mission and IEEE
Kerala Section.

33. Trigger Yourself!
Passion
Do what you love!
Grab the right
things
Engineering is a
single but huge door
of opportunities.
Grab the right one
Realise
It’s ok to choose the
wrong career BUT
realise the “you” asap.
Dilemma
It’s not unusual and a
cause of wrong
decision

34. Failure
02
Something unexpected!!!!

35. Washout!!!
6th sem of my B.Tech Life!
RECOVERY is more important!!
F

36. Gateway!
An accidental session by Eldho sir of IMS held at MEC
03

37. Preparation Strategy
5 months
preparation
Focused Smart
preparation, with the
help from Institution.
Mock Mock
Mock & Mock
Maximum number of
mock and equal time in
analyzing
My Strategy

38. Tips
When to take
the Exam
Can take the exam right
from the final year of your
UG.
Assistance
Get assistance, be it
online/offline
Target
Which exams to take,
Target institute, Set cutoffs,
It's not all
about the
Entrance testCracking the entrance test
is just tip of the iceberg

39. Tips
• Take online mocks as much as possible, work under the pressure of
time
• Don’t take Mock scores too much seriously – Coaching institutes
prepare you for the worst, the actual exam will be easier than the
mocks
• Don’t get demotivated by the mock percentile – The number of
takers will be higher for the actual exam, more the takers more the
lazy takers and higher will be your percentile
• Learn to Leave – One of the key takeaway from the preparations is
to learn to leave the right questions. B-school entrances expect less
than 50 percent of the questions to be solved.

40. Tips
• It is better to avail an online coaching as the diversity of the
coaching classrooms makes it difficult to adapt to the varying pace
• 5-6 months of preparation with complete dedication is good enough
• Smart work works more than hard work
• Preparing for an exam like CAT will help you with the other exams as
well
• Analyse the mock exams well, and work on your weakness
• Prepare your own time management strategy for the exam by
taking good number of mock exams.

41. Success
04
Actions speak louder than words

42. Thanks!
Do you have any questions?
p20sahils@iimidr.ac.in
+91 8714823928