Written tests check academic caliber

Among all entrance exams, CAT, XAT, MAT, ATMA entrance exams are the most popular exams which open the doors for entry into MBA institutes. There are some institute-specific entrance exams such as FMS for Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi; IIFT, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi and Kolkata, JMET for the MBA institutes of the IIMs, NMAT, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. There are state level entrance exams like Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MAH-CET), Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) etc.

What comes after clearing the entrance exam?

After clearing the CAT as well as other MBA institute entrance exams, the next step is GD & PI. Based on the candidate’s MBA entrance exam performance, the institute calls them for GD & PIs. A few MBA institutes short-list candidates after the group discussion stage and only the short-listed candidates are interviewed.

What do MBA institutes look for in a candidate?

Why is excelling in written exam so important? Dr. Anwar Ali, Director of IMT Ghaziabad, explains, “A good MBA course is so rigorous that if the candidate is not academically sound, he won’t be able to cope up with the pressure. We always look forward for somebody with a good academic record. Performance in written tests is a good indicator."

GD-PI assess a candidate’s personality

The purpose of GD is to measure the quality of a candidate on parameters like content and knowledge, rational thought process, communication skills, group behavior and leadership skills. “GDs are conducted to test managerial attributes like interpersonal skills, leadership, analytical and rational thinking, knowledge and personality traits. Communicating in a clear and fluent manner is a must,” says Jaya Desai of IMS Learning.

Work experience matters, but not essential

Apart from the MBA entrance exams and GD & PI performance, MBA institutes include work experience, academic record and extra-curricular activities in their selection criteria. Usually work experience is given weightage only if it is a full-time experience after graduation. In most cases, any work experience of less than six months is not considered during selection process. “We prefer students with at least one year of work experience,” says Dr. Sahay of MDI Gurgaon.

The complete package matters!

While selecting candidates, the selectors always look for special qualities which will justify the MBA institute as well as the courses offered by them. “They should be innovative and creative. We are looking for candidates who can out of the box ideas,” says Dr. Venugopal. Dr. Anwar Ali, Director of IMT Ghaziabad, says, “The candidate should have ‘fire-in-the-belly’ and zeal to achieve something big! We look out for achievers.”

“An aspirant should first qualify as a good citizen and then strive to become an MBA executive. And above all think about the society as a whole, besides your own career,” says Dr. Sahay and adds, “An aspirant must have passion for pursuing an MBA. They must have the quality to be become global managers.”