With a rise in the number of applicants appearing for management programmes, there are a plethora of entrance tests which are gateways to the best B-schools in India. Abhishek Vyas tells you which entrance test to opt for and how to prepare for that
This is the time of the year when students are confused about which entrance test to take and which B-schools to apply forIJ There are a lot of entrance tests which are gateways to the best B-schools in India. The most popular entrance test is the CAT (Common Admission Test) which is the first step towards getting into most coveted IIMs. Apart from the CAT, there is XAT (Xavier’s Aptitude Test), SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test), NMAT (Narsee Monjee Aptitude Test), IRMA (Institute of Rural Management - Anand), MAT etc. All these entrance tests have their own significance and require a different approach and strategy to get through.
XAT
It’s a paper based test consisting of three sections — decision-making, verbal and logical ability, quantitative ability and data interpretation (used for cut-offs). There are questions on general awareness and an essay. Essay and the general awareness questions are used towards the completion of process. There are usually around 80-85 questions to be answered in 140 minutes. Decision-making section will be the distinct element of XAT. This section provides student with a situational problem and asks for their responses, which test the students on their thought process and not on aptitude. There are negative marks for wrong answers. The difficulty level of the questions is high. Just like CAT, clearing the sectional cutoffs along with overall cut-off is important in XAT.
For tackling this test, a candidate needs to focus on the basics for each area. last year, over 80,000 candidates applied for this test. The B-schools under XAT are Xavier labor Relations Institute Jamshedpur; Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar; TAPMI Manipal; Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Bangalore etc.
SNAP
It is a paper based test conducted for admission into Symbiosis Group of Institutes. The test consists of four sections — verbal ability, quantitative ability, general knowledge and awareness and logical and analytical reasoning. It’s spread over 180 questions that needs to be attempted in two hours. Reasoning section would be the make or break section as it has the highest weightage in the test. There are negative marks and thus, like in other exams, a candidate has to attempt the questions cautiously. A candidate should approach this test with a different strategy because there are no sectional cutoffs. One should prepare well and maximise one’s score in general awareness section. The number of applicants for SNAP is over 50,000. The top B-schools through SNAP test are SIBM Pune, SCMHRD Pune, SIBM Bangalore etc.
IRMA
The Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) is a renowned institute for higher education in Rural Management and other allied disciplines. Candidates wanting to get into IRMA for 2016-18 are required to appear for CAT 2015 / XAT 2016 and thereafter for IRMA 2016 entrance test.
The scores of both the entrance tests are combined for selecting the eligible candidate for allotting admission. There are a total of 200 questions to be answered in 120 minutes spread across four sections — verbal ability and reading comprehension, quantitative ability and data interpretation, reasoning and issues on social concern. There are negative marks equal to 1/4th of the total marks for each question. This is a very specialised test for candidates who want to pursue their careers in Rural Management. The total number of applicants is around 15 thousand.
NMAT
It is an online computer based test like CAT. Now GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) has assumed ownership and management of the NMAT exam in India from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS). The test has been re-titled as ‘NMAT by GMAC.’ This exam is held over two months. Each candidate is eligible for two re-takes (total of three attempts) to better the score. The test paper consists of three sections covering 120 questions to be attempted in 120 minutes. There are no negative marks for wrong answers so one should attempt all questions. Candidates have the option of choosing order of sections. Each of the three sections have individual section timings and candidates are supposed to answer and review the questions of a particular section within the allotted section time. This paper tests the candidate on calculation and Interpreting speed. Schools accepting NMAT scores are NMIMS Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, Alliance Business Schools- Bangalore, ICFAI Business School etc.
MAT(December)
The Management Aptitude Test is a National entrance test conducted by All India Management Aptitude Testing Service. AIMA-MAT is conducted in February, May, September and December every year. It’s a paper-based as well as computer-based test. A candidate can take any one of the two formats. While the paper-based test is conducted only one day, the computer-based test is conducted over a window of approximately a week. Candidate are tested for language comprehension, maths skills, data analysis & sufficiency, reasoning, Indian and global environment. There are 200 questions to be answered in 150 minutes. Some B-Schools under MAT are Alliance School of Business, Christ Business School & ITM Navi Mumbai.
One simple work-for-all exams strategy will be to attempt the easier questions & avoid wasting time on the tougher ones during the test. This skill of identifying easier questions among difficult ones requires practice. Decide & choose the test you want to appear for and prepare for it accordingly.
(The writer is regional head, academics, T.I.M.E, Delhi)