These days many graduates from different fields especially technical wish to switch to a career in management for the rewarding opportunities it provides. A master’s degree from any of the top-notch business schools in India or around the world serves as a perfect way, to begin with. For admissions into the reputed IIMs and other business schools in India, the most commonly taken exams are the Common Aptitude Test (CAT) and Management Aptitude Test (MAT). For admissions in business schools abroad, exams like Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are preferable. These tests majorly test your Aptitude skills and English.
Let’s go through the exams which are commonly taken by a lot of students to get into Management Programs:
1. Common Aptitude Test (CAT)
CAT is a common entrance test for getting into the best business schools in India. It is usually conducted by one of the IIMs (Indian Institute of Management) between November to December. CAT tests you on Verbal Ability and Reading, Data interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. The whole paper comprises 100 questions and each question carries 3 marks which makes a total of 300 marks. There may be different kinds of questions besides regular MCQs. For Non-MCQ questions, there are no negative markings for the wrong answer choice. However, there is a negative marking of -1 for every incorrect answer choice in MCQs. Once obtained, the CAT score is valid for a year. The recommended score for CAT is between 200-300. The official website for CAT changes depending on the IIM conducting the test.
2. Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT):
GMAT is taken all over the world by aspirants will to pursue their education in the top-notch business schools in the world. You can take or retake the test once every 16 days and a maximum of five times a year. The whole duration of the test is around 3 hours 7 minutes. It is a computer adaptive test which tests you on Analytical Writing, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative, and Verbal Section. You will be awarded points for each section and will be given an overall score between 200-800. The recommended score to get into the top-notch business school is between 700-800. One interesting aspect about the GMAT score is that it is valid for 5 years from the date you get the score. You can check the official website for more detailed information.
3. Graduate Record Examinations (GRE):
GRE is another test that many students prefer for admission into the best business schools in the world. It is preferred over GMAT for a variety of reasons. One of the major reasons being, it is accepted for all other master’s programs and not just for masters in business administration unlike GMAT, and also that it takes less time to prepare than GMAT. Let’s jump into the test pattern – the whole test tests you on Analytical Writing, Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Reasoning. There are 2 sections for Quantitative Aptitude and 2 for Verbal Reasoning and each section has 20 questions and of course, it is computer adaptive. Analytical Writing has 1 section which comprises 2 questions. Overall you will be given a score between 260-340 and there are no negative markings. The test score is valid for 5 years and can be taken up to 5 times a year. The recommended score for the test is between 300-340. You can check the official website for more details.
4. Management Aptitude Test (MAT)
Management Aptitude Test is a National-level test conducted by the All India Management Association (AIMA) for admission into one of the many business schools in India other than IIMs. This test is conducted up to 4 times a year and hence you can retake the exam up to 3 times a year to improve your score. The exam is conducted usually in February, May, September, and December in three modes which are Computer-Based, Internet Based, and Paper-based. The test has 5 sections which are Language Comprehension, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Mathematics, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, and an additional section named Indian and Global Environment. The total number of questions asked is around 200 and the duration of the test is 2 hours 30 minutes. While every correct choice will be awarded 1 mark, every incorrect choice carries a negative mark of -0.25. The overall score is scaled to between 199-801. The recommended score for this test is between 700-800. Once obtained, the score is valid for a year. For more details, check the official website for MAT.
5. Xavier’s Aptitude Test (XAT):
XLRI Jamshedpur conducts XAT every year for admission into one of the 600 plus business schools in India other than IIMs. The exam is conducted usually on the first Sunday of January. One can write this test any number of times. You should at least have a bachelor’s degree in a 3-year program or should be in the final year of your 4-year program to be eligible for the test. It is an aptitude test that tests you on Decision Making, Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge. The duration of the test is 3 hours. There are 4 sections and these carry 21, 26, 28, and 25 marks respectively. The total number of questions is 100 and each question carries 1 mark. All questions are MCQs. For every wrong answer, you will be given a score of -0.25. For more than 8 questions unattempted you will be deducted 0.5 marks.
So there you have it. The exams to make your masters in business administration a reality. In most of these tests, you have to be cautious about negative markings. Hence, choose wisely and prepare accordingly!
