Selection Process of Top Business Schools in India

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Admission to the top Indian B-Schools such as the IIMs, XLRI, FMS - University of Delhi, SP Jain - Mumbai, The Schools of Management at the IITs, MBA institutes affiliated to different universities such as Anna University Chennai, Pune University is a three or four step process. At each stage students are shortlisted and the shortlisted ones progress to the next stage. The stages are

Written Test - Entrance Exams - Stage 1

All B-Schools conduct a written test. The IIMs conduct a Common Admission Test (CAT), which has become a computer based test from 2009 in the last week of November / first week of December. Other top B Schools such as S.P. Jain, MICA, T A Pai, MDI Gurgaon also base their selection on CAT scores.

XLRI conducts XAT and this score is also a criterion for admission to XIM Bhubaneswar, XIME Bangalore and other reputed B Schools such as LIBA Chennai, and BIM Trichy. FMS (University of Delhi) Delhi, and the Schools of Management, IIT have their own respective tests.

The written test, the first stage of elimination, tests a student's ability to perform under pressure. The areas of testing include basic Mathematics taught till Class X, English taught during the first year of graduation and analytical & logical reasoning. The written test is the most difficult step in getting into a top B-School. Most of the elimination takes place at this stage.

About 170,000 students took the Common Admission Test, CAT in 2014. The total number of students admitted each year by the IIMs is around 1500 and there are another 1500 seats in all other top B Schools. Thus, the competition is tough with over 1.7 lakh students competing to get 4500 seats.

You can dowload a copy of a sample paper based CAT diagnostic test by clicking here to help you get a close look at what the Common Admission Test, CAT is all about. You can send your queries about preparing for such tests to prep@2iim.com. You can also get an idea about the different types of questions asked in CAT and XAT under the section "What is CAT all about?"

Group Discussion & Personal Interview - Stage 2 (GD / PI)

Based on your performance in the written test, students are short listed for a Group Discussion and Personal Interview. On an average one in two or three students shortlisted for the GD and PI make it to the final admissions. Preparing for the GD or PI after getting a call might be a little too late. Click here to know more about "What GD/PI is all about?"

Final Admission Notification

Admission is usually offered based on the cumulative scores of written test, GD / PIs, and work experience (in some cases). You get to know about your admissions between April and June of a year and classes start between June and August.

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