Plan B for CAT Aspirants: What to do if your exam didn’t go well

A low percentile in the CAT does not mean that your MBA goals have to end. However, it is important to analyze your options and think through your next actions. This article helps with a Plan B for CAT aspirants to know how to analyze their performance, whether they should take other exams, the list of colleges admitting lower scores, creating work experience, developing skills, and even thinking of career choices not related to an MBA.

A low CAT score can be used to an advantage with proper strategy and more preparation.

1. Check Your CAT 2025 Performance

If the first CAT attempt has a low score do a careful analysis of your performance. Knowing what you lack will make you make informed decisions on the future steps to take.

1. Note the Sectional Scores- Review your Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, and the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning scores. Find out the parts that reduced your scoring percentile.
2. Determine the Weak Areas- Determine which kind of questions or topics you had the most difficulty with. It might be geometry in QA, para jumbles in VARC or caselets in DILR, amongst others.
3. Check Time Management- Review of your time management in the exam. Did you take excessive time on some of these questions. Did you not make attempts to leave questions unanswered.
4. Compare the Expected vs. Actual Scores- Compare your performance with the final percentile. This assists you in putting things into perspective of whether you need to retake the CAT.
5. Establish a Starting Point of Improvement- This analysis can be used to establish particular objectives in your next attempt or to draw plans on how to prepare alternative plans. It helps to have knowledge of your weaknesses so that you can concentrate on them effectively.

2. Should You Retake the CAT Next Year?

The decision to retake the CAT should be based on your objectives, level of preparation, and the percentile that was attained. Take into account the following points before deciding to retake the CAT exam.

1. Evaluate Your Overall Percentile- In case your overall percentile is much lower than your intended IIM or B-school cutoff, taking CAT again can be beneficial to you.
2. Assess Your Readiness- This is an evaluation of whether you have prepared adequately in your study plan, practice, and time management during the year. Determine whether you are capable of making improvements with one more year of preparation.
3. Think About Your Timeline- CAT will make your MBA one year later. Considering your career plans and personal goals, consider if this works with your career goal timelines.
4. Potential Improvement- In case you failed because of a strategy in examinations, anxiety or certain weak areas, you can greatly improve by retaking the CAT exam with concentration and achieve a higher percentage.

3. MBA Entrance Exams Other Than CAT

In case your CAT 2025 test did not go well there are many other options to pursue. All the other MBA examinations can also be considering to advance your management career. These exams may be useful to attempt and up your chances of securing a good B-school.

1. XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)- Xavier Aptitude Test is accepted in XLRI and other popular private B-schools, and is typically held in January and includes quantitative, verbal, and decision-making questions.
2. NMAT by GMAC- NMAT is a exam administered by the GMAC and is accepted by Narsee Monjee, SPJIMR, and other institutes, which are highly regarded. NMAT is not paper-based, but it has numerous attempts in the examination period.
3. SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test)- SNAP tests general aptitude, reasoning, and English in case of admissions at the Symbiosis Institutes.
4. CMAT (Common Management Admission Test)- CMAT is a management test administered by the National Testing Agency, and it is acceptable in many AICTE-approved management institutions in India.
5. MAT (Management Aptitude Test)- MAT is an exam that is taken several times annually, and is applicable in more than 600 MBA colleges in India, granting flexibility and multiple attempts.
6. Other Regional Exams- There are other MBA entrance examinations of specific states and other universities, like MAH-CET(Maharashtra), TANCET (Tamil Nadu) and UPSEE (Uttar Pradesh), which also provide an extra chance.

Read More:

• Exams That Can Be Attempted After CAT Preparation
• How to Re-appear for CAT Exam?
• Too Many Failed CAT Attempts: What Next Alternatives to Take?

4. MBA Colleges Accepting Low CAT Scores

If your CAT 2025 score fell short of the cutoff in the first percentile, there are still a number of good MBA colleges where you can be accepted. These institutes accept candidates whose scores placed in the 50-80 percentile range.

Read More:

• MBA Colleges With Low Fees Without CAT
• MBA Colleges in Lucknow Without CAT
• Colleges Accepting Low CAT Score

5. Consider Work Experience Before MBA

If you did not perform well in the CAT 2025 exam, it can be better to get some work experience prior to doing the exam again or applying to colleges to pursue an MBA. Experience in the workplace may enhance your profile and increase your admission chances in the future.

1. Gain Practical Skills-  Experience in the field you are choosing will enable you to have both technical and managerial skills that will help you gain admission to better B-schools.
2. Build a Stronger Profile- Several MBA universities attach importance to individuals having 2- 3 years of work experience. It shows levels of maturity, responsibility and sense of reality.
3. Gain Career Clarity- Exposure to the industry would allow you to know what you enjoy and want to achieve in a career, which will guide you to make appropriate decisions about your specialization in MBA.
4. Improve Future Exam Performance- The work experience tends to offer real-life skills in problem-solving, hence it can enable you to score higher in the next CAT or other MBA entrance exams.
5. Networking Opportunities- Professionally working enables you to make networks, which is beneficial to you as a recommendation letter and future employment opportunities.

Work experience builds on your MBA application, and it provides greater confidence in your further career goals.

6. Skill Development Options After CAT

In case you have not passed your CAT 2025 exam on your first attempt, then you can work on the skill areas to improve your profile when you apply to an MBA again next year or even for other careers. The following steps can be taken for skill development after CAT.

1. Professional Certifications- Obtaining a certification in financial, marketing, data analysis, project management, or digital marketing would increase your qualifications.
2. Online Courses- You can find new courses in such platforms as Coursera, edX, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning that can enhance both technical, managerial, and soft skills and help you create a better profile.
3. Short-Term Management Programs- Take executive or short-term management programs in order to acquire more knowledge and practical exposure.
4. Communication and Leadership Skills- Attend workshops, webinars, or training courses to be more effective in presentation, leadership, and interpersonal skills to prepare, which are essential in MBA interviews.
5. Internships or Work Experiences- Any experience of the internship or work experience, even small, can prove that a candidate is an initiative demonstrator with industry experience and commitment, and such would be a valuable addition to any profile.

You can improve your resume and gain confidence as well as readiness for the future MBA entrance exams or applications by improving your skills.

Conclusion

Having a low CAT does not stop your career goals. There are several ways to build a good Plan B by examining your performance, researching other tests, attending colleges with lower CAT scores, acquiring work experience, and getting new skills. By taking steps to choose whether to retake the CAT or to pursue professional opportunities, candidates can continue their management career goals.