CAT results are out! What's your next step?

CAT or Common Entrance Test is one of the competitive exams that allow students to apply in B-Schools for further education. CAT is one of the most difficult and challenging among the other competitive exams. Recently the CAT 2021 results were declared, and here are the heartiest congratulations to all!

Table of Contents

• What After CAT?
• Popular MBA Specialisations After CAT 
• Admission Process for MBA After CAT
  • WAT Round
  • GD Round
  • PI Round
• Steps After CAT 2021: Registering for Admission top IIMs
• List of Top B-Schools After CAT

What After CAT?

Now that the result is out and you have done well for yourself, what should you do next? This phase is the most crucial as well as challenging part of the entire process. Your dream of becoming a successful professional now needs to be shaped into a reality. You are done with your first big step of clearing a competitive exam, and now you have to choose a course and college befitting your career plans.

Additionally, if you score well in the exam begin preparing for the subsequent rounds for admission: Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD),  and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. Other than IIMs, all B-Schools now conduct WAT, GD-PI rounds to select applicants for admission.

However, most of the students do list down the preferred colleges but if the results don’t match the cut-offs then it’s time for you to analyze your options. There are a few basic steps that one must follow are we have listed them below:

• Analyze CAT results and start looking for institutes that accept CAT results in their admission process.
• Finalize a few of the colleges and check their deadlines for application submission.
• Check for the specializations that are available in the college. Try finding out the right combinations that will help you achieve your goals.
• Prepare and put together the documents required by the college, like mark sheets, attested copies, and more.
• Gear up for the next level of evaluation that will be conducted by the college like the Group Discussion and Personal Interviews.

Popular MBA Specialisations After CAT 

While selecting the college of your choice, it is also recommended to select the specialisation course. For example, the candidates often choose a college first and then pick their MBA specialisation. In contrast, some candidates search for colleges based on the specialisation they want to pursue. 

Furthermore, the individual IIMs will release their cutoffs. Based on the CAT cutoff, IIM shortlisting procedure will begin. The CAT cutoff will include the minimum marks required by aspirants to be eligible for admission into MBA courses. However, here are some of the MBA programs that candidates can pursue after CAT:

• Sales and Marketing
• Finance
• Operations
• Human Resources
• Business Analytics
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management 
• MBA in Entrepreneurship
• International Business
• Healthcare Management

Admission Process for MBA After CAT

After the CAT exam results are declared, candidates need to start preparing for the subsequent stages of admission. Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) rounds will be part of the IIMs' CAT 2021 selection procedure. Other than IIMs, all B-Schools now conduct WAT, GD-PI rounds to select applicants for admission.

WAT Round

Generally, the Written Ability Test is conducted to gauge your knowledge and writing skills. It plays an important role and some institutes replace the group discussion round with this test. The syllabus of this test is mostly current affairs and some general knowledge. Tips to increase the marks for these are round are as follow:

• Make a generous habit of reading as much as you can.
• Practice reading the current affairs and happenings around the world daily. 
• Including reading newspapers works the best for this. 
• Additionally, inculcate the habit of writing. Remember, the exam is time based; thus, speed will play a vital role.

GD Round

The topics for the GD round can be covered from a variety of topics, including world affairs, political issues, lifestyle or any general topic. Therefore, to ace the round you must be updated regarding the same. Here are additional tips:

• Always come across as prepared and smart.
• Don’t wait up for your turn, participate actively to highlight your contributing points.
• Besides, through this test, your verbal communication and body language are tested. Therefore, be confident with your answers. 
• Additionally, you don't just need to be smart enough to come up with intelligent points, you also have to be clear and crisp in expressing them.

PI Round

The PI round will be the last round, thus reflecting your best performance is much appreciated. Some tips to crack the PI round are listed below:

• The round will start with formal introduction, thus practice it to perfection. 
• Be highly interactive, listen to the questions properly and try to answer them precisely.
• Confidence will no doubt help you in cracking the exam but do not be overconfident. 
• Some of the questions may be,  How do you describe yourself? Why did you choose the particular institute? Where do you see yourself in the coming years? What does success/failure mean to you?. Be prepared to answer them with precision. 

Steps After CAT 2021: Registering for Admission top IIMs

The B-School starts its admission process post the declaration of the CAT 2021. After the CAT exams, you can go through the application process of different IIMs. Additionally, follow their past years cutoff trends to measure the qualifying marks. 

Furthermore, it is advised to check the fee structure and necessary documents required while submitting your applications. 

We have listed the IIMs and their expected cut off marks:

List of Top B-Schools After CAT

There are various B-Schools that candidates can approach after they complete the CAT exam. Here is the list of top colleges that admits candidate according to the CAT score: