CAT or Common Admission Test is one of the toughest entrance examinations which takes place in the country and not every aspirant can clear the examination, and that is alright.
Every year more than 224,169 candidates appear for CAT and while all of them want to grab a seat at the prestigious IIM, it is logically not feasible. India at present has 20 IIMs, out of which 6 are the most prestigious ones. A total of 12,411 seats are available across all the 20 IIMs, and therefore only the best of the best will get accepted into these institutions. If you have not performed well in this year’s CAT, there are a handful of options available to you.
- Start preparing for the next year and hope that you get a seat in one of the IIMs.
- Take a step back and set your eyes on the many other prestigious B schools in India.
Although most students don’t acknowledge this fact but India is home to some of the best B schools in the world and therefore a student has many other options.
As a student, your main goal should be to focus on developing your core skills as the employers of today value your skills more than your degree. At the same time, you cannot underweight the immense opportunities for an MBA degree from a prestigious institution will offer.
As mentioned above, if you choose to drop a year and prepare for the next installment of CAT, you need to primarily recognize your shortcomings and focus on how you can make yourself better. CAT is divided across a variety of segments and like most other competitive exams, you need to be best in one or two sections and not all to crack it successfully.
On the other hand, if you decide to try for the other prestigious B schools in India, by all means, you should start your research now. We have listed the 5 best B schools in India other than IIMs in a different article and you can read it here.
The crux of the matter is, failure is a part of life that you need to embrace. Instead of looking at it as a setback in your career, look at the many other options available to you, while at the same time focusing on developing your core skills.
In the ever-changing business dynamics of the modern world, having a strong grasp of your skills will take you further in life than a degree from a prestigious institution.
Himanshu Goel
Research Scholar, Jagan Institute of Management Studies
