Competition and Reality in CAT Exams

Key Points:

• In India, competitive exams for admission to IIMs are highly competitive.
  • Even at 99.5 percentile, getting into a dream college can be challenging.

Factors Affecting Final Selection:

1. Exam Weightage:

   • Only around 50% of the final shortlist weight comes from the CAT exam itself.
   • The remaining percentage comes from various other factors.

2. **Academic Performance: Past Performance Matters:

   • Scores in 10th, 12th, and undergraduate CGPA are crucial.
   • Consistent academic records across 10th, 12th, and graduation are favored by recruiters.

3. Diversity Factors:

   • Both academic and gender diversity factors are considered.

Challenges with Board Differences:

• Different candidates come from different boards:

  • ICSE, CBSE, and state boards.
  • Even within state boards, differences exist (e.g., West Bengal vs Tamil Nadu board).

• Percentile Calculation Issues:

  • Some colleges consider percentile calculations within the same board.
  • Issues with slab-wise allocation of marks (e.g., 88% in West Bengal board vs 88% in ICSE).

• Problems with Uniform Percentile Calculation Across Years:

  • COVID-19 caused variations in marking schemes across years.
  • Students from different years may have different marking schemes.

Graduation Marks Diversities:

• Different streams, universities, and marking schemes complicate uniform percentile calculations.
• Examples: Jadavpur University vs other universities.
• Conversion of CGPA to percentage is not uniform:
  • Different colleges have different conversion metrics.
  • MBA colleges consider percentages, not CGPA.

Selection Criteria and Challenges:

• Gaining admission to specific IIMs is challenging despite high percentiles due to academic record variations.
• Multiple factors like academic and work experience points affect eligibility.

Advice for Candidates:

• Focus on achieving the maximum percentile possible.
• External factors beyond control; do not take failure personally.
• Consider other factors like consistent preparation and efforts.
• A high CAT percentile can still open numerous job opportunities.
• Stay motivated and give your best effort in preparation.