Hi aspirant,

The IIM admissions procedure is multifaceted .

1. You must excel in the CAT exam, aiming for a high percentile (often 98-99+ for the top IIMs, though this varies by category and institute).
2. Your academic profile, which includes your 10th, 12th, and graduation results, is important in addition to the CAT.
3. Many IIMs also evaluate academic diversity (giving preference to non-engineering students) and gender diversity.
4. Finally, shortlisted candidates are subjected to a Written Ability Test (WAT) or Group Discussion (GD), followed by a Personal Interview.
5. If you have any work experience, it would also help you fetch additional points.

Cracking the CAT demands a smart and systematic strategy .

1. Begin by completely comprehending the exam design and syllabus for each of the three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA.
2. Frequently take mock examinations to imitate exam settings, assess your skills and limitations, and improve your time management.
3. Analyze your performance after each mock to determine where you are losing marks and to improve your strategy.
4. Consistent preparation with previous year's papers and targeted questions for weak areas is critical.
5. Reading widely (newspapers, articles, novels) is vital for increasing VARC capabilities, whilst completing puzzles and various problem sets improves DILR and QA abilities.

Success relies on discipline , dedication , and a good outlook .

All the best!

Hello Abhishek,

No, you cannot take admission into B. Tech Marine Engineering at CUSAT if you do not take the CAT 2025 exam. CUSAT CAT is a mandatory exam for admission into all undergraduate programs including B Tech Marine Engineering. Admission to the program will only be possible for candidates with valid CAT scores.

• 350s is below typical general category cutoffs for private MBBS seats.

• Only realistic route is through management/NRI quota in lower-tier colleges with high fees.

• Government seats are highly unlikely .

Hi aspirant,

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a highly competitive exam, and practicing sample questions is essential for efficient preparation.

CAT SAMPLE PAPERS

Kindly refer to the link attached above for the sample papers.

All the best!

Hello,

States you can apply in (B-category/management quota):
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. All allow non-domicile students for private colleges.

Approx MBBS fees (per year):

• Telangana: Rs. 12–15 lakh

• Andhra Pradesh: Rs. 12–18 lakh

• Karnataka: Rs. 15–20 lakh

• Tamil Nadu: Rs. 15–22 lakh

• Kerala: Rs. 7–8.5 lakh

Karnataka registration:
Closed in Feb 2025. Likely to reopen for mop-up/stray rounds in June–July 2025.

Kerala registration:
Closed in March 2025. Stray round expected in June–July 2025. Dates not announced yet.

Hope it helps !

If you have secured an engineering rank of 30,150 in CET, belong to the HK region, and are in OBC (Category 1), your chances of getting a government seat in Computer Science Engineering (CSE) depend on the cutoff trends of that year and the state counseling process.

Usually, CSE in government colleges is highly competitive, and ranks below 20,000 have better chances.

However, your reserved category (OBC Cat 1) and regional quota (HK region) improve your chances significantly.

It’s possible to get a government seat in CSE, especially in less popular government colleges or campuses with lower cutoffs.

Fees for government colleges are generally affordable, ranging roughly from 30,000 to 1,20,000 per year depending on the college and state subsidies.

I recommend checking the official state CET counseling website and previous years’ cutoff lists for exact details. You can also visit Careers360’s CET section for updated seat and fee information: careers360.comf.

Taking a gap year to prepare for the CAT is quite a common and accepted approach among MBA aspirants. In fact, it often reflects a clear sense of purpose and dedication. The key lies in how effectively you articulate and present this decision.

Since you completed your graduation in 2023 and dedicated yourself to CAT preparation, you can frame your experience strategically:

What to Highlight:

- Dedicated preparation for the CAT demonstrates commitment and goal clarity.

- Any online courses or certifications you completed (for example, Excel, Python, Marketing, etc.) add credibility and show initiative.

- Volunteering, freelancing, blogging, or content creation—even if unpaid—indicate that you remained productive and engaged.

- Short-term or remote internships are valuable and should be mentioned.

- If you mentored peers or juniors, include this as evidence of leadership or responsibility.

— How to Present This on Your Resume:

You might create a section such as:

Academic & Professional Development (2023–2024)

- Full-time preparation for CAT 2024, focusing on Quantitative Aptitude, LRDI, and Verbal Ability.

- Completed online certifications in [specific courses].

- Participated in mock group discussions, personal interviews, and kept abreast of current affairs for overall profile building.

In interviews, be honest and confident about your gap year. Explain how this period contributed to both personal and professional growth. Business schools value self-awareness, dedication, and the ability to make intentional choices.

If you need assistance framing your resume or drafting a gap justification statement, I’d be glad to help.

Wishing you the very best for CAT. Stay focused—you’re on the right track.

Hello aspirant,

Since MBA is a post-graduate program, the primary requirement for eligibility for the CAT exam is graduation or an equivalent degree; that is, each candidate must be in their final year of study or have completed graduation.  Both students in the Reserved and Unreserved categories must meet the minimum score requirements, yet their overall percentages differ.

For more information, you can visit our site through following link:

https://bschool.careers360.com/exams/cat

Thank you

Hi aspirant,

1. The Common Admission Test ( CAT ) is a highly competitive , computer - based entrance exam .
2. CAT is administered annually by one of the IIMs for admission to its postgraduate management programs (MBA) as well as those of multiple other top business schools in India .
3. It primarily assesses candidates' VARC , DILR , and QA skills.
4. The exam lasts 120 minutes , with 40 minutes allotted to each section .
5. The questions are a mix of multiple choice questions with negative marking for bad responses and type-in-the-answer questions with no negative marking .
6. Scoring is based on a raw score , which is then normalized across exam slots to account for differences in difficulty , yielding a scaled score and a percentile that represents a candidate's performance in comparison to other test takers .

CAT 2024 Question Paper With Solutions

You can also refer to the link given above for more information on the same.

All the best!

Hi aspirant,

1. In general, PUMBA (Pune University's Department of Management Sciences) requires a higher CAT percentile, usually between 94 and 96.
2. Nevertheless, final selection is based on a comprehensive process that includes your CAT score (which usually carries 50% weightage), performance in the Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds (30% weightage), academic record (10% weightage), and work experience (10% weightage).
3. Even though your CAT score is strong, a strong performance in the subsequent selection rounds will be essential for admission.
4. It is recommended to contact the institution directly for latest and up-to-date information.

PUMBA MBA

You can refer to the link attached above for more information on the same.

All the best!