Akul there is as such no disadvantage for taking a year drop for CAT preparation. Only thing is that you might be questioned what you actually did in this one year during the interview and if you say only CAT preparation then it might create a very wrong impression right from the starting of the interview because 99% of the students coming into any IIM have done the preparation either in the final year of their graduation or while working in any company.

But as you have mentioned in the below comment that doing another course can affect your performance on CAT exam so no way I am going to recommend you to do any other course because to get a call from top 3 IIMs like IIM A, B and C you need to score atleast above 99.7 percentile, to get a call from other old IIMs like IIM L, K, I and S you need to get atleast above 98.5 percentile and atleast above 95 percentile to get calls from new and ultra new IIMs.

And what I am talking about is getting a call for the second round of WAT and interview. Without performing in the second round you can never expect an admission in any of the IIMs. Plus even in the aggregate score of the final merit list along with the interview marks the CAT marks have the highest weightage. So, spoiling your CAT performance is not at all recommended option.

You can do one thing if possible you can work for minimal time in any NGO or social service and get a certificate for a year work then you can justify your answer that with CAT preparation you were doing social service or if you can come up with some entrepreneurial idea so you can say you were working on it but you were not successful. These both the things will not even save you in that question but will get you extra brownie points an can create a very good impression in interview right from starting. Rest of the interview will depend on your answers to other questions. Although if you say any of the two things mentioned above you will need to prepare thoroughly very deep about both the things because 99% interviewee is going on those two topics.

Feel free to ask if you have any more queries. All the best!! 

Hi Dear, 

according to me , the one year gap will not give you any kind of disadvantage for admission in IIMs but i will suggest you that you should go for another course as well with your cat preparation because it will help you alot and also create a good image of your resume. utilise your one year efficiently. 

i hope the information is helpful for you 

for more queries just contact with us 

thank you 

good luck