I am currently persuing my graduation in management. So,... is dropping out for one year and doing CAT coaching and job a ryt option for me.

Heyy Sarthak,

Well Yes, there is no harm in taking a break from your graduation and preparing for the CAT. But make sure when you are taking a risk for CAT you need to give all your attention for CAT Preeparation. If you preparaing for CAT and doing Job at the same time you won't be able to concentrate on CAT as in job you have soo many responsibilities to be fulfilled. So, I would suggest you that if you are taking a break from your graduation for CAT preparation then pay all your attention towards CAT because at the end only CAT percentile will help you to get into the Best MBA colleges of India.

All The Best for your CAT Preparation. Study with focus, avoid all those activites which distracts you and read newspapers daily for current affairs.

All the best for a bright future !

Hi Sarthak,

You are already pursuing your graduation in management which must be giving you a lot of insights into management theories. Also, the internships during your UG programme will also expose to the industry practices and on-ground work work challenges.

This puts you in an advantageous position among your competitors who are aspiring to get PG level seats in top B-schools. As you already understand that CAT is the next barrier you need to cross to get into good B-schools.

But, here, I would suggest you to go for 1-2 years of work experience first. This will be a major help to you during final stage of admission process where majority of top B-schools including IIMs give weightage to candidates based on their work experience. This will also help you to exactly assess your understanding of the theories that you learn at your graduate level. Further, you will also be able to plan better for your MBA programme and any specialisation (in MBA) which can help you excel in your career. Thus, working after your UG programme is a very good thought that you have. You must go for work experience first.

Meanwhile, you can start preparation for CAT right away so that you are done with the basic level preparation and section-wise concept building by the time you complete your UG programme. For this you can pick study material in from of special preparation books for CAT and also buy preparation material from coaching institute or avail coaching in distance mode. You don’t need to wait till your UG course is over!

Once you land a job post your UG programme, you can spend daily 1-2 hours on practice papers of CAT. After 6 months, you can utilise your weekends on taking 2 mock test a week for 15-20 weeks.

This will take you to a level where you can attempt good number of question in CAT (and obviously achieve a respectable percentile which will enable shortlisting at good B-school). Your work experience will play a vital role at final selection stage.

In a nutshell, you must go for a job after your UG programme. Start preparing for CAT and don't wait till your UG programme is over. Utilise your weekend during your Job to take mock test and get cracking on CAT with your job experience adding to your chance of selection at top B-schools!

Hope this helps you. All the best!