MBA Entrance Exams Preparation

MBA entrance exams are not a week’s or month’s job. It requires a strategic and beforehand planning and preparation. Most of the MBA entrance exams are competitive and difficult to pass through if you are targeting admission into top B-schools. MBA aspirants need to do lots of hard work with sheer determination and timely planning. MAT, CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, etc CAT is considered the most difficult one to crack.

MBA entrance is not looking for your knowledge of any particular subject but it evaluates you on your overall ability. So better pay attention on the basic abilities such as, language, logical reasoning etc. For the preparation of MBA you should keep in mind that studying strategically is what makes a difference between the B-schools.

According to industry experts the ideal time to start preparing for competitive exams for MBA like CAT, XAT, MAT, etc is second year of graduation. Slowly and steadily work on skills of quantitative analysis, verbal communication and logical reasoning. You can refer to good books available in the market for reference purposes.

There are some very good coaching institutes in India that can be enrolled in your second year of College. Refrain yourself from joining MBA course right after graduation, give yourself 2-3 years gap and meanwhile prepare ahead for entrance exams and even take some professional experience. As a part of preparation for MBA entrance exams you can solve hundreds of sample test papers and practice other skills as much as you can. Getting job exposure before enrolling in top B-school would polish you as an MBA aspirant and help you crack the entrance exams easily.

Guide for all MBA Entrance Exams

CAT

Common Admission Test (CAT) is the entrance exam conducted by the IIMs., Exam format changed to computer based from paper pencil test. CAT is a two and half hours paper consisting of three sections, Quantitative Ability, Verbal Ability and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.

XAT

XAT is an all-India examination conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur. XAT is designed on multiple-choice questions of two-and-a-half hours in which the last 20 minutes are given to an essay. Like CAT, XAT is also based on the areas which includes verbal ability and reasoning, reading comprehension, quantitative skills, data interpretation, analytical and logical reasoning.

SNAP

The Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) is the common entrance exam for the Symbiosis institutes. The duration of SNAP is two hours. The four sections of the test are General English: Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, and Verbal Ability; Quantitative, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency; General Awareness: General Knowledge, Current Affairs, Business Scenario.

NMAT

The Narsee Monjee Aptitude Test (NMAT) is the entrance exam for the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS). NMAT has become computer based test from 2010. The exam was conducted by Pearson Vue. The three sections of NMAT are Language Skills, Quantitative Ability and Logical Reasoning. Total number of questions is 150. Total time allotted is 120 minutes.

CMAT

All India Center for Technical Education launched its very own MBA entrance exam, CMAT or the Common Management Aptitude Test. CMAT was started in 2012 and it’s a computer based test. CMAT exam is conducted twice a year, once in September-October and the next in January-February. It’s a 180 minute test with 4 sections to be answered.

IIFT

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is a leading management institution, with campuses in Delhi and Kolkata, with a strong emphasis on International business. The MBA institute organizes its own entrance exam. IIFT is a paper pencil based test of two hours duration. It covers the areas of English Comprehension, General Knowledge & Awareness, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Analysis.

These are some of the famous MBA entrance exams conducted for top B-schools in India. Prepare in advance to excel in your entrance test with proper guidance and training.

Opportunity cost of doing MBA in India

Out of all study programs, MBA is a favorite course among Indian student community. Given the prospects of a rewarding career after mba in iim and other premium institutions; many candidates are treading the path of management studies. However, before making headway in this direction by considering this critical life altering move, take a pause and get down to calculate the opportunity costof pursuing  MBA in India.

While evaluating whether to go for MBA or not one should objectively evaluate the decision on parameters of overall Return on investment, opportunity cost, tuition fees, preparation cost, badge value, alumni network, choice of career etc. to clearly understand the real cost of doing an MBA. The impact of the decision to pursue an MBA on personal finance can be long lasting.

Ask yourself if MBA is financially worth?
Bear in mind that pursuing an MBA from best institutions in India has its share of financial burdens on the individuals and their respective families. This clearly implies that one cannot afford to overlook the importance of financial costs while considering the prospects of studying MBA program from a leading MBA school.
What is the opportunity cost for doing an MBA?
Tuition fee takes the major chunk of your financial resources
The first and foremost to cast a huge impact on your financial resources is tuition fee and cost of living while doing an MBA degree. A two-year residential MBA program at one of the best b-schools in India will cost anywhere from 10-15 lakh.
You can always count on the education loans available from various Indian banks. However, you must weigh your existing financial condition before going for loan of such mammoth amount at 10.5 to 12% floating rate of interest. Banks on their part will also ensure if an individual is in a position to repay the loan by sealing the contract with collateral security and other mandatory modalities.

 The opportunity cost

The whole idea of going for an MBA is to either accelerate or change one’s career. While deciding on MBA one should carefully consider the opportunity cost. Opportunity cost includes foregone salary, professional experience and perhaps a promotion. One should also evaluate the future value of any asset (by retirement age) which one could have invested into using the tuition fee and cost of living mentioned in Point 1 above.

Cost of application forms
Let’s now come to the lesser amount, but significant one when it comes to calculating the opportunity cost of studying MBA program at the top MBA College in India. The application fee for CAT exam, which is the doorway for prestigious iim colleges in india, is approximately Rs 1600. If you want to apply to other business schools accepting CAT acores, then be ready to part away with the cost of their separate application forms, which is anywhere from Rs 1500-2500. Now, let’s get to the closer understanding of taking the GMAT exam. If you want to take the GMAT once, then you will have to spend US $250. Add to this US $28, the cost of sending additional score report to each business school.
Save a portion for preparatory classes
With the country youth vying to enter the gates of a prestigious MBA school to pass out and land a job in top global brands, the number of coaching classes has also sprung up exponentially. For a written entrance exam, be ready to shell a minimum of Rs 25,000 for good coaching centers. If you are lucky to have cleared the entrance exam, add similar amount to be giving away at the coaching centre for the interview and essay writing preparation.

Giving up your career for MBA?
If you are already settled in a career before taking up MBA course, you have a lot of brainstorming to do to calculate opportunity cost. You must take into consideration the forgone salary, possibilities of a promotion, and years of professional experience you are going to forsake for MBA degree from top collages in India.
Cost of doing an MBA has a significant impact on individual and his family. One not only needs financial support but also emotional support from the family. It is important to clearly evaluate MBA option along with the impact on personal finance both in short as well as long-term. It’s important that benefits of doing an MBA considerably outweigh financial costs associated with it.

How to choose the right B-school in India

Finding a best college for MBA in India is not only hard, but also a very stressful task to perform for any student as they also undergo summer internships, placements, and other entrance exams.

So students with thoughts to pursue MBA in India must be prepared for a lot pressure to deal with, apart from required hard work that the course demands. However, students can ideally reduce the pressure of finding the right MBA College for themselves by smartly looking for features beyond ranking in any MBA college.

Hence, it is very important to understand your needs and select the right institute. Since you will be spending a lot in your MBA, it is important you select the right institute. How do we differentiate between these colleges? Here are some tips that you can follow -: 

1) Reputation: Some B-schools already have a very good brand value and are very well recognised in the industry. Students of these well-reputed B-schools are sought-after by employers across industry. The brand value of the college adds value to the student's CV. If it is a new or upcoming college, then it is advisable to consult with somebody in the industry to understand the industry perception of the college.

2) Rankings: Every year, reputed newspapers, magazines and websites release B-school rankings. Although these rankings are not very reliable, they give some idea about the relative merit of the college.

3) Accreditation: Does the college have the requisite approvals? Is it AICTE- approved? What other collaborations does the college have? It is very important to know what all accreditations your colleges have. If your degrees are not recognized, they won't hold much value especially if you're seeking jobs in the public sector.

4) Placements: One of the primary reasons why many students opt for MBAs is to get a well-paid job. It is for this reason that most students carefully study the official placement report of the college. When looking at the placement statistics, try and find out the job profiles offered. Also check out which companies hire from these institutes.

5) Alumni: Talk to the alumni, find out about the college and where they are placed. Try and get your doubts cleared about the quality of education offered and the facilities available.

6) Faculty and Staff: Find about how many permanent and temporary faculty members are there. Find out about their qualifications. A healthy mix of people with some industry exposure is preferred. This brings in insights from the industry and academics to the classroom.

7) Students: Data such as the average CAT/GMAT scores, average age, average work experience and male-female ratio gives you a fair idea of the student mix of the college.

Go ahead and study well! All the best..!!

MBA in Luxury Brand Management in India

The luxury Industry is one of the most dynamic, challenging and rapidly growing sectors in the world. A large number of global luxury brands such as Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Tod’s, and Gucci entered India around the turn of the century. Brands such as Hermes, Christian Louboutin, Missoni, Emilio Pucci, and Roberto Cavalli have also expanded their retail operations to India recently after realizing India’s immense potential. Driven by the brand-conscious youth, the luxury market in India is likely to grow at over 20 percent every year and is estimated to be US $ 14.72 billion by 2015.

High economic growth has witnessed corresponding boom in luxury goods sales, this has increased the demand for highly competent luxury professionals who can take up key positions such as marketing, retail Operations, merchandising & buying and other related areas in the luxury sector. MBA in luxury brand management course has been designed to explore and learn about the luxury industry and its management strategies. Students will learn the fundamentals of disciplines such as marketing, branding, pricing and business strategies and consumer behavior, etc. relevant to the luxury industry. The course covers a wide range of topics, including knowledge of luxury products, marketing trends and brand management. This degree is a perfect choice if you enjoy working with high-end clothing, accessories and foods. This program will also train you for future work in the management of employees, products and entire companies. Courses are usually offered in several formats that include lectures, direct readings and internships to apply your skills to real life settings. The benefits of earning an MBA in luxury brand management extend far beyond your paycheck. This degree will create opportunities to work inlocations around the world, as well as with international co-workers and companies. This degree will increase your knowledge of luxury brands and your own creativity as well.

The cost of earning a luxury management advanced degree depends upon the school you choose. It is best to check with the school of your choice for detailed information about tuition and fees.

Once you have earned your MBA in luxury brand management, you will have opportunities to work in a variety of positions located around the globe. Graduates often have lucrative careers as product managers, business communication managers, traveling retail managers and marketing consultants. You may even have the opportunity to work as a senior vice president of fragrance or spirits companies. Other positions include strategic planning and research for some of the most well-known clothing, fragrance and cosmetic companies on the planet.

Careers in luxury brand management in India are

·         Luxury Brand Manager

·         Luxury Marketer

·         Luxury Store Manager

·         Luxury Shopping Consultant

·         Publicity and Luxury PR Expert

·         Luxury Buyer and Merchandiser

MBA in Healthcare Management in India

Health Care Management major builds on the established strength of the management core to provide expertise in the unique elements and issues of the health care industry. Health Management is among the top ten millennium professions according to a recent survey. As healthcare management is becoming increasingly privatized there is a greater need for not only skillful doctors but also efficient hospital and Health Care Managers.

Health Care Services and working in hospitals have always fascinated rather than scaring you off?You have a flair for job in Health Care Organizations and an eye for detail?Then you can consider a career in Health Care and Hospital Management. A large number of private hospitals and clinics have come up all over the country. With increasing emphasis on quality of health care and patient satisfaction there is a tremendous need for persons with a professional qualification in Health Care and Hospital Management.

Professional courses in Health Care and Hospital Management are available for both medical and non-medical persons.

The MBA in healthcare management program has evolved through conscious efforts of executives with a specific aim of meeting the training needs of the fast growing Healthcare Industry and Healthcare organizations in India.

A major challenge for the Indian healthcare industry would be not only to retain the healthcare workforce but to develop an environment that would encourage the NRIs to come back. Even if the number of doctors were to increase from 0.6 to 0.8 per 1,000 and the number of nurses were to increase from 1.5 to 2 per 1,000 to match with international standards, India still would need 2,00,000 doctors and 5,00,000 nurses besides another 2,00,000 healthcare management personnel.

Eligibility & Selection for MBA in healthcare management are:


Graduates of any discipline are eligible to apply. Selection is based on the work experience in hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare industry and community health care services, etc. Minimum work experience of two years in health care industry is essential.

Teaching Methodology


The course is very intensive and made so with a purpose. The course is delivered over 4 terms in 16 months. Experts from Hospital and Health Care Industry, leading academic Institutions and Business Houses would teach Hospital Management related subjects. Methodology includes lectures, case studies, group discussions, seminars, presentations, assignments, projects and other innovative techniques.

The essential requirement for an MBA in healthcare management has been perceived-

· To prepare dynamic, young, creative and highly qualified managers and administrators for efficient management of Hospitals and Healthcare organizations by applying modern management techniques

· To impart necessary knowledge and skills with practical orientation and help formulate strategies for more efficient management of super-specialty hospitals, especially in highly competitive corporate and private sectors

· To provide knowledge, vocabulary and advanced skills, concerning all areas of the healthcare delivery system to make administrators proficient, under any situation and to inculcate creativity in them.

· To impart to students theoretical background of those academic disciplines which are related to the field of management in general and those specific to hospitals and Healthcare organizations

· To develop leadership skills through understanding of organizational and community problems, human psychology and global trends.

· To inculcate a strong desire for learning and an urge for research, in field of management, through involvement in actual operation of Hospital and healthcare administration and in research methodology