M.B.A, Master of Business Administration is a degree which will never go out of fashion.

Common Admission Test (CAT), is the common entrance exam that you have to take to get admission to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, and Kozhikode. Many other institutes like, MICA, Nirma Institute of Management, S.P. Jain Institute, also draw out their candidates based on the performance in CAT.

Pattern
The exam itself consists of four parts which are Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Problem Solving and Data Interpretation. All the questions are multiple choice and you should shade your choice of answer (only with a HB pencil) in the computer coded answer sheet. For every correct answer, one mark is awarded and for every wrong answer, 1/4th of a mark is deducted.

Time of Exam
The exam is conducted once a year on the second sunday of December. In order to sit for the exam, you must be a graduate or studying in the final year. The advertisements for the exam start appearing in the national dailies as early as August 23rd (not exact). The centre for the examination is allotted according to the preference of the candidate.

Speed is a factor
Time is a very important factor in this exam, and there are no ranks as such. Out of the 185 questions, if you attempt 100, and out of the hundred if you get 90 correct, then your chances are better than a person who has attempted all the 185 but only cleared 160 questions. After the written exam, the candidates are ranked and then only the very best are called by the IIMs. The other institutes also start sending call letters. The candidate also has to buy the application forms of these other institutes and apply to them individually.

Interview & GD
After the exam, the selected candidates have to undergo a group interview. This will be more like a stress interview where the candidates are posed with real problems, for which they have to discuss and arrive at an amicable solution. Often these group interviews, turn into mega shouting matches filled with chaos as everybody talks at the same time. Then comes the interview that is equally detailed in nature. More about Interview &GD

Application
The forms for the exam can be bought from the State Bank of India, main branch at Mount Road or at their branch inside the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
TOP B-SCHOOLS IN INDIA


The most important criteria for evaluation of any business school are
1. Recognition by a competent authority
2. Courses offered by the institution - degree/diploma
3. Infrastructure - Classroom, computer labs, library etc.
4. Competence of the faculty
5. Performance of the graduates of the institute
6. Placement record of the institution

List of the top ten business institutes in India
1. Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad (IIMA) www.iimahd.ernet.in
2. Indian Institute of Management - Bangalore (IIMB) www.iimb.ernet.in
3. Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta (IIMC) www.iimcal.ac.in
4. Indian Institute of Management - Lucknow (IIML) www.iiml.ac.in
5. Xavier's Labor Relations Institute - Jamshedpur (XLRI) www.xlri.ac.in
6. Indian Institute of Management - Indore (IIMI) www.iimidr.ac.in
7. Xavier Institute of Management -
8. Indian Institute of Management - Kozikode (IIM-K) www.iimk.ac.in
9. Faculty of Management Studies- Delhi (FMS) www.fms.edu
10. S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research , Mumbai (SPJIMR) - www.spjimr.org