The Counselling for CAT examination is not conducted by CAT. The Indian Institutes of Management don't conduct common counseling, neither they allot colleges. The selection of the candidate is based on their CAT Result, their Academic Qualification, their relevant Work Experience, their performance in Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) etc.
The candidates who qualify the examination will receive a personalized call letter from the examination authority. The selection process of 9 new IIMs is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak. Remaining IIMs conducts admission individually.
CAT Score is also accepted by numerous other institutes such as FMS, SPJIM, MDI and many more.
CAT Counselling Procedure:
CAT counselling Process involves following steps:
Step 1: Call Letter:
- The candidate will receive the call letter from the authorities on their registered email ID.
- The call letter will include details such as Registration Link, Last Date of Registration, Date-Venue-Slot of WAT and PI.
Step 2: Reporting and Document Verification:
- The candidate is required to report the allocated venue.
- The candidate must carry original and photocopies of the required documents.
List of Documents required during Reporting:
- Class X Mark Sheet and Certificate
- Class XII Mark Sheet and Certificate
- Bachelors' Degree Certificate
- Reservation Certificate, if required
- Interview Letter
- CAT Rank Card
Step 3: Choice Locking:
- Once the document verification is done, visit the official website of the college.
- Fill the registration form
- Select and lock your preferences or choice before submitting the registration form.
- An intimation will be received on the registered email ID or registered mobile number.
- Confirm the seat and visit the allocated institute to submit the allotment order.
Things to know about WAT, GD and PI:
Once the candidate qualifies CAT examination, the admission in the elite institute depends on their performance in Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI).
Written Ability Test (WAT):
- Most of the Indian Institutes of Management conducts WAT to check the candidates' critical thinking ability and how they formulate or communicate their thoughts.
- During WAT, the candidate is required to write an essay on the topic provided by the institute.
- The time duration of WAT varies from 15 minutes to 30 minutes for different IIMs.
- The structure of the essay is considered but the major task is to complete the essay in the given time.
Important Topics:
- Media Influence
- Democracy in India
- Abolition of Triple Talaaq
- Should Petroleum be included in GST?
- Demonetization in India
Group Discussion:
- Most of the institute conducts WAT instead of GD.
- In Group Discussion, the candidates are divided into groups of 8-10 and they are asked to present their views on a given topic.
- The motive of this round is to check how the candidate communicates his ideas clearly.
- This round determines the candidates' ability in understanding group dynamics and managing a team.
Important Topics:
- Donald Trump as the President of America
- Improved performances of Indian players at International Events
- Impact of GST on Indian economy
Personal Interview:
- It is a mandatory round of selection procedure and is conducted by all the IIMs and other B-schools for admissions.
- It carries the weightage of 30 to 40 percent and the interview is taken by the panel of 2-4 interviewers.
Common Questions asked in PI:
- Tell about yourself.
- Why you opt for MBA?
- Why should we select you?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?
Weightage of components considered while preparing the final merit list:
CAT Score: 38
- Bachelors' Marks: 3
- Class XII Marks: 2
- Relevant Work Experience: 2
- Gender: 2
- Academic Discipline: 3
