Management education encompasses a wide range of philosophies, techniques and topics that help to produce adept managers. Successful managers are able to tackle complex situations and relationships with clients in any organization with much ease and élan.
Besides providing the basic management capabilities, the management education enables them to develop a global perspective, presentation skills, team building capabilities and problem solving skills. The postgraduate courses in management with specialization in different areas equip the students to face the ever advancing corporate world. These are the ones who can survive in an environment of cut throat competition, globalization and fast changing technologies.
Management education not only enables a person to manage complexities and unpredictable situations in the corporate world, but it also equips them to effectively handle the familiar problems in daily life leading to happy and satisfying lifestyles. It hones the leadership qualities. Thus this actually is the overall personality development of an individual.
Thanks to the rapid economic growth world over, management education is a rage in India today. Every graduate irrespective of his/her stream of study aspires to have an MBA add-on to his/her qualification. An MBA has been viewed as a necessary armour one should posses before jumping headlong to the corporate world. However, some serving professionals too sometimes either pursue a part time MBA programme or take a sabbatical to pursue postgraduate management degrees.
There are over 1800 institutes in India offering postgraduate management degrees. In addition to these, many foreign institutes lure the Indian students with their state-of-the-art facilities. But everybody is not lucky to secure admission as the aspirants are screened at the entry level itself through entrance/aptitude tests. Management tests aim to find out the standard of knowledge and the aptitude of the candidate. Various tests are conducted at the national, state, university and institution levels. Some of these exams are used by multiple institutes as a part of their admission process. Some others like ISB, Hyderabad consider GMAT Scores. A large of number of candidates appears for the exam hoping to get a seat in the institute of their choice.
Some of the main management entrance exams in India are as follows:
ATMA: AIMS Test for Management Admission is held at the national level for postgraduate management courses by the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS). It is a single-window test for admissions to the institutes of the AIMS network comprising over 350 Indian management schools in various national and international forums.
CEMAT: The Commonwealth Executive Management Admission Test is conducted by the Indira Gandhi Open University twice a year for admission into the Commonwealth Executive Master of Business Administration (CEMBA) and Commonwealth Executive Master of Public Administration (CEMPA) programmes.
Common Admission Test (CAT): It is conducted by the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) every year. The IIMs are located in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Shillong, Ranchi and Rothak. The CAT score is considered for admission to about 40 other institutes apart from the IIMs.
IBSAT: The ICFAI Business School Aptitude Test is conducted by the ICFAI Business School every year. It is conducted for admission to the two-year postgraduate management programme or the one-year executive management programme. The ICFAI has a wide network of business schools spread across the country in cities such as Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Goa, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangalore, Mumbai, Noida and Pune.
Mh CET: The Maharashtra CET is conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education for MBA and MMS seats and is accepted by around 300 institutes in Maharashtra. The scores are also accepted by the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, PUMBA-Pune University and others.
GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is conducted for admissions to management programs in over 1900 institutions all over the world.
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) MBA Admission Test: The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade conducts its admission test every year. IIFT has campuses in New Delhi and Kolkata.
Management Aptitude Test (MAT): All India Management Association conducts the MAT for admission into management and related courses.
JMET: Joint Management Entrance Test is conducted for admission to postgraduate programmes in management offered by IITs.
SNAP Test: The Symbiosis National Aptitude Test is for admission to postgraduate courses offered at all the constituent colleges/institutes of Symbiosis International University.
XAT: The Xavier Admission Test (XAT) is conducted for admission into Xavier business schools and some other top MBA colleges in India.
OPENMAT: The Open Management Admission Test is conducted by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for admission into various distance learning management programmes.
FMS Entrance Test: The Delhi-based Faculty of Management Studies conducts the entrance test every year for admission into various management courses.
JBIMS Entrance Exam: Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS) entrance exam is conducted for admitting students to three-year part time master degree programmes in management studies.
NUIM Entrance Test: Nirma University Institute of Management (NUIM) Entrance Test is conducted for admissions to management programmes, at postgraduate and doctorate levels.
BIMT Admission Test: Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMT) Test is conducted by the institute, for admissions to various courses in the field of management studies.
Some institutes offer five-year integrated postgraduate programmes in management.
Exam pattern
Generally, the management programmes are open to all streams of study. The entrance tests are aimed to assess the aptitude of the candidate and the general skills as expected of a future manager/organiser. The entrance tests are of multiple-choice type, where each question is provided with multiple options/answers (generally four choices) and the candidate is expected to choose the right one. However, the pattern of the entrance test may vary from institute to institute and it changes every year. The number of questions per section and the marks assigned for a correct answer in each section may also vary. Most of the exams cover the following aspects, but they may or may not have all of them.
1. Written Test
2. Group Discussion
3. Personal Interview
4. Essay Writing
5. Psychometric Test
6. Group Task
7. Management Games
Written Test
The written exam tests the aptitude of the candidate in various fields and consists of questions related to them.
(i) Quantitative ability test: It assesses the students in the areas of Mathematics like Number Systems, Percentages, HCF and LCM, Ratios and Proportions, Profit and Loss, Interests, Time-Work, Time-Distance, Clocks, Calendars, Set Theory, Quadratics, Remainder Theorem, Functions, Permutations, Probability, Trigonometry etc.
(ii) Verbal Section: It covers Grammar, Sentence Correction, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension and Verbal Analogies
(iii) Data interpretation: Here the candidates are required to study the data provided in the form of tables, charts, graphs etc. and answer the related questions.
(iv) Logical Reasoning/Ability: Common logic is applied to answer the questions pertaining to Analogies, Logical Clustering, Mathematical Logic, Critical Reasoning, Puzzles etc.
(v) General Awareness: The questions in this section pertain to current and past issues of national and global consequence, economics, general knowledge etc.
The duration of the written test is generally 2 to 3 hours with questions ranging from 150 -200. The accuracy and speed of answering the questions are extremely important as these ultimately indicate the ability of the candidate to handle the pressures. Since each section is intended to measure specific skills, no section should be left unattempted. A minimum mark has to be scored in each section to be eligible for being considered for overall ranking. Incorrect answers invite negative marks.
Group Discussion
Some business institutes adopt Group Discussions in the selection process while some do not. Students qualifying in the entrance test are invited for a Group Discussion. For every single seat offered 6 to 12 candidates are invited. The candidates discuss the topic given to them with the faculty for about 15 – 25 minutes. The Group Discussion assesses the behavior, communication skills, contribution of ideas facilitating a discussion, the range and depth of candidate’s knowledge on topics of general interest and initiative and leadership qualities.
Personal Interview
The Personal Interview follows the Group Discussion. Here in addition to the validation of the information provided by the candidate in the application form, his/her suitability for the management programme is assessed on basis of various personal attributes.
But the selection is the sum total of the criteria like academic performance, performance in the written test , group discussions and personal interview as well as work experience in case of managers.
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