Plethora of Options..!!

One of the first decisions that one has to make after he/she decides to appear in CAT is the choice of a good coaching Institute. With over hyped B- school placement figures and the current recession scenario, it seems like almost every eligible person in this country wants to go for an MBA. One segment that makes merry of this kind of climate is the Education Service Providers (more wanna be’s >> More training required >> More Training = More Profit). Millions of coaching centers have sprung up for Management Entrance Exams right in front of my eyes in the past 5-6 years. The marketing strategies and Success Ratio figures that are advertised would surely put the executives of many well known blue chip companies to shame.

Well for me the choice was always between TIME, Career Launcher and IMS, i.e. the Big Three of Management Education Service Providers. I have always been biased towards TIME frankly because it has the best Mock Test series in India. The questions asked in Time’s AIMCATs are shockingly close in difficulty level to the real CAT(Opinions may vary on this..!!) . Having said that, the past track record of both IMS and Career Launcher is as good as that of TIME or any other Management Entrance Training Provider in this country.

I am not in the mood for classroom programs because of the obvious reasons of scarcity of time (moi being a working entity). Hence, I’ve opted for Career Launcher’s Study material and a couple of other modules (Test Gym and CAT Scan…. which translates to numerous Topic Wise Tests and Previous years CAT papers and strategies respectively). This is an added bonus since I already have the study material from TIME (being an ex time student... a year and a half back ….Final year of College). The test series does not start for another month so I have decided to push that to the back of my mind for the time being…. Although I have a nagging suspicion past experience has already influenced my grey cells on a decision.

Humble Beginnings........

As the title of this blog suggests, it is about a CAT story…. For the unacquainted and the inquisitive few, the Common Admission Test (or CAT as it is popularly known as) is an entrance exam to get into the elite management institutes (read IIMs) of our country. So what is the fuss about this exam? Well only the fact that more than 2, 50,000 students sweat it out every year to fight for 1400 odd seats. Statistically speaking, it is much easier to get admitted into any of the world renowned institutes like Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford etc than to reserve your seat at the hallowed halls of the IIMs (The selection rate is a dreadfully low 0.5 % of the total applicants.)

The journey from beginning your preparation to entering the Mecca of Management Education (in India at least) is a daunting one. Although it depends upon the individual, it typically takes one year of perspiration and resolute perseverance to even consider the prospect of making it (exceptions are always present…. Some people are born with it and some do not have what it takes..however hard they try..!!)

Well it’s been about one week since I really decided to embark on this journey. Having appeared for this exam twice before I have a fair idea on the ecstasy and distress that lie ahead. It is going to be one crazy ride till November 2010 (Till March 2011 if I crack it) filled with Highs and lows, anxiety, stress, relief, delight, pressure and a whole lot of other emotions. This is the Third time that I’d be attempting this examination. With decent scores in the first two endeavors, I believe it is high time to put the foot down for one final stroke of oomph and cross the finishing line this time. I had promised myself to document each and every twist & turn as I trotted on the road towards my goal. This blog is a fulfillment of that promise. Future posts will track my life as it unfolds. Whether or not I reach my target will depend entirely on the effort made in the next few months. I sure as hell, do not want to be found lacking..!!