My MBA Prep

CAT 2006

2006-11-21T21:07:00.000-08:00

What was the change?
CAT 2006: To describe the paper, we quote an old saying: Change is the only constant!
The nail-biting suspense regarding the structure and composition of CAT 2006 finally ended on November 19. The 300-mark paper had a lean look [almost anorexic], with just 75 questions. Each question carried four marks. There was no differential marking. The penalty for every wrong answer was 1 mark. Another departure from the norm was that there were five options instead of the usual four.
The Quantitative and Data Interpretation sections were easier compared to the earlier years but the English section was high voltage, with extremely close options and called for exemplary logical ability.

As we have always maintained, the test focused on reasoning and comprehension skills and discouraged “mechanical preparedness”.

The Visible Change
Overall Test : 3 sections 75 questions
Section I : Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning - 25 questions
Section II : Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension - 25 questions
Section III : Problem Solving - 25 questions

The breakup of questions was as follows:

The Real Change:

The Real Change is the decisive shift towards reasoning-intensiveness. The CAT wants to test your conceptual clarity and application skills. The reason for 5 options was to eliminate the ‘short-cut’ approach.

It was perfectly in sync with the IIMs’ philosophy of placing emphasis on reasoning intensive questions and not technique-based questions. Our emphasis has always been on building accuracy and application skills. If you carefully analyse and compare the CAT with the SimCATs, you will find many similarities.

The Analysis of the three sections:

Section I: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
As in the past few years, this section was once again reasoning-intensive with a minimal need for calculations. However, this section was far easier as compared to last year. This section comprised 25 questions based on DI (20 questions) and LR (5 questions). Out of the four sets in DI, two were reasoning-based and two were calculation-based. One should have attempted the set based on traffic flow and the set based on board exams. The set based on Erdos numbers was difficult to interpret but easy to solve. The LR set was the easiest set in the section. One could have attempted 3 out of 5 sets in the stipulated time to meet the cut-offs.

The breakup of questions was as follows:

Section II: Verbal Ability
The English Section was challenging and had logic as the only decisive element. Clearly, reasoning ruled the roost. Old favourites like vocabulary-based questions, grammar-based questions and jumbled paragraphs were given a burial. Instead, we had five Fact-Inference-Judgement questions which were definitional in nature. Once you were clear about the stated definitions, you could have solved the questions confidently. ‘Providing the conclusion’ type questions were five in number and tested your understanding of the given text. Reading Comprehension comprised three dense passages that had mostly interpretative and inferential questions. If your logical skills were in place, you could have solved this section without heartbreak. Careful reading, comprehension & interpretation could yield the right answers.

The breakup of questions was as follows:

Section III: Problem Solving
Unlike the past few years, the PS section turned out to be the easiest of the lot. If one devoted 50 minutes to this section, one could easily score around 50 to 60 marks right here. The section covered all the four areas of Math viz, Arithmetic, Algebra, Modern Maths and Geometry. Thus to perform well, a student needed to be equally competent in all the four areas. The questions tested basic fundamentals as well as strong reasoning skills and decision-making abilities. It was crucial for a student to know when to apply conventional methods and when to evaluate options for managing time efficiently.

The breakup of questions was as follows:

Now, we deal with the all-important query in the student’s mind:
What could be the probable cut-offs?

The cut-offs:

Overall score

Please note that these are generalized indicators without taking into consideration a student’s academic profile, work experience etc.

It’s so obvious!

2006-09-24T21:31:00.001-07:00

Are you confused over which career path to choose, what steps to take, where to learn? Well if the task seems so frightening even to read about, let’s consider a simpler task. How about making yourself adaptable to any career you would choose for yourself? This article will elaborate on how successful individuals mould their careers and the basic skills they possess which enable them to make these decisions.

How does a career take shape?

Careers in the past were comparatively more secure, predictable and seldom required planning. Today, a plethora of career options is open to the young generation. However these careers demand multiple skills, planning and could be short term - at least in the initial stages. But how does a career take shape in these turbulent times? Let’s look at an example.

The author of this article knows a student who completed his bachelors in chemical engineering from Nagpur and masters in the same subject from USA. During masters, this student worked on a project with a medical school. The project involved some mathematical modeling wherein coupled with the knowledge of chemistry and biology, he also applied knowledge of computer programming that he had learned during his bachelors.

This project and the two years of intensive postgraduate studies transformed him into a chemical engineer possessing the knowledge of biology and a strong computer experience. After passing out, he joined a pharmaceutical company as a Computational Drug Designer. The company was looking out for a chemical engineer having the knowledge of statistics, computers and biology. Now who could have been a more perfect fit than this student?

Overtly, this might appear to be a flawlessly molded career. Let’s look at the story again. The student, who we referred to, “had no interest” in chemical engineering, however pursued it because “he had no choice.” Likewise he also pursued the masters in the same subject because “it was logical” to do so. On the other hand, he learned computer programming because “he was passionate” about it. In all, he made it a point to make the most of whatever came along and excelled in every examination.

Wait, there is more!

A year after his SUCCESSFUL stint at the pharmaceutical company, he realized that Research is not his passion and cannot be a life long affair. Conversely, the business aspect of the drug designing especially the venture capital in the biotechnology industry caught his interest. He then figured out that his knowledge of the biotechnology industry coupled with an MBA in Finance would be a definite qualification to get into this challenging and multidimensional field. To strengthen his business school application and gain core knowledge in finance, he is now working as a business data analyst with a marketing company and also pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst course in USA. If he succeeds, which is highly likely, his career decisions would appear logical and correct in retrospect. Let’s leave it to time.

But the fundamental questions remain – What enabled this individual to make and then carry through these “logical” and “obvious” career decisions? Why not each one of us does the same? May be, before and during his journey, the student in discussion, identified and developed a set of skills, attitudes and habits, which many of us comfortably ignore to build.

Preparing the ground

Browse through the success literature and you will be presented with innumerable suggestions about the qualities and skills one should possess to be successful. If you are not discerning enough, chances are that you would get entangled in the theory rather than get inspired to take a constructive action. Hence let’s not discuss perseverance, determination, commitment, hard work, confidence and so on. Instead, following succinct points should help you prepare a ground as you carve a career path for yourself.

English Language

Have you come across articles, which quote that on a global play field India has an advantage of an English speaking population? But how many of us can really utilize the English language to our benefit? Can you understand spoken and written English well? Can you read and enjoy good books written in English? Even if you read, do you read those books till the end or do you leave those halfway on the pretext of boredom. May be in reality, you find the book unexciting due to your inability to comprehend it. How much knowledge and pleasure we deny ourselves when we fail to make the efforts to study English (or for that matter any other language)? A daily ritual of reading quality newspapers & magazines, listening to the news, writing a page, would over a period equip you to understand more things in a better way. A formal English enhancement program, which transcends beyond mere spoken English, may also prove helpful.

Reading

The world is getting competitive and those with knowledge and information shall lead, period. Unfortunately acquiring knowledge is still viewed as a chore to be undertaken with the sole intention of getting through university examinations. Quite the opposite, reading widely is a way to transform a flood of information into knowledge and using it to advance in ones life. Articles and books covering business, finance, technology, current events, should be sought after. Reading business books, say, would help you understand the way organizations work, the different aspects of a business viz. personal selling, HR policies and business confidentiality. This in turn would give you a wider perspective while choosing a career path. Along with academic studies, establish a habit of reading voraciously. Once inculcated, the habit of reading effectively for two or three hours a day should then be followed religiously.

Interpersonal Skills

Are you among those graduates who are eager to pursue professional degree courses as a quick fix to a great career? But, have you worked upon your Interpersonal skills? Your success in a professional course and a subsequent career would depend largely upon how effectively you interact with others, handle office politics and how assertively you deal with difficult colleagues. Sans this skill, talented & hard working individuals end up fighting interpersonal conflicts at work places at the cost their career ambitions nurtured since long. Taking up a job during (or after graduation) or giving oneself an opportunity to sharpen this skill would prove helpful in the long run.

Communication

It is said that the way we communicate to others and ourselves determines the quality of our lives and career. This communication could be in any form viz. your conversation with a colleague, your body language, a request, a letter, an email, a speech, your application for a job and even your internal dialogue. Strive to control the way you listen and speak. During conversations, avoid fruitlessly referring to the past, bring conversations to the present and suggest future possibilities to get desired results. If you make a request, say exactly what you want, when you want and whom you want it from. Your perception of yourself determines your confidence and your abilities. Hence replace negative internal dialogue with positive self-images and try to internalize the same in your daily conversations with yourself. However do not fall in trap of “techniques”. Focus more on the result than on the tool.

Passion

Somewhere I read, “Being passionate is God saying Hallo!” Be passionate about, say, your hobbies, your studies and your dreams. Learn everything under the sun about it. Don’t be amazed when this habit puts you in the top league in your career. Be focused, joyous and passionate in whatever you do and you will perhaps never require a manual to teach you How to build an Impressive Personality.

In his autobiography- Every Street is Paved with Gold- Kim Woo Chung, the founder director of Daewoo quoted “Be humble and learn. We don’t need people who merely stand around looking good.” The message is clear. Get going. Who knows, some day, the path you travel may inspire thousands.

And it would all appear so obvious!

(Shantanu Deshmukh, PGDBM – K. J. Somaiya, Mumbai, Assistant Manager - Marketing, IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd., Nagpur. Email: shantanu.deshmukh@gmail.com)

Accounting and Finance a good career choice

2006-09-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

Fiscally Fit

With the Indian economy literally riding the crest of the wave (the Sensex crossing 11,000), it’s indeed thumbs up for the booming finance sector. Finance as a lucrative career option has come a long way from being associated with LIC agents and Banking professionals to Portfolio managers and Corporate Finance advisors. Few years ago, number crunchers had few options; whereas today’s geniuses in investments and equities have a basketful of refreshing variety to choose from, to stay ‘fiscally fit’. With global private equity funds like Fidelity and Temasek Holdings and Insurance majors like AIG betting big on the country, the finance sector is just becoming a rich hunting ground for job seekers.

Fiscally Growing
Given this background, it is needless to say that the sector in which the crux is money and finance, monetary gains are also among the highest. India has begun to reflect the global pattern, where most heads of fund management companies are paid higher than their counterparts in other sectors.
In order to maintain international standards or to go global, asset management companies (both private equity and mutual funds) are trying to get talent from global markets into India and consequently, have to pay competitive compensation. That’s another reason for soaring salaries.

Fiscally Healthy
As far as the speculation of industry professionals go, it’s definitely going to be an upswing for the finance sector. At present, the finance sector is getting transformed into a technology-intensive and customer-friendly model with a focus on convenience. The role of an integrated financial infrastructure is to stimulate and sustain economic growth. Finance will have a significant contribution in propelling India forward as a global economic power.

to read more visit: http://forum.imsindia.com/viewtopic.php?p=1311#1311

CAT/MBA wallpapers

2006-08-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

CAT key Dates

2006-08-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

Last date for receipt of completed CAT Applications: 9th September, 2006

Dispatch dates for Admit Cards:16th October, 2006

Date after which IIM should be contacted (in case of non receipt of Admit Card) :3rd November, 2006

Common Admission Test:19th November 2006

Call for interview sent by:2nd January, 2007

Interview Schedule:February - March, 2007

To view CAT notification visit www.imsindia.com