Great Lakes - PGPM & PGDM 2025
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024 | Extended Application Deadline: 10th Feb 2024
IPMAT or CAT which is better among the two? Well, considering the target audience both the management programs are suited for different types of candidates. The major differentiating factor between the two is the accessibility or eligibility to each program. Candidates can appear for an IPMAT exam right after they finish school but to take the CAT exam a candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university. It depends on a particular candidate's preferences and career goals, and which one is better suited for them.
IPMAT or CAT which is better alternative for a management aspirant. Through IPMAT (Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test) candidates can become eligible for applying to the five-year integrated management program offered by various IIMs and other top B-Schools. CAT on the other hand allows candidates to apply for a regular MBA program offered by any of the MBA colleges across India (given that the particular college accepts CAT scores for MBA admission).
Knowing the major differences between the two MBA entrance exams can provide a defined edge in understanding which is best for them. The key differences between IPMAT and CAT exams are listed in the table given below.
Aspect | IPMAT | CAT |
Purpose | Specific for applying to the IPM program only. | For admission to all kinds of MBA, PGDM, and MMS programs offered by various institutes across the country. |
Target Audience | Primarily for students who have just finished school (10+2). | For graduates wanting to pursue a career in the field of management. |
Exam Structure | Includes exam sections on Quantitative Ability, Quantitative Ability, and Verbal Ability. | Includes three exam sections VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning), and QA (Quantitative Aptitude) |
IPMAT vs CAT difficulty Level | Less difficult. Easy to Moderate | Can be considered between moderate to difficult. |
Frequency | Once every year. | Once every year. |
Admission Process | After the exam, the applicants who clear the IPMAT cutoff for the respective college are required to participate in the GD/PI round for final selection. | Applicants clearing the CAT cutoff for the applied college will have to go through the selection process involving GD/PI rounds. |
Accepting Colleges | All the major B-Schools across India. |
Both the IPMAT and CAT exams are conducted to analyse the language proficiency and logical and quantitative skills of the applicants. The IPMAT exam is 2 hours exam with 120 questions on topics such as Quantitative Ability, Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability and the CAT exam is 2 hours, with questions from topics like Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
The pros and cons of IPMAT and CAT are mentioned below.
IPMAT
Pros | Cons |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CAT
Pros | Cons |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
The ideal situation for a candidate to choose between the IPMAT or CAT exam is described below.
Choose IPMAT if you have recently completed school looking for an early introduction to a management and business administration program. Ideal for candidates who prefer a structured pathway from graduation to post-graduation. But candidates should be able to the program for five whole years.
Choose CAT if you are a graduate with no or some work experience in any professional domain. CAT is ideal for candidates aiming for a wide range of prestigious institutions to pursue an MBA program from and are prepared for a highly competitive admission process.
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024 | Extended Application Deadline: 10th Feb 2024
Last Date of Applications- 20th February |250+ Companies | Highest CTC 16 LPA | Average CTC 8 LPA | Ranked as Platinum Institute by AICTE for 6 years in a row
CAT can be considered better than IPMAT as it is a much more flexible alternative for MBA aspirants. However, candidates wanting a structured management program from graduation to postgraduation can go for IPMAT.
The IPMAT acceptance rate is a mere 0.006 i.e. for every 1000 applicants only 6 or 7 can make it to the final merit list. Apart from the IPMAT score the Personal Interview round also carries a significant weightage in the overall selection process. The weightage of the Personal Interview is 35%.
A good CAT score will depend on the college that a candidate aims for. If the goal is to pursue an MBA from IIMs then a good score would be percentile between 98-99.9. Other than IIMs a percentile between 90-99 would be considered good enough.
The eligibility criteria for IPMAT exam include 60% marks in 12th standard for General category candidates and 55% marks for reserved category candidates. Along with that a valid IPMAT scorecard clearing the cutoff will also be required.
Hello there,
Congratulations on securing a C-CAT Rank of 803 in Category II (A+B) ! With this rank, you have a good chance of securing admission to reputable institutes for the PG-DAC course .
Institute Options Based on Your Rank:
Based on previous cutoff trends, here are some institutes you might consider:
Sunbeam Pune
: Typically accepts ranks below 650. While your rank is slightly above this, it's still worth considering due to possible variations in cutoffs.
IACSD Akurdi Pune
: Generally accepts ranks below 1500, making it a viable option for you.
Sunbeam Karad
: Accepts ranks below 1100, which aligns well with your rank.
VITA Mumbai
: Typically accepts ranks below 1400, making it another suitable choice.
CDAC Kharghar Mumbai
: Accepts ranks below 2400, providing a comfortable margin for your rank.
CDAC Knowledge Park (Bangalore) : Generally accepts ranks below 1900, making it a feasible option.
Preference Filling Strategy:
When filling your institute preferences, consider the following approach:
Prioritize Institutes with Higher Cutoffs
: Start with institutes that have higher cutoff ranks than yours to maximize your chances.
Consider Location and Facilities
: Factor in the institute's location, infrastructure, faculty, and placement records.
Backup Options : Include a few institutes with cutoffs comfortably above your rank as backups.
Suggested Preference Order:
IACSD Akurdi Pune
Sunbeam Karad
VITA Mumbai
CDAC Kharghar Mumbai
CDAC Knowledge Park (Bangalore)
CDAC JUHU Mumbai
YCP Mumbai
MET Mumbai
CDAC Electronic City (Bangalore)
CDAC Hyderabad
Important Considerations:
Cutoff Variations
: Cutoffs can vary each year based on factors like the number of applicants and their performance.
Stay Updated
: Regularly check the official CDAC website and individual institute announcements for the most current information.
Consult Alumni : If possible, reach out to current students or alumni for insights into the institutes you're considering.
By carefully selecting your preferences and staying informed, you can enhance your chances of securing admission to a reputable institute for your PG-DAC course.
I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.
Hello,
Here are some good institutes where you can apply for the PG-DAC course based on your C-CAT rank of 803:
Preference Order for Filling Institutes:
Be sure to check the latest cutoff trends for a more accurate preference list.
You can also use the CAT college predictor tool to predict which college you can get based on your rank or score.
Hope it helps !
Hi,
Based on the previous year analysis, According to your JEE MAINS percentile some of the best management colleges in which you would have chances to admission includes:
You can predict more colleges using the CAT college predictor tool
Hope this information will help you
Hello,
Yes, B Category (Management Quota) students can prepare for exams like UPSC or Bank PO. The type of admission (merit-based or management quota) does not impact your eligibility for these competitive exams.
Hello,
Your chances of being shortlisted for BITS School of Management (BITSOM) with a 90 percentile in CAT 2024, a 9/9/8 academic profile, and 19 months of work experience in a Private Bank Corporation (PBC) are quite good.
Your profile is competitive, and you stand a good chance of being shortlisted for BITSOM. Focus on crafting a strong application, including your SOP and preparing for the interview.
A career as Marketing Director is also known as a marketing expert who is responsible for the overall marketing aspect of the company. He or she oversees plans and develops the company's budget. The marketing Director collaborates with the business team to plan and develop the marketing and branding strategies for the company's products or services.
A Business Development Executive (BDE) is a professional responsible for identifying growth opportunities and fostering strategic partnerships to enhance a company's market position. Typically, a BDE conducts market research, analyses industry trends, and identifies potential clients or business prospects. He or she plays a crucial role in developing and implementing sales strategies to achieve revenue targets.
A BDE often collaborates with cross-functional teams, including marketing and product development, to align business objectives. Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills are essential for success in this role. BDE strives to expand the company's customer base, drive sales, and contribute to overall organisational growth in a dynamic and competitive business environment.
Content Marketing Specialists are also known as Content Specialists. They are responsible for crafting content, editing and developing it to meet the requirements of digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the material created is consistent with the overall aims of a digital marketing campaign, content marketing specialists work closely with SEO and digital marketing professionals.
A sales manager is a revenue-generating source for a company. Any organisation or company which sells a commodity or service requires sales to generate revenue. A Sales manager is a professional responsible for supervising the sales team. An Individual as a sales manager works closely with salespeople, assigns sales territories, sets quotas, mentors the members of the sales, assigns sales training, and builds a sales plan.
The Sales Manager work also includes hiring and laying off sales personnel after evaluating his or her work performance. In bigger entities, sales quotas and plans are usually set at the executive level. He or she is responsible for overseeing the set target or quotas met by salespeople or upholding any policy. He or she guides his or her fellow salespeople and allows them to sell.
Individuals who opt for a career as a business analyst look at how a company operates. He or she conducts research and analyses data to improve his or her knowledge about the company. This is required so that an individual can suggest the company strategies for improving their operations and processes.
In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
A marketing manager is a person who oversees a company or product marketing. He or she can be in charge of multiple programmes or goods or can be in charge of one product. He or she is enthusiastic, organised, and very diligent in meeting financial constraints. He or she works with other team members to produce advertising campaigns and decides if a new product or service is marketable.
A Marketing manager plans and executes marketing initiatives to create demand for goods and services and increase consumer awareness of them. A marketing manager prevents unauthorised statements and informs the public that the business is doing everything to investigate and fix the line of products. Students can pursue an MBA in Marketing Management courses to become marketing managers.
An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns.
Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024 | Extended Application Deadline: 10th Feb 2024
Last Date of Applications- 20th February |250+ Companies | Highest CTC 16 LPA | Average CTC 8 LPA | Ranked as Platinum Institute by AICTE for 6 years in a row
Highest CTC 35 LPA | Median CTC 9.27 LPA | 172+ Recruiters
NAAC A++ Grade | Only Indian University member in the Global Liberal Arts Alliance
National Level Entrance Test | Recognized by Over 200 Top B-Schools across India
India’s first Urban Multidisciplinary University | Case-based pedagogy