Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024
After results of most of the MBA exams including CAT 2024, XAT 2024, IIFT entrance exam, SNAP exam candidates focus must be shifted to their admission options to different B-schools depending on your scores or percentile in different MBA exams. But what if they have not fared well in your MBA exams like CAT and XAT? What options do you have after scoring low in CAT or XAT? How can you still get into a top B-school? Careers360 brings you advice on your next steps towards your MBA dream.
You might be disappointed with your MBA exam results, but you should not lose heart as you may still get calls from B-schools which give very low weightage to MBA exam scores like CAT or XAT. Such B-schools shortlist candidates with percentile range as low as 50 to 60 or above.
Thus, you should explore your B-school options based on your existing CAT and XAT percentile.
Besides CAT and XAT scores, such B-schools look for other components like academic profile, extra-curricular activity, soft skills, personal traits, attitude and social behavior along with many other personal characteristics while finalizing admission offers. In many B-schools CAT or XAT scores carry only 20-30 per cent weightage in their selection process. Thus, despite your low percentile in CAT or XAT, many B-schools may shortlist you as the MBA exam scores are not the deciding factor for them. If you find B-schools which can shortlist you basis your existing CAT/XAT percentile, you can still apply to them provided they are open for applications.
Shortlist the B-Schools before they shortlist you. Predict your college with our CAT/XAT Pathfinder Tool
If you are still not satisfied with the B-school options that you are getting based on your CAT and XAT scores, you must now gear up for other MBA exams which are scheduled to be conducted in next two months. You can explore admission opportunities in top B-schools for academic year 2025-26 by taking two more MBA exams - CMAT and MAH CET entrance exam.
A good score in CMAT can bring you admission opportunities to top B-schools accepting CMAT like JBIMS- Mumbai, DMS -NIT Durgapur, SIMSREE-Mumbai amongst public institutions and Great Lakes Institute of Management- Chennai, Prin. LN Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research- Mumbai, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research- Mumbai, Institute of Public Enterprise-Hyderabad, Balaji Institute of Modern Management (BIMM) –Pune, Jaipuria Institute of Management – Lucknow, PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore amongst many other private B-schools in India.
Similarly, a good score in MAH CET will bring you admission opportunity at over 400 B-schools in the state of Maharashtra. Top B-schools which accept MAH-CET scores include JBIMS- Mumbai, SIMSREE-Mumbai, DMS (PUMBA)-Pune amongst public institution besides many other top private B-schools.
So, what should be your next steps now? Since important MBA exams are scheduled in next few months and many B-schools are scheduling their GD-PI in coming weeks also, your preparation for written test and GD-PI should go side by side.
As you would have already prepared your basic during your preparation for exams like CAT and XAT, you should now go back to CMAT syllabus and MAH CET syllabus to cross-check your preparedness for the two exams. You should plan your preparation strategy for the two exams very carefully because you may also have to continue your preparation for GD-PI as many B-schools may shortlist you despite your low score. Toppers however advise that you should not start a new topic for written test now. Instead, you should revise the topics that you have already covered for CAT and XAT exams.
Careers360 has launched a prep meter tool where you can check how prepared you are to score well in CMAT and MAH CET.
Get your personalized preparation report and improvement plan. Analyze your preparation level with “CMAT Prepmeter” and “MAH-CET Prepmeter"
For any doubts and questions related to MBA exam pattern, preparation and other related queries, students can call the MBA Exam Helpline at 011-40360360.
If your CAT results and XAT results are not satisfactory and you still want to enter Indian Institute of Management (IIM) or XLRI Jamshedpur, you should seriously start afresh with a long term plan for MBA admission in academic year 2025-27.
An early preparation strategy may give you an edge over the other CAT/XAT aspirants who begin preparation after the admissions to this academic year is over.
Stay tuned to bschool.careers360.com for more news and updates on MBA admissions.
CAT 2024 was conducted on November 24, 2024.
IIM Kolkata conducted CAT 2024.
Hello Aspirant,
On the CAT form, you should put your name exactly as it is on your class 10 marksheet, as that will be the official educational record. Then during document verification, you can bring a Gazette notification or affidavit for name change so that documents can match your Aadhaar.
Hello aspirant,
The CUSAT CAT 2025 inaugural real-time spot admission will take place at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) from August 4–6. For admission to a variety of undergraduate (B.Tech) and graduate (MSc) programs, the Common Admission Test, or CUSAT CAT, is an entrance exam. Every year, it features sections in mathematics/biology, chemistry, and physics.
For complete information, you can visit our site through following link:
https://www.careers360.com/exams/cusat-cat
Thank you
Hello Aspirant,
Yes, if your caste is listed under Central OBC and you come under the category of Non-Creamy Layer, then you shall be eligible for the OBC-NCL reservation in the CAT exam and IIM admissions, irrespective of its being categorized as OEC in Kerala. Remember to get a valid OBC-NCL certificate obtained as per the format prescribed by the Government of India.
Hey Vijay:)
Thanks for reaching out!
OEC,(Other Eligible Communities) is a state-specific reservation category used in Kerala,and it is not recognised as a separate category in central-level exams like the CAT.
For Central govt exams candidates must choose from the recognised categories: General,SC,ST,OBC-NCL,EWS or PwD.If your community is listed under OEC-SC or OEC-ST in Kerala,you should check whether it falls under SC or ST in the central list and apply accordingly.
Similarly,If your OEC community is in the central OBC list and you meet the non-creamy layer(NCL)rules,you can apply as OBC-NCL, otherwise you need to apply under the general category.
You can verify caste's status in the central list on the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) website.
Hope this clears your doubt!
You can easily get CAT previous year question papers online in PDF format, with solutions too. Websites like CollegeDunia, Careers360, SelfStudys, Cracku, and Aglasem have papers from CAT 2024, 2023, 2022… even back to the 1990s.
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