The CAT 2025 exam is a national-level MBA entrance test for IIMs and top B-schools in India. It will be held on 30th November 2025 in computer-based mode across ~170 cities.
The registration is open from 1st August to 13th September 2025 on
iimcat.ac.in
.
Admit cards will be available from 5th November 2025 onward.
Graduates with at least 50 marks (45 for SC/ST/PwD) are eligible to apply.
The exam tests English, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude in three timed sections.
MBA After Graduation vs Work Experience: Which Path is Right for You?
Upcoming Event
CAT Admit Card Date:05 Nov' 25 - 30 Nov' 25
An MBA is a prestigious degree that will enhance students' career by providing them with reliable skills. Being a fresh graduate has its own perks. But at the same time, they may lack insight into real-world issues. People with few years of work experience have a good understanding of the corporate world and how things work. So, students are wondering whether it is better to pursue MBA after graduation or MBA after working experience. Check out this article to know more about who can pursue MBA.
This Story also Contains
- MBA after Graduation or Work Experience?
- MBA after Graduation Vs Work Experience
- Different MBA Specialisations and Scope
- 6 Benefits of Pursuing an MBA after Graduation
- Disadvantages of Pursuing an MBA After Graduation
- Advantages of Pursuing an MBA after Work Experience
- Disadvantages of Pursuing an MBA after Work Experience
- Thoughts on MBA after Graduation or Work Experience
MBA after Graduation or Work Experience?
Students are enthusiastic, young, and creative and can come up with innovative solutions to problems. It is true that pursuing an MBA after graduation has benefits. Students have a lot of energy and are in the mindset of learning, not making money.
It will give them the psychology of experimentation, trying new things and finding innovative solutions to problems. But, on the other hand, candidates with some work experience have practical knowledge and know what works in the real corporate world.
Check out the list MBA Colleges in India
MBA after Graduation Vs Work Experience
Whether you are a fresh graduate or someone with work experience, both situations have certain advantages and disadvantages. Fresh graduates are less competitive compared to candidates with work experience, as colleges try to maintain a definite class profile with a certain minimum percentage of fresh graduates.
The advantage of pursuing an MBA after graduation is that you are on a learning curve and your education is not interrupted by working. This makes it easier to learn in a college environment and can do jobs and projects much faster than someone with a few years of work experience.
However, there are some advantages to doing an MBA after gaining work experience, too. Most companies prefer a candidate with a few years of experience because it makes it easier to train the employee to new work conditions. You'll understand concepts faster and better because you can see them in the context of work.
Check out Career Options After MBA and Salary
Different MBA Specialisations and Scope
An MBA is like an ocean of opportunities. It is very important to intelligently analyse your area of interest and check if it matches your career expectations.
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International Finance and Accounting (integrated with ACCA) |
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Digital Business |
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Apart from these, there are dual MBA specialisations where one can opt for a combined purpose and opportunities to excel twice in your career.
Know more about the Top Dual Degree in MBA Colleges in India
6 Benefits of Pursuing an MBA after Graduation
Some of the advantages of opting for an MBA after graduation include:
1. Enhanced Knowledge: An MBA programme will give candidates the skills they need to succeed in their chosen career. Specialised MBA programmes are helpful for those who focus on a particular field. This opens up many new opportunities.
2. A Good Start and Career Opportunity: An MBA graduate starts fast and earns well. Employers are ready to hire an MBA immediately because they were qualified during their studies. They don't have to struggle much to get a job.
3. Personal as Well as Professional Skills: Studying MBA is always beneficial for students, as it not only provides professional training but also makes them more positive by improving their personalities. By pursuing MBA after graduation, students will improve their personal skills in addition to professional skills and become more positive about navigating the corporate world.
4. Hard to Make the Correct Choice at this Stage: Making the right choice regarding your MBA programme is very important. Before you gain professional experience, it can be a bit difficult to develop a clear career plan.
5. Reduced Chances of Acceptance at Top Bschools: Most of the leading Bschools require students to contribute to discussions related to business and the corporate world. This can only be achieved if students have some professional experience. As compared to freshmen, those with more knowledge are more likely to study at top B-schools.
6. Opportunities for Networking and Socialising: MBA aspirants get a lot of opportunities to work as interns in leading companies and learn a lot of new things about the corporate world throughout their internship. This will benefit them once they start working.
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Disadvantages of Pursuing an MBA After Graduation
Some of the disadvantages of opting for an MBA after graduation include;
Limit to Learnings: As an MBA student with no work to show or relate to, it can be difficult to connect subjects with real practice. Also, as a newbie, they have little professional knowledge about their field and all their knowledge comes from others.
Reduced Acceptance Rates: Once you clear the CAT exam, work experience gets a candidate more marks before the entrance exam. If you're a fresher, you should make the most of your CV by listing some volunteer experience, projects, internships, or small entrepreneurial experience to offset any work experience.
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Advantages of Pursuing an MBA after Work Experience
When it comes to your career, experience matters. Whether you're applying for a job or applying for graduate education, for example, an MBA programme, you'll always be evaluated based on your experience and how you can apply it to your chosen programme or career. Pre-MBA work experience provides a platform for students to build upon during their studies.
- Soft Skills: After being a part of the corporate world for a while, you will develop soft skills. For example, it includes interpersonal and communication skills that are essential in the corporate world. Work environments provide many opportunities to develop such skills.
- More Clarity: If students choose to work for a few years before studying for an MBA, they will be clear about what they want or their approach to a particular goal. After students have a set of defined career goals, they can apply to the MBA programme of their choice.
- More Practical Experience: A person with a few years of experience is more likely to grasp management principles when trained in a classroom setting. With practice, they will get a better grip on different things.
Disadvantages of Pursuing an MBA after Work Experience
There are no disadvantages in pursuing MBA or PGDM after gaining a significant amount of work experience. Work experience plays an important role in the application process and B-schools tend to give preference to graduates with previous work experience.
However, it is important to remember that if a person with specific work experience is applying for an occupation that is not compatible with the previous industry they worked in, it is for on-campus recruitment that is conducted after graduation, which does not count as relevant experience. This means that the importance given to his experience will decrease.
Since an MBA degree is considered one of the most important degrees of a student's life, it makes sense to weigh their options and then make a decision after analysing the pros and cons of both.
Thoughts on MBA after Graduation or Work Experience
People pursuing an MBA degree after graduation or after work experience depend on their goals and motivation. It totally depends on them. Some people are sensitive and learn a lot by keeping their eyes open.
And some are self-starters. An MBA will give them some basics, but they'll need a lot of practical experience to quickly put it together and make it work before they lose it. Remember that an MBA won't make people entrepreneurs, but it will give them an understanding of "numbers"-a valuable skill in an ever-increasingly complex world.
An MBA is not a promise of success. MBAs will help students a lot after they have some years of field experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the salary of MBA with 10 years experience?
A:
An average MBA salary after 10 years of work experience can vary significantly, but the salary falls between Rs 15 to 20 lakhs to Rs 25 to 35 lakhs per annum in India.
Q: Can I do MBA without cat exam?
A:
Yes, candidates can [pursue an MBA without CAT entrance exam, candidates can take other entrance test like MAT, XAT, GMAT, or NMAT etc. OR by applying to colleges that offers direct MBA admission based on academic performance, interviews, or work experience.
Q: Which IIM prefers work experience?
A:
Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta etc gives weightage to work experience as well.
Q: Is it better to do MBA after work experience?
A:
Barring a few minor ones, there are no major drawbacks to pursuing an MBA with a few years of work experience. Management schools give more importance to professionals than freshmen.
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At KIMS Amalapuram, the internship stipend for MBBS students is generally reported to be around 20,000 per month, though some students have mentioned that in certain years no stipend was provided at all, which means it can vary depending on the policies in place at the time of your internship. To get the most accurate and updated information, it is always best to confirm directly with the college administration or recent interns, but on average, you can expect a stipend in the range of 18,000-20,000 per month during the compulsory rotating internship.
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Yes, you can pursue an MBA at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, through the CAT exam.
Eligibility Criteria:
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Educational Qualification: A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) from a recognized university.
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Entrance Exam: A valid CAT score is required for admission.
Admission Process:
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Application: Register online through the BBAU admission portal.
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Entrance Exam: Appear for the CAT exam and obtain a valid score.
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Counseling: Shortlisted candidates will be called for counseling based on their CAT scores.
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Document Verification: Submit necessary documents for verification.
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Fee Payment: Complete the fee payment to confirm admission.
Course Details:
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Duration: 2 years (full-time).
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Specializations: Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, among others.
Placement Opportunities:
BBAU has a strong placement record, with top companies recruiting MBA graduates.
For more details and to apply, visit the official BBAU MBA admission page
Popular CAT Questions
Directions for question :
M/s Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, one of the top four audit and accounting firms in the world with headquarters at London, UK, and with an operational presence in 153 countries, hires Management Trainees (MT) from all the premier management institutes of India thrice every year, in the months of January, May and September.
Each new group of Management Trainees (MT) have to go through a four month rigorous training schedule, after which they have to pass through a test consisting of a written assessment and a case-analysis. The top hundred ranked Management Trainees (MT) based on the performance in the test are confirmed as Management Executives (ME). The rest are given the opportunity of undergoing the training for four months one more time along with the next batch of Management Trainees (MT) and then passing through the subsequent test consisting of the written assessment and case-analysis. The Management Trainee (MT) who fails to get confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) the second time is fired.
The scatter-graph below depicts the number of Management Trainees (MT) at Deloitte taking the tests from January 2020 till May 2022, and the vis-à-vis hired Management Trainees (MT) at Deloitte who were fired :
It is also known that for the month of September 2019 at Deloitte, 96 hired Management Trainees (MT) failed to be confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) the first time, and that 36 hired Management Trainees (MT) were fired.
Question :
In which test did the minimum number of Management Trainees (MT) get confirmed as a Management Executive (ME) in the second attempt ?
Option: 1
September 2020
Option: 2
May 2021
Option: 3
January 2021
Option: 4
January 2022
Directions for question:
The bar-graph given below shows the foreign exchange reserves of Nepal (in million Rupees) from 2014 to 2021. Answer the following questions based on the graph :
Question:
What was the percentage increase (rounded to the nearest integer, if deemed necessary) in the foreign exchange reserves in 2020 over 2016 ?
Option: 1 None
Option: 2 None
Option: 3 None
Option: 4 None
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