I could not score well in CAT and have 1 year at my disposal. What should I do?

A large number of students with a bachelor’s degree opt for an MBA program for their post-graduation because of good job opportunities and high salary packages. However, the top entrance examination for the same i.e. CAT is quite demanding and competitive. This is the reason why only a few students are able to achieve a high percentile that allows them to get a seat in the premium B-schools in India.

If you didn’t score well in CAT this year, you needn’t lose hope. It’s not easy to get the desired results in the first attempt. However, the question is, what to do now?

There are two main paths to choose from after failing to get a high score in the CAT examination depending on your current status and requirements. These are:

Applying at a tier-2 institute

There are a variety of business schools in India. Naturally, the more reputed the institute is, the higher is the CAT percentile they demand. For instance, the cut-off percentile for the IIMs is 80 or 90. However, if you have scored low, you can pick a less-reputed but decent institute. You can even get admission in good institutes through management quota.

Studying Harder

If you are confident that you can greatly improve on your results and get a better percentile in the second attempt, then you can drop out and focus on your studies. However, for it to work, it’s important that you plan everything. From picking the right coaching institute to creating a timeline for the subjects you want to study and master, everything should be planned and have measurable results.

Since 12 months is a long time, you can get a part-time job too. This way, you can get some job experience which can come in handy in your college interviews. Plus, it will help you earn a decent living that you can use to pay for your education.

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