Management education is an experience that prepares the students for a bright and ambitious future in the years to come. As the MBA/PGDM/PGPM aspirants gear up to appear in the various entrance exams and test for admission in the top business schools in India, a lot of factors must be kept in mind when choosing the right business school. A big misconception that a lot of people have is that all business schools have a great offering for students in terms of both education and placement. The truth is that the business schools have a wide array of specialties and even the business schools of equal standing which are offering the same specializations, may have a completely different pedagogy than another. Appreciating these differences in the business schools is vital so that you can make the right choice and prepare for the entrance process that will get you in the right business school where you want to reach.

To understand and accurately gauge the advantages that being a student in a business school offer we must first understand what makes that business school different from all the other business schools out there. There are several key factors which make a business school unique. ICFAI Business School is amongst the top management colleges in India and offers tremendous value for the students who would like to start their journey towards a rich management career from here. With a holistic approach towards management education the ICFAI Business School sets itself apart from other leading business schools in India in a variety of ways. Here are a few key factors:

• Strong Industrial Relations: The ICFAI Business School is known for the strong interface that it maintains with the industry which gives the curriculum the much-required focus on the applicability of knowledge in the management program. This ensures that the ICFAI Business School, students do not face challenges of having knowledge that is half cooked and now feasible in the practical world outside. The industry inputs also enable ICFAI Business School to maintain the agility of the curriculum and its delivery so that the education is relevant in not only today’s world, but also has value in the foreseeable future. At ICFAI Business School, various experts from organizations which are leading in their field are invited to dispense their perspective and experiences in form of guest lecturers for the benefit of the students.
• Case Based Learning: ICFAI Business School is one of very few management institutes which has integrated the case study based approach as a primary method of instruction. The management school has a dedicated Case Development Centre (CDC) which has the largest repository of management case studies in the entire Asia Pacific. At ICFAI Business School, there are even a few courses which are taught only through the usage of relevant case studies which are tailored to suit a vast array of management subjects. These help the students in developing a pragmatic, analytical and solution oriented approach while keeping the real world challenges in the picture.
• Leadership Development: The leadership development at ICFAI Business School is given a lot of importance since the B school prides itself in producing the corporate leaders of tomorrow. This is achieved through a combination of case based learning and increased focus on the soft skills of the students. While the case based study method puts the students in the decision maker’s position, the soft skills help the students in working on all aspects of their professional image and their working style. This helps in students growing beyond academics and increases the success rate of the students once they enter the professional world.
• Extracurricular Activities: The students at ICFAI Business School do not only make use of the development opportunities in the academic front but also help in the overall development of the students through various extracurricular activities. On one hand, these activities provide the students a great platform to build their social skills and confidence, while on the other hand they provide a break to the students from the routine life at the business school. The students learn to host and manage events, work with other people and teams, understand challenges of leadership firsthand, and work of their Emotional Intelligence in a real-time basis.
• Alumni Network: ICFAI Business School has a wide spread network of alumni who have taken lead in many industries and have worked with some of the most prestigious companies of the world. This network of alumni provides the students the opportunity to connect with other ICFAI Business School alumni and gather valuable perspectives and leverage contacts to achieve greater success in the world. ICFAI Business School organizes the alumni meets giving the students the perfect platform to do so.

The ICFAI Business School ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to providing its students with a quality education worthy of making it one of the leading business schools in India. The ICFAI Business School advantage can give the students a great platform to firmly establish themselves in the business world. A combination of innovative yet effective study methods, a robust curriculum and a focus on the overall development of the students makes management education at ICFAI Business School a truly unique experience.

Management education is arguably the most sought after field of higher education today in India and the world at large. The field of management is constantly evolving with great opportunities and therefore it attracts many of the young minds who would like to make their mark in this lucrative field. The attraction of the management education therefore knows no bounds especially in India where the other field of work have limited prospects. At the pinnacle of the management education we have the most prestigious and top b schools of India. To kick-start the management education and subsequent career for the students, one of the biggest challenges is getting selected in the right B school. For this purpose, the aspirants must prepare for one of the competitive examinations known as the management entrance test.

There are many management entrance examinations and tests that are carried out in the country with different formats, different difficulty levels and giving entrance to different business schools. One of the most widely accepted and therefore sought after management entrance examinations is CAT which is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management. The CAT helps the aspirants secure admission in not only more than 20 Indian Institutes of Management but also in many private and government educational institutions.
Apart from CAT, there are many more entrance examinations which can help the students start up their management careers which follow similar format and have similar eligibility criteria. Some of these exams are GMAT, NMAT by GMAC, and IBSAT. Each of these have their own advantages that the students can leverage to maximize their chances of starting their management education and subsequent careers.

GMAT

Conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) is a globally accepted management entrance examination which the students can take. The GMAT can be attempted whenever the students feel ready since it is conducted many times in the year. All the students must do is register for GMAT and select the next exam date that is coming up along with the test center. Being a computer adaptive test, the format of GMAT differs from many other management examinations. The duration of GMAT is 3.5 hours with a total of 80 questions that the students can score. The various sections of the GMAT test are Verbal Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.

The eligibility criteria for the test are also relaxed since the student is only required to produce a valid passport of a country, while the other eligibility criteria can be checked by the respective management institution at the time of entrance. The test scores would be valid from five years of taking the examination and the results can be received instantly at the end of the test, while the official marksheet takes about 20 more days. The GMAT can get the students admission in many top business schools of India such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, XLRI Jamshedpur, FMS Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, ISB, MDI Gurgaon and ICFAI Business School.

IBSAT

The IBSAT is another top level management entrance examination that is conducted once a year by the prestigious ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education. The test dates are coming up in December, 2018 soon. The format of IBSAT is like CAT with various sections of 140 MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) to be answered in a computer based test within two hours. The IBSAT measures the student’s aptitude in areas such as quantitative techniques, data interpretation, data adequacy, vocabulary, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension.

One of the biggest advantages that students can have while attempting IBSAT over other management examination is the provision of no negative marking. Success in the IBSAT test makes the students eligible for taking admission in the various campuses of the ICFAI Business School which can be a great platform to start a management career.

NMAT by GMAC

NMAT is a management exam conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which also conducts the GMAT. Within each cycle of admissions, the students can attempt the GMAC up to three times and the highest score of the student will be considered for the entrance. This helps the students become more confident since they get more than one attempt for the same test. The test has 120 questions to be attempted in the areas of Language Skills, Quantitative Skills and Logical Reasoning Skills. The NMAT by GMAC scores are admissible in management institutes such as NMIMS University, ICFAI Business School, Alliance School of Business, Amity Business School etc.

SNAP

SNAP in another national level management entrance examination which is conducted once a year by the Symbiosis International University. The SNAP test is a computer based test of 130 questions which are Multiple Choice Questions and Special Questions. These questions are divided in four sections and need to be completed in two hours. The students can get admission in around 15 management institutes including the ones operated by the Symbiosis International (Deemed University).

XAT

Xavier’s Aptitude Test also known as XAT is administered by XLRI Jamshedpur on the behalf of Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI), and is immensely popular with the estimated 90000 aspirants every year. The scores of this computer based test are accepted at more than 150 business schools. The test duration has recently been reduced to three hours, with removal of essay type questions. The test also has negative marks allocated for incorrect answers. With no age limit and no cap on the number of attempts one can take at the exam, the XAT does see a of candidates with the eligibility criteria of having completed 3 years of graduation.

Although CAT has become synonymous with the management education in India, there are many tests that can help the students gain advantage over their competition and success in starting off their careers. A good strategy for the students would be to maximize their opportunities by taking advantage of these entrance exams and embark on the journey to the top business schools of India.

India is coming up as an education hub and management education is among one of the fields having the highest demand. Since the management education gets more varied, the education providers are evolving with unique ways of leveraging the infrastructure that is available. Students these days have the advantage of choosing the right b school which matches their career aspirations, field of interest, and learning style. The business schools on the other hand are also coming up with new ways to upgrade their curriculum to match the business demands of the industry. When it comes to the methods of teaching also, the business schools have integrated elements of the modern society to ensure that their curriculum is appealing to students and relevant to the industry demands. Technology has played a big part in this area bringing a lot of ways to add life to the educational content and instructional design.

The leading business schools in India have used technology in different avenues and coming up with answers to the challenges in the field of management education. The technology has played a big part in helping the management education cross some hurdles in the last few decades which has made it a dynamic and robust field of study. Today the students live in the world of constant connectivity and they want their management educators to provide these opportunities in their learning as well. The technology has partnered flawlessly with the management education to enable the following changes to take place:

• Accommodating the change in learning behaviour: Gone are the days of the classrooms with rows of students with their heads in the books, diligently listening to a professor who in his/her monotonic vice goes through a two-hour lecture. The students of today want to be educated at their own pace and gathering information through various sources to augment and find the best possible solutions to business challenges. To enable that, the modern classroom uses technology to make the course content more interactive and discussion based. A good example of this is the usage of innovative learning methods such as simulation programs and exercises in the classrooms to look at a real-time impact of business decisions. ICFAI Business School utilizes this through simulation software in their classrooms with great success, and this aids in developing the next level leadership skills.
• Facilitating business forums: It is an important part of the student’s life at the business school to make the connections with the peers and industry experts. These connections can often be fostered through the interaction over the professional forums and groups. The modern business schools achieve this through creating an open online communication group for the students. This helps in getting the student involved in not only academics but also other facilities such as library, hostel, facilities, placements, accounts and other aspects of campus life. A real-life example of this comes in form of the intranet maintained at ICFAI Business School called CampusNet, which is aimed to provide that.
• Greater tools for the students: The students at the top business schools in India not only get a quality education but also some great technological tools at the campuses to make the most of their learning. The tools are not just limited to the regular set of Microsoft Office suite for processing of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. They extend to the whole array of cutting edge data network to leverage databases and videoconferencing as well as Adobe suite of PageMaker, Acrobat and Photoshop and others. Other tools include programming tools and with the big data taking the world by storm, some advanced analytics programs. These enable the students to work on projects while acquiring hands-on experience which can be relevant in the real world.
• Better academic experience: The academic experience in the top management colleges in India is enriched with the help of usage of integration of web based learning being augmented with the classroom based learning. This Blended learning model where the web based courses are often self-paced and can be taken by the students in the comfort of their laptops and environments are becoming a common sight. The students are usually required to complete these courses as reinforcement before or after they have attended the classroom learning. Online quizzes can also be used by the faculty members to get a quick check of the student’s comprehension and understanding without waiting till after class. This also breaks the monotony of the lecture and gives the students an increased focus.

These are a few important points of how technology is integrating with the academics to transform the way that the business schools and the students are used to approach the learning itself. The technology is coming up rapidly as a powerful enabler, facilitator, and administrator of the curriculum at leading business schools in India.

Now that you have already appeared for the most popular Management Entrance Examination of India, Common Admission Test better known by the acronym CAT, you must be wondering about what should you be doing next. As you wait for the results which are due in the first week of January 2019, you can catch up on the much-deserved rest and family time after the rigorous preparation done for the CAT. CAT is a highly sought-after test which opens the door of a promising career in the field of management for many students every year. The CAT is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) for admission to the 20 IIMs spread across the country and the scores are acceptable at more than 100 top business schools in India, including SP Jain Institute of Management Research (SPJIMR), Management Development Institute (MDI), Institute of Management Technology (IMT) and ICFAI Business School (IBS). The CAT is spread over three hours and has 100 questions, consisting of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) and non-MCQ. Around 2.5 lac aspirants from around the country appear for CAT every year with the hope of kickstarting their management education.

If you too have just faced the difficult task after months of preparation, here is a perfect recipe for you to not only unwind, but also before that help you make the most of your hard work. The most natural response that most aspirants would have, will be to put their holiday gear and take the much-deserved down time to rest themselves. It does sound like a great idea, however you must also consider the possibility of you not being as successful in the CAT as you feel. To ensure that you are not putting all your eggs in one basket, it is recommended that you use the preparation already done for CAT in more management entrance exams and tests. A good starting point would be a few upcoming tests which have similar formats and which match CAT in repute, difficulty and selection of business schools. Here are a few tests that you can consider focusing upon:

GMAT

GMAT is a management admission test which is internationally recognized and conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). It is accepted at the most top management institutes of India and in more than 80 countries of the world. The GMAT is a computer adaptive test which needs to be completed in 3 hours 30 minutes, with four different sections with a total of 80 questions. The sections covered in this test are Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning and Analytical Writing.

As far as the eligibility is concerned, the GMAT does not have a lot of restrictive criteria. All that it requires is that the aspirant:

• Holds a valid passport on the date of the exam.
• Must satisfy the eligibility criteria of the respective university or institution for which the aspirant decides to apply.

The examination does not have a set examination date and can be applied for anytime that the student feels ready to take the test. The test center and date can be chosen at the end of the application process. The unofficial score for the test can be obtained at the end of the test while the official score will be made available after almost 20 days of the exam. The test scores are then valid for 5 years. If you would like to use the preparation done for the CAT exam to good use, a GMAT test can be a great option since it is accepted in top B schools in India such as ISB, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, XLRI Jamshedpur, FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, and ICFAI Business School.

IBSAT

After CAT, IBSAT is the upcoming big management exam opportunity coming your way. IBSAT is conducted by the ICFAI Foundation, conducted once a year in the month of December. This is a great platform for the management education aspirants, since the scores of this test can be considered not only for all the IBS Campuses, but also for management institutes such as Adarsh Institute of Management and Information Technology (AIMIT) Bangalore, GIBS Business School Bangalore, FMS- Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies Faridabad, JK Business School Gurgaon, VYASA Business School Bangalore.

The IBSAT is a computer based test and has 140 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) divided into four sections which need to be cleared in 2 hours. There is no negative marking unlike CAT and this can be a big helpful reason for students to maximize their scores.

NMAT by GMAC

NMAT is another popular admission test for entrance in top management institutes of India, conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). The scores of this test are accepted in NMIMS University as well as 25 other B schools in India including ICFAI Business School, Alliance School of Business, VIT Business School, SRM University, Amity Business School and many more. The NMAT has 120 questions of the Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) format and spread over three sections – Language Skills, Quantitative Skills and Logical Reasoning Skills.

The benefit that the students get with NMAT, which they do not get with any other management exam is that, within the admission cycle they can take the test up to three times and their best score will be considered for the admission. This helps in building confidence and is beneficial for students who may get nervous and may not be able to perform their best in a single attempt.

Apart from all these, the CAT aspirants can also spend their time in preparing for the next steps of the admission procedure, such as personal interviews and group discussions. Also the aspirants can use this time to research more about the management college of their dreams and read about the top business schools of India. The CAT and other management tests can serve as a great beginning of their careers.