An aspirant of Management career asked, ‘I am studying B.Tech. Second year and like to write CAT after B.Tech. Is it necessary to take coaching for CAT from 2nd B.Tech onwards? How shall I plan my preparation for CAT?’. The answer to this doubt goes here:

It is heartening to note that you have set clear goals with foresight and working towards achieving them. This foresight coupled with your determination shall take you to places. It is not necessary to take coaching for CAT from your 2nd year of B.Tech. Right now it is time for you to study your B.Tech courses well and acquire command over the subject.

Intensive CAT preparation for six months before the examination is recommended for effective result. Hence you should be prepared for hard and smart work during your final year of B.Tech. Since your goal is clear, you can start acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge for CAT during your leisure time. Keep reading good books and magazines. Improve your vocabulary and communication skills. Make it a habit to read magazines on current affairs.

CAT tests candidates on quantitative ability, data interpretation, data sufficiency, logical reasoning, reading comprehension and verbal ability. The duration for test is two and a half hours. Aspirants to take this test should make thorough analysis of their areas of strength and weakness. The best way to get a feel of where you stand is to take a couple of mock tests. Once you understand your areas of weakness, work on them to acquire necessary knowledge and skills.

Since you are determined to appear for CAT and come out as winner, make sure you have a time table for preparation. Implement your preparation plan meticulously. This requires high focus on your goal. As you intensify your preparation, take mock tests periodically and assess your progress. Make sure you are not repeating the same mistakes and ensure your learning is meeting your performance needs. Instead of straining yourself on subject preparation all the time, have some period of relaxation. The best way to relax is by reading good books and magazines.

Acquiring information on current affairs would be useful for group discussion and personal interview. As you reach the final stages, it may be useful to go through a coaching institute and get inputs from a professional trainer on current affairs and on how to crack the personal interview. This would help you to achieve your goal of cracking the CAT.

MBA Dual Degrees with MBA + MS are comparatively new kind of programmes in India. These dual degree courses are also known as Twinning Programs as there are two institutions granting degrees. The courses are normally structured in such a manner that the foundation and general courses are studied along with a specialization in technical skill, specific to an industry. How to get admission into Amrita Business school, Bangalore, which is offering this course? Are there any other institutions in India which will provide dual degree, MBA + MS? Following are some best institute offering MBA Dual Degrees and their eligibility conditions and admission procedure:

1. Amrita School of Business, Bengaluru offers a unique collaborative Twinning Program, the MBA-MS. Candidates have the opportunity to earn an MBA from Amrita University and an MS (Master of Sciences) in Management of IT Services from the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA. Designed primarily for those who aspire to management positions in high-tech industries, this is also a two-year full-time program.

Students who aspire to do MBA – MS Program offered jointly by Amrita School of Business, Bengaluru and State University of New York, should have a minimum of 60% aggregate marks in the Secondary/Higher Secondary/Pre-degree examinations (or equivalent) and for the graduation examinations conducted by a Board/University. Minimum IBT – TOEFL score of 79 is a must for the students aspiring for MBA – MS Program. Candidates with appropriate industry experience will have an added advantage for admissions. Their work experience will be given due weightage (both in terms of where they have worked and the duration of work experience).

All candidates seeking admission to Amrita’s MBA Program are required to appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) and/or GRE. MAT (AIMA) scores are also accepted at Amritapuri, Bengaluru and Kochi campuses. NRI and students of foreign origin are required to take the GMAT test (Maximum of five percent NRI and /or foreign candidates may be admitted through GMAT with a minimum score of 550) and they should process their application through Director, Corporate and International Relations, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Ettimadai, Coimbatore, India.

2. Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar has a similar program, which offers students two choices at the end of Year I: i) Join partner/receiving university abroad for the completion of program; or ii) Complete the program at LPU without any international exposure.

3. At Christ University, one of the premier institutes in Bangalore, PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management) is offered by the University in collaboration with FHWS in Germany which adds the MBA certification. Students get to spend three months in FHWS, Germany.