A word of caution though. This time is to refine your basics. Do not enter new and unfamiliar terrains. You’d only end up with knowing a little about a lot of ‘somethings’ and may not be able to apply it in the twelfth hour. Identify your strengths. Polish them. Refine them. Shine them till they sparkle like diamonds and then reap the benefits on the D-day. The CAT tests you in all the areas. The good news is that you can still crack it even if you don’t know the difference between permutations and combinations. But be sure to crack the remaining topics. That should suffice.

Also, most questions in CAT are designed based on pure logic. You needn’t remember all the difficult formulae in the reference books of class 11^th & 12^th. Remember, there are two ways of solving a problem. One is by observation and a little calculation. The other is by, well, pure calculation. Read the question twice. Understand the logic. Think of it like a manager would, in a real life situation and go for the kill! These people don’t want accountants or mathematics experts. They want people with an analytical, clear and logical mind who can take decisions when the need arises.

The verbal section (one of my favourites and vice versaJ) can be mastered if you have developed a sound reading habit for a few years. Read the newspapers religiously, especially the ones like The Hindu, The Economic Times and Financial Express. Observe the styles of the authors. Notice the way sentences are constructed. Examine and take mental notes of the phrases you come across.

One of the most important things that can’t be ignored is that this is a Computer based test (CBT). Get used to sitting on the computer for 2.5 hours. We do not want red, watery eyes during the exam now, do we? Get accustomed to using the computer. No time should be lost trying to figure out the computer mannerisms on the D-day. Selecting the right radio button and calculating on a sheet of paper and shading the circles may seem not much different, but on the day of the exam, trust me, even a sneeze is enough to ruffle a few feathers. Get used to the atmosphere, the methodology of the exam.

To this end, attend the mock cats diligently. I know it is difficult getting out of bed on a lazy Sunday morning, but keep the end in sight. It is just a month more. Attempt as many mock CATs as possible. Understand the undercurrent of the questions. Analyze your answers. Examine where you went wrong. It is as important to analyze your answers as it is to write them. If you take the exam for 2.5 hrs, analyze it at least for 3-4 hours. Make a calculation of how much you score, where you could have scored. Cherry pick the questions that are walkovers. Every paper has them. Search for them. Do not leave them unattended.

That’s enough gyaan for now, I think. Wish you all the best for your final preparations. Amen!

For Jokatimes

Brijesh Unnithan

Following the announcement, a new revised list has been now put up on the official website. Joka Times understands that the new list is final and binding.

The students whose offers have now been marked “hold” are understood to be on a priority list, above the waitlisted candidates. These candidates are expected to get a ranking order from the institute in due course of time.

The candidates who were initially waitlisted will probably be considered for admission only after the on-hold candidates.

We at Joka Times wish the students all the best and look forward to interacting with them at Joka.

Link For New PGDM Admissions List: http://www.iimcal.ac.in/iimcatstat/dmindex.asp

Link For New PGDCM Admissions List: http://www.iimcal.ac.in/iimcatstat/cmindex.asp

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Update: The Admissions Office has confirmed that the students put on “hold” will form a priority list – a sort of waitlist above the initially declared waitlist. The students on “hold” can call the institute Admissions Office from 13-04-2009, Monday, 4:00 P.M. to find out the exact numbering on the priority list.

Speaking to Joka Times, Paul Savio, external relations secretary of IIM Calcutta asked the students on the priority list to get in touch with the strong Mentorship Programme in case of any queries or anxieties. The matter of the ordering within the priority list would get cleared by Monday, he said.

Joka Times urges the students to use the mentorship@email.iimcal.ac.in or contact their mentors directly to get specific doubts or queries answered. Further updates will be kept posted here at Joka Times as we countdown to the formation of a new batch at IIM Calcutta.

Admissions Office Contact Details: http://www.iimcal.ac.in/admissions/cac.asp

Team Joka Times

Candidates of Indian origin can apply to the PGDM/PGDCM program through Combined Admission Test (CAT). The eligibility criterion is a 3-year bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks from a recognized University or Institute in India or abroad. Candidates are short listed on basis of CAT scores for group discussions and personal interviews. For PGDCM program, previous academic record and relevant work experience is also given weightage .

In 2008 more than 2, 45,000 students took CAT. The criterion for GD/PI calls given can be found here

Overseas candidates have to apply through GMAT. To be eligible as an overseas candidate, a person should have been working, living or studying abroad for at least an year. The GD/PI requirements for such candidates may or may not be waived off.

Further details for overseas applications can be found here.

The application form for overseas candidates for the 2009-2011 program can be found here.