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Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is conducted by XLRI every year by the Xavier Association of Management Institutes (XAMI). XLRI has been conducting the XAT exam for admission to post-graduate management courses in 11 XAT member institutions for the last 60 years. There are many top colleges through XAT to which you can apply.
Kickstart your XAT preparation online now
XAT 2024 will be conducted on Sunday, January 7, 2024. XLRI conducts XAT on behalf of XAMI. For more than 72+ years XLRI is conducting XAT at all India level to select the most appropriate students for management education. The XAT score is being used by more than 160 institutes for the admission.
XAT Eligibility:
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Educational Qualification:
- A recognized Bachelor's degree of minimum three years duration in any discipline from a recognized university.
- Final year students can also apply, but they must complete their degree by a specified date (usually June of the admission year) to be eligible for admission.
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Minimum Marks: There is no minimum marks requirement for XAT. You only need to have a passing grade in your Bachelor's degree.
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Age Limit: There is no age limit for appearing in XAT.
Additional Points:
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NRI/Foreign Candidates: These candidates can apply using a valid GMAT score instead of XAT.
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Reservation Policy: The reservation policy for XAT is determined by the participating institutes based on government guidelines.
XAT EXAM PATTERN:
Revamped XAT Exam Pattern: Gearing Up for 2025
The XAT exam pattern underwent a significant revision two years ago, and it's here to stay! Get ready for the XAT 2025 with these key highlights:
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Extended Test Duration: Buckle up for a longer test! XAT 2025 will provide you with 210 minutes (3 hours and 30 minutes) to complete the entire exam. This is an increase from the previous 180 minutes, offering you more time to strategize and tackle each section effectively.
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Mock Keyboard Test: Don't be surprised by the unfamiliar testing interface! A 5-minute mock keyboard test section has been introduced. This allows you to get comfortable with the computer-based testing platform before diving into the actual exam.
Click here for the top 10 tips to crack XAT
Key highlights of the latest XAT exam pattern:
| XAT Exam Pattern | XAT Exam Details |
| No. of sections | 5 Sections (Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation and General Knowledge and Essay Writing) |
| Duration of XAT Exam | 210 minutes (3 hours and 30 minutes) |
| Number of Questions | 105 |
| Total Marks | 105 |
| Number of answer choices | 5 Options |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| XAT Marking Scheme |
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Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation
The questions in this section are usually asked from Arithmetic, Algebra, Numbers systems, Probability, Functions, Data Interpretations, and Geometry. The Candidate has to be very good at basic maths to attempt these questions in XAT. Expertise requires a lot of time and practice for preparation. Improving calculation skills and approximation skills is crucial for this section during the preparation. Data Interpretation is typical so you better solve these questions initially and select what you’re comfortable with during the preparation for XAT.
Decision-Making
The Decision-Making section is to test a candidate’s decision-making skills and judging ability of the candidate in a given situation. You will get questions from different scenarios. They may include Employee Problems and concerns, Ethical matters, psychology, etc.
Strategy for XAT decision making
You have to imagine yourself in that situation and as an imperious decide what is good for the company given in the situation. You have to answer these questions unbiasedly and your answer must be the right fit for your organization.
Verbal and Logical Ability
Reading skills are very important for verbal and Logical Ability. Understanding the question is very important, read the question twice or thrice if you have to but understand it very clearly and answer it correctly. This section is to test the reasoning skills of the candidate so don’t focus completely on Vocabulary skills for this exam.
Key factors in XAT Exam Pattern:
- NAT Questions (Numerical Answer Type):
- Not Introduced: There have been no official reports of XLRI introducing Numerical Answer Type (NAT) questions in the XAT exam pattern. The current format involves Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for all sections except the essay.
- Penalty for Unattempted Questions:
- Current Policy: As of 2024, there's no confirmed information about a penalty for unattempted questions beyond 8. Negative marking applies to incorrect MCQs (typically 0.25 marks deducted per incorrect answer).
- Essay Writing Test:
- Exists: The XAT exam continues to include a short essay writing section (one essay out of three options) in Part 3.
- XAT Time Duration:
- Three and a Half Hours (Maintains): The total exam duration for XAT 2025 remains 3 hours and 30 minutes (210 minutes). There was no reduction to 3 hours.
- Extra Time for Visually Impaired:
- Accurate: XAT offers 25 minutes extra time for visually impaired candidates with a scribe to complete Part 1 (Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation) of the exam. No extra time is provided for the General Knowledge section.
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Colleges and their cutoffs:
Top MBA colleges accepting XAT Score Above 80 Percentile:
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MBA colleges throughout India
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XAT Minimum cut off
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XLRI Jamshedpur
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95
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XIM Bhubaneswar
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90
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IMT Ghaziabad
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90
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MICA Ahmedabad
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80-85
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Great Lakes
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80-85
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TAPMI Manipal
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80-85
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GIM Goa
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80-85
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K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai
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80-85
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FORE School of Management New Delhi
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83-88
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IRMA Anand
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80-80
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| LIBA Chennai | 80 |
| IMI Kolkata | 80 |
MBA colleges accepting XAT Scores below the 80 percentile
In addition to the top colleges listed above, numerous well-regarded MBA institutions accept XAT scores. Stay tuned, as the application windows for most of these programs are expected to open soon.
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MBA college
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XAT Minimum cut off
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WeSchool Mumbai
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75-80
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Jindal Business School
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70+
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| BML Munjal |
70+
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ISBR Bangalore
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70+
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IMT Nagpur
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75-80
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BIMTECH Greater Noida
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75-80
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| IFMR-GSB Krea University | 75-80 |
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VJIM Hyderabad
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70-75
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CIMP Patna
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70-75
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School of Inspired Leadership – SOIL Gurgaon
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70-75
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New Delhi Institute of Management – NDIM New Delhi
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65-70
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Jaipuria Institute of Management
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70-75
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KIIT School of Management – KSOM Bhubaneswar
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70-75
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SDMIMD Mysore
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75-80
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ISB&M Pune
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65-70
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Indus Business Academy (IBA) Bangalore
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70-75
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JIMS Rohini, New Delhi
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70-75
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ITM Navi Mumbai
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70-75
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UPES University
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70-75
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IES Management College And Research Centre, Mumbai
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70-75
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Globsyn Business School, Kolkata
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65-70
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VIPS-TC-Delhi School of Business Delhi
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65-70
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Praxis Kolkata
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65-70
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NSB Bangalore
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65-70
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Narayana Business School
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65-70
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XISS Ranchi
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65-70
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| XIME Bangalore | 70 |
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IFIM Bangalore
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70
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Xavier Business School (XBS) Kolkata
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75
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IPE Hyderabad
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75
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VIT Business School (VIT) Vellore
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70
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AIMS Bangalore
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70
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FIIB Delhi
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60
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Gitam School of International Business
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50
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GITAM Hyderabad Business School
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50
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SCMS Cochin School of Business
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50
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Calcutta Business School Kolkata
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50
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IIMS Pune: International Institute of Management Studies
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50
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VESIM Mumbai
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50
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DSIMS Mumbai: Durgadevi Saraf Institute of Management Studies
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50
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Indira Institute of Management – IIMP
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50
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Acharya Bangalore B-School – ABBS Bangalore
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50 |
| Jaypee Business School – JBS Noida | 50 |
Access our XAT Course
Top Colleges you can apply to through XAT
XLRI Xavier School Of Management, Jamshedpur
XLRI Xavier School of Management (XLRI-XMS) is situated in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, and is the country’s oldest business school founded by a few Jesuit Fathers in 1949. It offers 15-month and two-year postgraduate Diplomas in Management (PGDM) with various specializations as well as a doctoral-level fellowship program (FPM). The college also offers a plethora of short-term management development programs (MDPs). It was ranked number 1 among the country’s top private B-schools.
Mudra Institute of Communication Ahmedabad (MICA)
Established in 1991, Mudra Institute of Communication (MICA), is a postgraduate institute, located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It offers several postgraduate courses in marketing and communications which is said to be the best program for marketing and communication in the country currently. It is known for its interdisciplinary two-year PG diploma programs.
It also offers a postgraduate diploma in management and communications and a one-year program in crafting creative communication. It also has a wide range of online programs in subjects such as advertising management and public relations, digital marketing, media, and entertainment management.
IMI Kolkata
International Management Institute (IMI) Kolkata laid its foundation in 2010. The Institute started functioning in the year 2011 with its flagship Post Graduate Diploma in Management Programme accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). In 2017, the Institute of six years also obtained approval from the All India Council for Technical Education to launch the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM), a Ph.D. level program. IMI Kolkata’s two-year full-time PGDM program is also accorded equivalence with the Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree by the Association of Indian Universities(AIU).
TAPMI
T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) is a self-governing private business school in India. It was founded in 1980 and is located in the Karnataka university town of Manipal. It is India’s fifth management institute to be accredited by both the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA).
Some Highlights from the Institute
The T. A. Pai Management Institute has a 37-year legacy rooted in a value system that inculcates ethical behavior, respect for diversity, and a desire to excel in all aspects of life. The institution is proud of its unbroken 35-year placement record and 5000+ alumni, one-fifth of whom are currently leading at the CXO level.
TAPMI is accredited by both the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). It is consistently ranked in the top 1% of B-Schools in India.
TAPMI has become a constituting institution of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education as of August 1, 2021. (MAHE). As a result, TAPMI will no longer offer PGDM programmes and will instead offer MBA degree programmes, subject to appropriate regulatory approvals.
MBA Programs Offered
TAPMI provides four full-time MBA programmes lasting 2 years:
MBA
MBA(HRM)
MBA (BKFS)
MBA (Marketing)
Goa Institute of Management
The Goa Institute of Management (abbreviated as GIM-Goa), is a premier business school in India located in the state of Goa. The autonomous school is governed by a board and offers a full-time MBA (PGDM) program (2 years), a full-time MBA (PGDM)-Healthcare Management Programme (HCM), a two-year PGDM in Big Data Analytics (BDA), an executive MBA (3 years) and also is a resource center for Ph.D. programs in management for Goa University. Current MBA classes have a size of approximately 240 students and the Healthcare MBA class has a size of 60 students.
FORE School of Management
The FORE School of Management, best known as FORE, is a private business school located in New Delhi, India. FORE stands for ‘Foundation for Organizational Research and Education. Established in 1981, the school offers postgraduate education.
In addition to its main academic programs, FORE is also engaged in research, consultancy, seminars, academic conferences, and research publications. FORE was ranked 43 among management schools in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2020. The courses offered by the institute are PGDM – Full Time, PGDM in International Business (IB), and Executive PGDM
Prin. L N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research
S. P. Mandali’s Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, also known as WeSchool is a part of the prestigious S. P. Mandali, Pune. Keeping design and innovation at its core, the institute endeavors to provide newer avenues to students towards achieving excellence in all spheres of life and nurture them to become Global Citizen Leaders. It is the sixth educational institute from Mumbai to appear as 68th among the top 100 Best Management Institutes in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) list of 2020. Besides being ranked among the top Private B-Schools.
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management ( Mumbai)
KJ Somaiya Institute of Management ( Mumbai), established in 1981, is located in the suburbs of Mumbai. It offers a Masters’s and a Doctoral degree in the field of Management. The institute holds a record of 99% placement and its topmost recruiters include Ambuja Cement, Daimler, Minex Metallurgy, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Nomura, Asian Paints, etc. The highest package shooted up to INR 28.5 lacs whereas the average package rose to INR 10.08 lacs in the year 2020.
N L Dalmia Institute of Management & Research
N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research (NLDIMSR) is a business school situated on Mira Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra. The Institute provides specialization in areas such as Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, and Business Systems, and special extra credit courses including FMI, Wealth Management, ERP, and Software Engineering.
Other courses are added by the Institute in response to changing corporate requirements. From 2020 onwards, the college has decided to take admissions only for Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management for a two-year full-time course. The Marketing specialization of this institute has been improving over the past few years to attract big recruiters like Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Procter, and Gamble, etc.
Great Lakes Institute of Management
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, was established in 2004 by the Visionary Management Guru Padma Shri Dr. Bala V Balachandran – JL Kellogg Distinguished Professor of Accounting Information & Management, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, USA. Great Lakes was founded to create management professionals equipped to navigate the business challenges of the future. The institute is one of the pioneers in introducing the one-year full-time MBA (PGPM) in India.
Great Lakes has also been responsive to changing industry dynamics by being the first to introduce specializations such as Analytics, AI, Machine Learning & Blockchain in management programs. With a global faculty pool, innovative curriculum, application-oriented teaching-learning pedagogy, and strong engagement with corporate leaders, Great Lakes provides a holistic learning experience to its students right from day one.
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, was founded in 2010 as the 2nd campus of Great Lakes Chennai. The Gurgaon campus was strategically set up in the industrial hub of the country – Delhi NCR – to engage extensively with the established Fortune 500s and new-age businesses in the region.
Aspects evaluated together during the application phase:
1. Past Academic Performance
2. Professional Track Record (for candidates with work experience)
3. Application Essay – Statement of Purpose (PGPM Only)
4. Diversity
5. Entrance Test Scores – CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT (best score would be considered in case multiple scores are submitted)
Aspects evaluated through AWT:
1. Reasoning Skills
2. Clarity of Thought
3. Written Communication Skills
Aspects evaluated through PI:
1. General & Business/Industry Awareness
2. Attitude, Motivation & Thought Process
3. Initiatives are taken during Past Academic days and at the Workplace
4. Past achievements
5. Leadership potential
The Great Lakes Admissions process in its entirety aims to select well-rounded, highly motivated, and consistently high-performing individuals for its programs solely based on overall merit. The process has no provision for reservations of any kind and all applicants are evaluated on a fair basis. To encourage diversity in class, the Great Lakes Institute of Management also offers diversity and merit-based scholarships worth up to INR 2 Crores for the PGPM program.
Application Deadlines for Admissions 2024
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