Is An Year Drop Advisable For CAT Preparation? - Advice From An IIM Calcutta Student

1. If you do not get a good college, you can wait for another year. I know people who wrote CAT 4+ times before getting into the Holy Trinity. This case is possible only when you are working at a good firm.

2. If you do not get a good college after a few attempts, you can opt for an executive MBA from a good college based on your work, ex.

3. The interview becomes trickier, and with no gap, it becomes easier to defend.

4. Preparation becomes tricky as CAT does not require you to prepare for 45 hours a week. If you have taken a break and are preparing full-time, you will end up overanalyzing and making more mistakes.

But, for some people, a gap might be advantageous if:

1. A person is sure he wants to do an MBA in the current year, even if the college is not a top college.

2. Job is not good and can get a similar or better job quickly.

3. Job is too hectic and does not give time to prepare. Some jobs involve working for 12 or more hours daily, in which case preparation is complex.

It is easier to crack the interview if you are still working because ‘break year’ is not amazingly comfortable to handle in the interview. The IIMs do not believe that CAT needs a break year, and it will not be easy to convince them. Moreover, job-related questions are the easiest to handle because you will be conversant with the subtleties of your job. But when going for a gap, you need to ensure that you get an extremely high percentile to offset your gap, and most importantly, you need to give valid reasons for your gap showing that you have not wasted that time but utilized that time to acquire some skills.

Another essential supplement to a gap year is a risk factor. The margin of risk depends on the stage of your career. If you are a fresher and recent graduate, you can safely take the risk and work hard to get into your desired B-school. But, if you are an experienced professional with experience of more than three years, then it is a considerable risk that you are taking and probably has the highest risk factor associated with it. For those within the 0–2 years’ work experience range, you can give it a try and be diligent enough. Then, the other decisive factor is your persistence and consistency. In short, do not regret it once you start investing a year for CAT. Once you jump into it, there is no looking back!!

I believe that it all depends on your caliber, experience level, mindset, and desire to get it.

I gave CAT in 2019 when I was in my final year. I did not have any career objective then. The only reason I gave cat was to get admission to a top college and ultimately end up in a good place. The CAT score which I could manage was 74 percentiles. I decided to work for a start-up while dedicating my remaining time to prepare. It was in 2020 that I appeared for CAT again. By this time, I had become very career-focused. I joined online test series and devoted a maximum number of hours to my weaker sections. I had started analyzing how an MBA will benefit me by visualizing the broader picture. This time I managed to convert all my calls and to get into IIM Calcutta.

So get clarity, analyze all the factors and your options. I wish you all the best.