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I will be shutting down thirdangle in 60 days.
Desi MBA | Latest
Just discovered this, am sure by now, most of the gurus have already posted about this. But, I couldn't help writing about this one. Anyways, enabling tab previews in windows 7 taskbar is fairly simple. Type "about:config" in your awesome bar. Confirm that you will be careful and look for field "browser.taskbar.previews.enable" and toggle the value to "true" and Voila!!, you have tab previews in windows 7 taskbar.
Awesome!!
If you have been using windows 7 long enough, you would agree that jumplists is one of the best new features. Unfortunately, if you are a firefox lover, you cannot use this feature if your on firefox 3.5 or lesser. ofcourse you can download firefox 3.6 beta 1 to have a taste of jumplists but there is a way around to have this feature even with firefox 3.5 etc and guess what the method is extremely simple.
All you have to do is to create a shortcut to your favorite website on your desktop or any other place. Trick is to drag this shortcut to firefox icon in your taskbar (which I am assuming is already pinned to your taskbar). When dragged to the taskbar icon, shortcut icon will ask you if you want to pin the shortcut to the icon. Simple and effective. Drag as many shortcuts as you want and best part is you can delete the shortcuts after you pin them to your taskbar shortcut.
CAT 2009 Results out
Posted by rahul Labels: CAT 2008, CAT 2008 Results, CAT 2009, CAT 2009 Results, IIM Calls, IIM GD PICAT 2009 results are out now. You can check the results directly from CAT 2008 results website or in case the site is down you can use R2M result form. Form is same as CAT 2008 result website and is only there to help aspirants.
are you looking for sample papers for FMS 2009? Well, look no further, because Road to MBA is coming up with sample papers for FMS 2009. Read this post for further details.
Here are a few posts on R2M to help you prepare for XAT 2009 Essays.
- XAT 2009 - Expected List
- XAT 2009 - Last 10 Year essay topics
- Sample Essays for XAT 2009
- Essay Tips for XAT 2009
NMAT 2008 is over now. And time is now right to see how you could have done better, if the score you are expecting in NMAT 2008 will be just fine or you need to concentrate more on upcoming XAT 2009 or FMS 2009 or the GBO SRCC or MIB, DU Exam.
Read complete article at Road to MBA
BPUT, Orrisa has started coming out with results 2008. The results can be seen at
BPUT's 2008 results website. For further information on BPUT, visit this link.
Maharashtra CET (MH-CET) 2008 admission process is coming to an end with release of final merit list for admissions 2008. The final list will include MH-CET 2008 scores or All India CET 2008 (CAT 2007 or XAT 2008 or SNAP 2007) score plus work-ex score plus the GD-PI score.
The result is available at DTE website.
Check your result before the site is pulled down by MBA aspirants.
The post topic above is how I would like to describe ezeego1.com services. I have been planning my holidays for quite some time now and have never come across a service provider who is so reluctant to give services to his customer. Add to this attitude, host of similar service providers like cleartrip.com or makemytrip.com or yatra.com (endless!!) and you are actually talking about death recipe. But I guess nobody at ezeego1.com is bothered about surviving the competition, bowing out is afterall the easiest option. They have been spending money left and right to create a brand but all is going down the drain. These guys are offering 50% cash back on bookings made on ICICI bank credit cards, I wonder what is this 50% for? I guess, this 50% off actually acknowledges how fool, as a customer one is.
Coming back to the complaint, I am planning to visit one of the popular holiday locations in India for a 10 day long holiday. I got excited by ezeego1.com 's 50% cash back offer and decided to get in touch with them for this particular holiday. The first time I called up ezeego customer, lady on the phone gave me a standard package and I asked her to come up with a deluxe package with 4 star or more faacilities. I was told that none of the available packages suit my requirement, so she will need a day to work out the details. I was assured that I will get a call from ezeego1 regarding my requirement. Nobody got back to me with details and my subsequent calls to ezeego1 customer care resulted in same fate, an assurance of getting back with details. Needless to say, that call was never made.
Later, I came across ' Best of **** , deluxe' package on ezeego1 holidays and this one suited my requirements but with certain changes. I called up your customer care again, last Friday and had a word with one of their executives, who asked me to email me details of changes i want in your standard package. Again he assured me that i will get a call within two hours with revised package cost etc. Nobody called up and since then I have had a word with somebody called Roshni or Rashmi, Pallavi and one more executive. Promises have been made and nobody has called back. I fail to understand what is making this so difficult. isnt this thier job to make travel packages?
I have emailed the required changes and I received a query number 46210 from them, I guess automated response system us their best bet at customer service. Last time I had a word with these guys, I was promised a call in 20 minutes, lady on phone was extremely concerned about my inconvenience and only reason she never bothered to take details from me because she thought it would be too inconvenient for me. Apparently, nobody at ezeego1 understands what is more inconvenient! You would say, I am being foolish for I keep coming back to you guys, I would say, yeah you are right, I know!!
Anyways, I will not recommend their ervices to anyone!! Their are numerous ezeego1.com horror stories on internet. People who were promised cash backs never got their cash back. Avoid the lure of cashback while you can and Meanwhile, I will hope these guys shut shop!!
NMAT is entrance exam of Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS). The institute till last year had only one campus but starting this year i.e. 2008 they now have two campuses. NMIMS, mumbai the flagship campus, has had some major successes in recent years as far as placements are concerned but despite of the fact that the college boasts of a good faculty and good enough infrastructure, the college is largely seen as a commercialized B school. NMIMS is one of the older b schools in India and it has managed to carve out a niche for itself.
Narsee Monjee conducts two entrance exams every year one is for the Core MBA programme and the other is for specialist MBA programme called the Sectrol MBA. Core MBA is your standard run of the mill MBA while sectrol is more focussed with specialisations as diverse as Banking, Insurance and global buisness to name a few. This WTE post covers the main NMAT 2008 exam which will be conducted for the NMIMS admissions 2009 for class of 2009~2011.
Why NMAT as a test is important for NMIMS admission
Sounds stupid eh! Well, unlike other tests where the institutes give only 40 to 50% weighatge to the written score, NMIMS gave a whopping 90% weightage (approx) to NMAT score. That means, if you manage a good rank in NMAT (NMAT gives ranks to candidates who clear cutoff), you are almost certain of admission. The paper is generally on the easier side but is time consuming. Proper planning and focus can help you seal the NMIMS call.
Analysis of previous year NMAT's
NMAT 2004 had 200 questions to be solved in 150 minutes. The paper was divided into five sections. Reasoning section had questions from visual reasoning, logical reasoning, critical reasoning etc. Verbal section relied heavily on synonyms and antonyms questions. Two passages and some sentence correction questions completed this section. Quant was fairly basic. Arithmetic was flavour of the day and there were some algebra questions too. DI and GK were on the expected lines. A score in excess of 90 was expected to get you a call, However, in the end a score of 82+ was enough to make the cut.
NMAT 2005 was on same lines as NMAT 2004. 200 questions, 150 minutes and 0.33 negative marking. Paper was again divided into five sub sections. Verbal was high on RC this time around and the difficulty level was on the higher side. The antonyms and synonyms were replaced by analogies. Sentence correction and para jumbles completed the section. Reasoning was more or less on the same lines as NMAT 2004. NMAT's romance with arithmetic continued as there were 23 questions on this subject. GK and DI were as expected. The pundits expected a cut-off of 86+ vis-a-vis 84+, which was the actual cut-off
NMAT 2006 had a good change in store for the contestants. I call exam-takers contestants, because thats what they are. Darkening circles in a hope that this darkness will take them to the light. Anyways, the change was that NMAT decided to be kind. Negative was reduced to 0.25 and rest of the things remained unchanged.Verbal followed NMAT 2005's pattern, albeit with easier RC. Data Sufficiency was new occupant of reasoning section and Quant was Arithmetic's slave. GK was easy and DI was time killer.Overall the level of paper was a bit tougher than traditional NMAT's and Hence, pundit's said 75+ was enough.
NMAT 2007 saw a shift in the format of a typical NMAT paper. The sections and weightages of various sections in NMAT was changed as follows
The paper was of moderate difficulty level. Questions were on the easier side but the way this paper was conducted was awful. NMAT authorities decided to conduct this paper in various schools across the country. The school teachers who took the role of invigilators that day were pathetically clueless and hence there were serious anomalies in the time that was given to candidates across various centers.
Paper had 5 options for every question with 0.25 negative marking.In Language skills grammar was tested extensively but the questions were on the easier side. Then there were Fill in the blanks questions and the usual culprit reading comprehension was also present. Quant and DI had questions which involved lot of multiplication and division. Level of paper can be gauged from the fact that VBODMAS featured regularly on the paper. DI had some simpler table based questions in store. Section III, Intelligence and LR was probably the most difficult section of the paper with questions based on Cause and Effect, Analogies, Facts and Infrence, Coding and Syloggisms. one could have easily attempted 115~120 questions with decent accuracy. Final cutoffs for the GD PI call stood at 85+.
NMAT cutoffs over the years
Following graph gives a quick overview of cutoffs and number of questions in NMAT for last four years.
Who should take this exam, number of candidates taking this exam, Prep resources, institutes taking this exam in NMAT 2008 Part II.
Narsee Monjee conducts two entrance exams every year one is for the Core MBA programme and the other is for specialist MBA programme called the Sectrol MBA. Core MBA is your standard run of the mill MBA while sectrol is more focussed with specialisations as diverse as Banking, Insurance and global buisness to name a few. This WTE post covers the main NMAT 2008 exam which will be conducted for the NMIMS admissions 2009 for class of 2009~2011.
Why NMAT as a test is important for NMIMS admission
Sounds stupid eh! Well, unlike other tests where the institutes give only 40 to 50% weighatge to the written score, NMIMS gave a whopping 90% weightage (approx) to NMAT score. That means, if you manage a good rank in NMAT (NMAT gives ranks to candidates who clear cutoff), you are almost certain of admission. The paper is generally on the easier side but is time consuming. Proper planning and focus can help you seal the NMIMS call.
Analysis of previous year NMAT's
NMAT 2004 had 200 questions to be solved in 150 minutes. The paper was divided into five sections. Reasoning section had questions from visual reasoning, logical reasoning, critical reasoning etc. Verbal section relied heavily on synonyms and antonyms questions. Two passages and some sentence correction questions completed this section. Quant was fairly basic. Arithmetic was flavour of the day and there were some algebra questions too. DI and GK were on the expected lines. A score in excess of 90 was expected to get you a call, However, in the end a score of 82+ was enough to make the cut.
NMAT 2005 was on same lines as NMAT 2004. 200 questions, 150 minutes and 0.33 negative marking. Paper was again divided into five sub sections. Verbal was high on RC this time around and the difficulty level was on the higher side. The antonyms and synonyms were replaced by analogies. Sentence correction and para jumbles completed the section. Reasoning was more or less on the same lines as NMAT 2004. NMAT's romance with arithmetic continued as there were 23 questions on this subject. GK and DI were as expected. The pundits expected a cut-off of 86+ vis-a-vis 84+, which was the actual cut-off
NMAT 2006 had a good change in store for the contestants. I call exam-takers contestants, because thats what they are. Darkening circles in a hope that this darkness will take them to the light. Anyways, the change was that NMAT decided to be kind. Negative was reduced to 0.25 and rest of the things remained unchanged.Verbal followed NMAT 2005's pattern, albeit with easier RC. Data Sufficiency was new occupant of reasoning section and Quant was Arithmetic's slave. GK was easy and DI was time killer.Overall the level of paper was a bit tougher than traditional NMAT's and Hence, pundit's said 75+ was enough.
NMAT 2007 saw a shift in the format of a typical NMAT paper. The sections and weightages of various sections in NMAT was changed as follows
| Section No. | Section Name | No. of Questions | Suggested time (in minutes) |
| I | Language Skills | 40 | 30 |
| II | Quantitative Skills, Data Analysis & Sufficiency | 60 | 55 |
| III | Intelligence & Logical Reasoning | 50 | 35 |
The paper was of moderate difficulty level. Questions were on the easier side but the way this paper was conducted was awful. NMAT authorities decided to conduct this paper in various schools across the country. The school teachers who took the role of invigilators that day were pathetically clueless and hence there were serious anomalies in the time that was given to candidates across various centers.
Paper had 5 options for every question with 0.25 negative marking.In Language skills grammar was tested extensively but the questions were on the easier side. Then there were Fill in the blanks questions and the usual culprit reading comprehension was also present. Quant and DI had questions which involved lot of multiplication and division. Level of paper can be gauged from the fact that VBODMAS featured regularly on the paper. DI had some simpler table based questions in store. Section III, Intelligence and LR was probably the most difficult section of the paper with questions based on Cause and Effect, Analogies, Facts and Infrence, Coding and Syloggisms. one could have easily attempted 115~120 questions with decent accuracy. Final cutoffs for the GD PI call stood at 85+.
NMAT cutoffs over the years
Following graph gives a quick overview of cutoffs and number of questions in NMAT for last four years.
Who should take this exam, number of candidates taking this exam, Prep resources, institutes taking this exam in NMAT 2008 Part II.
Getting new post or admission alerts just got simpler.
Step 1 : Sign up for a twitter account here.
Step 2 : Go to your settings page and adjust your notifications settings to your liking.
Step 3: Start following me here. You are done. now you will receive all the updates. Instantaneously. Well, almost!
- TASMAC London School of Business : My take
- CAT 2008 : CAT 2001 to CAT 2007 downloads.
- Specialisations and Beyond : MBA Finance and CFA
- What to expect : Entrance exams for MBA admissions 2008
- OBC quota in IIMs IITs and other PG institues :Timeline
- Recession and rising inflation deflating MBA dream?
- What to expect : IRMA 2008 Part I
- Placement 2008 : Institute of Rural Management, Anand
- What to expect : IRMA 2008 Part II
- Delhi HC allows CFA institute exam in India
India is fast becoming the knowledge capital of the world. To be fair to our knowledge bank, we have always been the knowledge hub, it is just that we are now being taken more seriously. And this change in perception was made possible by super achievements of the software professionals. By saying this, I do not intend to undermine the contributions of other streams but Information Technology was the first of knowledge streams responsible for cementing India's position as knowledge hub. Today, we have moved from mere black box testing to research and development, from bug reporting to proper project management. This shift in profiles means that now we need people who understand various aspects of software, from conceptualization to deployment and at the same time are capable to manage the complete process.
Now this can be dealt with in two ways, One is that you put employees into the frying pan and let them find a way out of it. This method has one very basic problem. An IT professional is programmed to think in a very logical way. And after years of writing codes,the whole thought process of those in IT becomes very one dimensional. So, they will take some time to come to terms with relating the core buisness processes with software or programming concepts. Another way out is to have people who understand both the core business process and the software process. This is where MBA systems comes in. MBA in systems bridges the gap between the two.
How MBA systems helps a Software professional
First and foremost, it helps you evolve. It helps you in adding more dimensions to your personality. It helps you understand a clients business in a much a better way. Obviously, after you do an MBA , nobody will expect you to write a code, rather you will help people write code. Which means that you will climb the corporate ladder faster, Simply because after doing an MBA in Systems you have the advantage of understanding the financial statements with as much expertise with which you would have written code.
MBA in general adds some soft skills to your skill set. These skills being better time management, people management, goal setting, written communication, credibilty etc. And these are very important because post MBA in Systems, your responsibilty is more on client side than on your own company side.
How MBA systems helps a Non-Software professional
Simply put, It is a Non IT guys ticket to IT world. As an MBA in Systems not only you learn to read buisness statements but you also learn a thing or two about system deployment. Which means you get to do what an IT guy with MBA in systems would do.
MBA in Systems and MBA in information technology : difference
Again to keep it simple, MBA in IT is subset of MBA in Systems. MBA in systems, helps you in understanding systems in general where as MBA in IT is more specific in nature with subjects like design of online systems, IT management and e-commerce on offer.
Placements and Career prospects after MBA in Systems
With slowdown almost here, immediate prospects in this field are not so promising. But a long term view of MBA systems is extremely positive. In India, there is a huge scope for ERP, SAP, SCM, CRM solution development and deployment. And with impetus of developing India as automotive hub, things look even brighter because an automotive hub would mean new age Inventory control and supply chain management systems. We are already witnessing retail and infrastructure boom, which again augurs well for the IT industry as a whole. That means endless opportunities for deserving candidates.
Companies and Profiles for MBA in Systems
Microsoft, IBM, TCS, Infosys, HCL, SAP, Wipro, Hughes to name a few.
Profiles generally offered are that of Buisness analyst and Consultant.
In my view, most of things were covered. Do let me know if I missed out something
Now this can be dealt with in two ways, One is that you put employees into the frying pan and let them find a way out of it. This method has one very basic problem. An IT professional is programmed to think in a very logical way. And after years of writing codes,the whole thought process of those in IT becomes very one dimensional. So, they will take some time to come to terms with relating the core buisness processes with software or programming concepts. Another way out is to have people who understand both the core business process and the software process. This is where MBA systems comes in. MBA in systems bridges the gap between the two.
How MBA systems helps a Software professional
First and foremost, it helps you evolve. It helps you in adding more dimensions to your personality. It helps you understand a clients business in a much a better way. Obviously, after you do an MBA , nobody will expect you to write a code, rather you will help people write code. Which means that you will climb the corporate ladder faster, Simply because after doing an MBA in Systems you have the advantage of understanding the financial statements with as much expertise with which you would have written code.
MBA in general adds some soft skills to your skill set. These skills being better time management, people management, goal setting, written communication, credibilty etc. And these are very important because post MBA in Systems, your responsibilty is more on client side than on your own company side.
How MBA systems helps a Non-Software professional
Simply put, It is a Non IT guys ticket to IT world. As an MBA in Systems not only you learn to read buisness statements but you also learn a thing or two about system deployment. Which means you get to do what an IT guy with MBA in systems would do.
MBA in Systems and MBA in information technology : difference
Again to keep it simple, MBA in IT is subset of MBA in Systems. MBA in systems, helps you in understanding systems in general where as MBA in IT is more specific in nature with subjects like design of online systems, IT management and e-commerce on offer.
Placements and Career prospects after MBA in Systems
With slowdown almost here, immediate prospects in this field are not so promising. But a long term view of MBA systems is extremely positive. In India, there is a huge scope for ERP, SAP, SCM, CRM solution development and deployment. And with impetus of developing India as automotive hub, things look even brighter because an automotive hub would mean new age Inventory control and supply chain management systems. We are already witnessing retail and infrastructure boom, which again augurs well for the IT industry as a whole. That means endless opportunities for deserving candidates.
Companies and Profiles for MBA in Systems
Microsoft, IBM, TCS, Infosys, HCL, SAP, Wipro, Hughes to name a few.
Profiles generally offered are that of Buisness analyst and Consultant.
In my view, most of things were covered. Do let me know if I missed out something
After almost two months of speculations and hundreds of theories, GIM finally decided to lift the curtain off the waitlist numbers of the candidates. Nobody knows what happened there all of a sudden, but I guess everybody who was there in the waitlist is welcoming the move. How far the GIM waitlist will move is a question which is still very foggy but I hope we will have some idea before the next week ends.
The waitlist numbers are not available on the website but you can always call the super patient jennifer at GIM office to know your waitlist number.
Goa Institute of management website | Contact details
The waitlist numbers are not available on the website but you can always call the super patient jennifer at GIM office to know your waitlist number.
Goa Institute of management website | Contact details
While digging up figures for this particular post, I tried to co relate the placement trend at IRMA (More on IRMA admissions 2008 for 2009-2011 here) with the average agricultural growth for that particular financial year. Countries GDP will always have an impact on the salaries of the working professional, On the same lines I was hoping to find some trend for IRMA with agricultural growth rates. But, to my dismay, I couldn't find one. The agricultural growth rate has been steady at 2~2.5% which ofcourse will be huge if seen in absolute terms. And on the other hand average IRMAN salry has risen from 4.82 lakh pa to 6.09 lakh pa. Even if there is a link between the two, it is pretty much clear that it is beyond my analytical capabilities. But, the good thing is IRMA is realising its capabilites and students are getting handsome returns. There was a time when IRMA, the institutes, used to restrict its students to NGO's and co-operatives but of late it has realised the need of trained rural managers in corporate sector and since then IRMA has opened its doors to a list of corporate houses with rural intrests. This shift in IRMA placement policy is clearly visible in placement figures of 2005, 2006 and 2007. Placement 2008 figures are still not available and I will post them as soon as I find them. For now, here is a graph to give you a peek at IRMA placement trends.
In first part of What to expect : IRMA, I highlighted the sectionwise breakup of a typical IRMA, Anand entrance exam. In this part, I will cover number of applicants for IRMA 2008 (based on trends), Who should take this exam, sectional cutoffs of IRMA 2007, IRMA 2006 etc and some prep resources for IRMA 2008.
Number of applicants
Who should take this exam
Unlike many other niche MBA options available these days, IRMA Anand's PRM stands apart. It is a niche programme within niche programmes. Simply because, the curriculum of IRMA, Anand's PRM has a 4~6 month rural stint (not sure about the duration, will check and update). Students are supposed to visit villages and live there for the prescribed period. This time spent in rural areas forms the most integral component of learning process at IRMA. Go for IRMA only if you have a penchant for this kind of life. This programme is surely not for those software professionals out there who want to go for MBA because they are sick and tired of writing or even bad, testing codes.
The kind of companies who visit IRMA are ITC's e-chaupal, some NGO's, co-operatives, Rural banking or lending arms of leading banks. Obviously, once selected they will give you a rural profile. In a nutshell, IRMA's PRM is for those who can embrace rural life.
If you plan to take this exam because you want some exam practice before the big daddy CAT 2008 then don't take this exam. Because this exam is diametrically opposite to a typical exam.
Placements at IRMA
Go here for IRMA placement figures for 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Prep downloads for IRMA 2008
Mock paper : will update soon
GK Prep : The competition master website. Register here and keep reading archives and latest issues.
Planning commision of India : For economic survey 2008. Very important as most of "issues of social concern" is relevant to this survey.
Keep an eye on all the awards, events etc.
Ministry of rural development : for the latest on rural development scheme.
Number of applicants
Who should take this exam
Unlike many other niche MBA options available these days, IRMA Anand's PRM stands apart. It is a niche programme within niche programmes. Simply because, the curriculum of IRMA, Anand's PRM has a 4~6 month rural stint (not sure about the duration, will check and update). Students are supposed to visit villages and live there for the prescribed period. This time spent in rural areas forms the most integral component of learning process at IRMA. Go for IRMA only if you have a penchant for this kind of life. This programme is surely not for those software professionals out there who want to go for MBA because they are sick and tired of writing or even bad, testing codes.
The kind of companies who visit IRMA are ITC's e-chaupal, some NGO's, co-operatives, Rural banking or lending arms of leading banks. Obviously, once selected they will give you a rural profile. In a nutshell, IRMA's PRM is for those who can embrace rural life.
If you plan to take this exam because you want some exam practice before the big daddy CAT 2008 then don't take this exam. Because this exam is diametrically opposite to a typical exam.
Placements at IRMA
Go here for IRMA placement figures for 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Prep downloads for IRMA 2008
Mock paper : will update soon
GK Prep : The competition master website. Register here and keep reading archives and latest issues.
Planning commision of India : For economic survey 2008. Very important as most of "issues of social concern" is relevant to this survey.
Keep an eye on all the awards, events etc.
Ministry of rural development : for the latest on rural development scheme.
Finally some respite for CFA aspirants in India. Delhi high court yesterday allowed CFA institute to conduct the June 2008 exam in India. The court ruled that the AICTE act does not apply to CFA exams in India. But conducting further examinations and enrollments of future CFA exams in India will be subject to final verdict on the writ petition.
CFA prepapration material.
I recently got hold of some CFA videos and books for CFA level I. The videos are from two of the most credible video suppliers, Schwezer and Allan resources. I have the material with me and am looking to share the cost. Please use the comment section below or email me if you are intrested.
CFA prepapration material.
I recently got hold of some CFA videos and books for CFA level I. The videos are from two of the most credible video suppliers, Schwezer and Allan resources. I have the material with me and am looking to share the cost. Please use the comment section below or email me if you are intrested.
Institute of Rural Management was established in 1979 with a vision to provide managerial education to the rural co-operatives. Owing to the uniquenes of the programme IRMA has been conducting its own entrance exam for admissions to its PRM courses. By and large IRMA exam is divided into four sections,
Section I : 50 questions on Quant and Data Interpretation
Section II : 50 Questions to test Logical Reasoning
Section III : 40 Questions on English usage includes RC
Section IV : 60 Questions focusing on Issues of Social Concern ( GK)
The overall difficulty level of the paper is from average to moderately difficult and it carries negative marking.
Following is a brief on what has happened in this paper thus far
Sectionwise DNA of IRMA entrance exam
Quant and DI
If you have decent quant skills and good vedic mathematics skill, then you need not worry about this exam. A hell lot of questions in quant section look like "calculate 234.78712*321.99-91.8768473+bla bla", of course you are given for choices to chose your answer from. If you have good vedic maths ( read mental maths skill) along with good elimination skills, the battle is half won. Rest of topics are run of the mill work, percentage, Time speed and distance problems. Since DI is also bundled into this section, number of Quant questions get further reduced. So, anybody having a Quant-o-phobia can hope to do well on this one.
Logical Reasoning
This section is a far tougher section than the quant section. Arguments, decision making, cause and effect, definatel false/probably true, assumptions etc are some of the topics that are covered in this section. if you can spot an easy question easily, you shouldn't be facing much problems with this one as well.
English Usage and Reading Comprehension
This section forms 20% of the IRMA entrance exam. Generally, 4 to 5 Reading comprehension passages feature in this section. These passages carry some kind of social awareness connection. Questions on sentence correction, Parajumbles and fill in the blanks complete this section. The section is again atmost of moderate difficult level.
Issues of Social concern and General Awareness
Probably the most easiest to score but unfortunately the most dreaded section of IRMA paper. Because coming to terms with general awareness is still easy but issues of social concern is something which doesn't come naturally to us, because as a nation we are socially unconcerend. We would know inflation figures but we would not know the reasons behind it. We would know that there is a nationwide grain shortage but we wouldnt know the absolute numbers of shortage. IRMA's paper tests just that. What was increase in India's barley production in XYZ financial year, so on and so forth.
Negative Marking and Sectional Cut-offs
Thank god for negative marking and sectional cut-offs in IRMA paper. Becuase if it hasnt been for these two, nobody would have taken this exam seriously. These two raise the overall difficulty level of this paper. The cut-offs are in percentile terms, so generally, the section on Issues of social concern has lower cut-offs while quant has higher cutoffs.
Who should take this exam, Prep resources, institutes taking this exam in IRMA 2008 Part II.
Section I : 50 questions on Quant and Data Interpretation
Section II : 50 Questions to test Logical Reasoning
Section III : 40 Questions on English usage includes RC
Section IV : 60 Questions focusing on Issues of Social Concern ( GK)
The overall difficulty level of the paper is from average to moderately difficult and it carries negative marking.
Following is a brief on what has happened in this paper thus far
Sectionwise DNA of IRMA entrance exam
Quant and DI
If you have decent quant skills and good vedic mathematics skill, then you need not worry about this exam. A hell lot of questions in quant section look like "calculate 234.78712*321.99-91.8768473+bla bla", of course you are given for choices to chose your answer from. If you have good vedic maths ( read mental maths skill) along with good elimination skills, the battle is half won. Rest of topics are run of the mill work, percentage, Time speed and distance problems. Since DI is also bundled into this section, number of Quant questions get further reduced. So, anybody having a Quant-o-phobia can hope to do well on this one.
Logical Reasoning
This section is a far tougher section than the quant section. Arguments, decision making, cause and effect, definatel false/probably true, assumptions etc are some of the topics that are covered in this section. if you can spot an easy question easily, you shouldn't be facing much problems with this one as well.
English Usage and Reading Comprehension
This section forms 20% of the IRMA entrance exam. Generally, 4 to 5 Reading comprehension passages feature in this section. These passages carry some kind of social awareness connection. Questions on sentence correction, Parajumbles and fill in the blanks complete this section. The section is again atmost of moderate difficult level.
Issues of Social concern and General Awareness
Probably the most easiest to score but unfortunately the most dreaded section of IRMA paper. Because coming to terms with general awareness is still easy but issues of social concern is something which doesn't come naturally to us, because as a nation we are socially unconcerend. We would know inflation figures but we would not know the reasons behind it. We would know that there is a nationwide grain shortage but we wouldnt know the absolute numbers of shortage. IRMA's paper tests just that. What was increase in India's barley production in XYZ financial year, so on and so forth.
Negative Marking and Sectional Cut-offs
Thank god for negative marking and sectional cut-offs in IRMA paper. Becuase if it hasnt been for these two, nobody would have taken this exam seriously. These two raise the overall difficulty level of this paper. The cut-offs are in percentile terms, so generally, the section on Issues of social concern has lower cut-offs while quant has higher cutoffs.
Who should take this exam, Prep resources, institutes taking this exam in IRMA 2008 Part II.
There was a time when a lone general MBA degree meant a high profile job. Then times changed and specializations became important and companies started to pick people with relevant specialization. A general degree was still sought after but the charm was fading away. Then dreamers started doing dual specializations to have an edge over the competition. Obviously that didnt last for long either. MBA students are now looking beyond their regular MBA degrees. Add on certifications to complement specializations is fast becoming the in thing.
One such add on is CFA. CFA, in India, was synonymous with iCFAi. ICFAI university very cleverly used the CFA trademark to offer courses similar to the ones offered by Charted Financial Analyst Institute, USA. But, thanks to globalisation and India's growing economic and intellectual might, CFA Institiute soon unearthed this gross violation of its Intellectual Property Right and dragged ICFAI to court . Changing times and ever evolving buisness needs further helped in propelling the CFA brand to newer heights. Add to it sluggish economy, where finding jobs is anyways difficult and you get the red hot combo of MBA in Finance and CFA certifications.
Today, If an MBA passout wants a serious and assured financial profile, he must seriously think about completing the CFA charter. And sooner you complete it, better. Good news is that first year of MBA in India has some serious overlaps with the CFA curriculum. The CFA institute gives Chartered Financial Analyst designation to candidates who complete its three level of exams. Each candidate who completes these three levels is called CFA charterholder. Following is a quick introduction to CFA,
Features of CFA programme
[image source : Investopedia]
CFA paper pattern
One such add on is CFA. CFA, in India, was synonymous with iCFAi. ICFAI university very cleverly used the CFA trademark to offer courses similar to the ones offered by Charted Financial Analyst Institute, USA. But, thanks to globalisation and India's growing economic and intellectual might, CFA Institiute soon unearthed this gross violation of its Intellectual Property Right and dragged ICFAI to court . Changing times and ever evolving buisness needs further helped in propelling the CFA brand to newer heights. Add to it sluggish economy, where finding jobs is anyways difficult and you get the red hot combo of MBA in Finance and CFA certifications.
Today, If an MBA passout wants a serious and assured financial profile, he must seriously think about completing the CFA charter. And sooner you complete it, better. Good news is that first year of MBA in India has some serious overlaps with the CFA curriculum. The CFA institute gives Chartered Financial Analyst designation to candidates who complete its three level of exams. Each candidate who completes these three levels is called CFA charterholder. Following is a quick introduction to CFA,
Features of CFA programme
- No exam center in India. Gotta travel to kathmandu, Singapore or the likes to appear for the paper
- CFA designation and courses offered by CFA institute not recognised by AICTE in India.
- Candidate should complete all three levels within seven years of enrollment.
- CFA level I should be completed within three years of enrollment.
- No affiliation with the programme offered by ICFAI
- International recognition.
- CFA level I exams are conducted twice a year July and december
- CFA level II and III can be given in July only.
- CFA level I can be given after MBA first year.
- Core financial profiles after successful completion of each level.
- Ethics and Professional Standards
- Quantitative Methods
- Economics
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Corporate Finance
- Investment Analysis
- Portfolio Management and Analysis
[image source : Investopedia]
CFA paper pattern
- Level I : 240 multiple choice questions
- Level II : MCQ's, Problem solving and Essays
- Level III : MCQ's, Problem solving and Essays
- $1000 for registration at CFA website
- Travel expenses to the tune of INR 50,000 for each level.
- Only 37~40% manage to pass CFA level I
- Only 15%(approx) manage to get CFA Charter
Recession or not, the world economy is definitely slowing down. And to make matters even worse we have food shortage and slower oil supplies pushing up the prices worldwide. In India, inflation touched a 42 week high for the week ending April 25th. Not very conducive for recruitment season, one would assume. US B school grads are already facing the heat of a slowing economy, According to an article published here, US B schools are seeing a downtrend in number of recruitments. Unlike Indian B Schools, US B Schools anyways do not boast 100% placement ( Fudging placement figures is a common practice in India) and with this trend god knows what will happen of them.
Coming back to home, The placement season here was more or less in sync with previous trends, a 20% increase in average placment figures was seen across most of the B Schools. The profiles offered were also better, All in all a better Placement season vis-a-vis previous years. Although, Indian MBA grads were able to thwart the US trend but the picture is not so rosy for the engineering students. Just like it happened in 2001, 2008 engineering recruits are being asked to wait for their final offer letters. In 2001, lot of companies went to the extent of canceling the placement offers altogether, a scenario which is even more likely this time also. I think, this is where we, the MBA wannabes, come into picture and this is where the access of impact becomes all the more imperative.
The impact, in my view will be on three levels,
a. MBA Class of 2009 : For the people passing out in 2009, getting placements wont be easy. Obviously, the 'A+ List' wont be affected but A list will surely feel the pinch, followed by Tier II colleges who will bear the brunt even more and the effect will be cascading. Companies have already started to pull down their future recruitment programme, which would mean fewer opportunities, fewer multiple offers and for some, less than magical 100% placement. According to a survey done after 1982 recession, each percentage point in unemployment index leads to erosion of 7~8% of starting wages. US has managed to avoid recession this quarter, which means it has managed to delay the inevitable which implies that it is far more likely now that MBA class of 2009 will feel the pressure.
b. MBA Class of 2010 : Thanks to Mr. Arjun Singh and Supreme court's judgment of reserving 50.5% seats for general candidates, we still do not know the texture of class of 2010. But picture will be clear sooner than later. Since, many of us are still making up our mind, it becomes all the more important for us to keep these things in mind before we take a final call. Globalisation has ensured that a US recession is not translated into world wide recession ( in one is to one ratio atleast). The Dragon and the elephant are shielding Asia from recession and in all likelihood will continue to do so. But at the same time, two countries are not entirely decoupled which means we will be hit but we will recover soon. We have two years before we are again thrown into the rate race, and all indicators point towards a bearish market for next few years. The summers will be affected but hopefully Final placements will be a trendsetter.
c. MBA aspirant 2008 - 2011 : This breed will be the least affected in terms of placements and exposure but they are going to have a real tough competition this year. There are a whole lot of engineers and other grads who will have their placements delayed this year. People who will have nothing to do during this wait period. MBA has almost become extension of engineering degree and the trend beating placements this year take the MBA illusion forward. In times when they are sitting at home waiting for offer letters, they would be reading about how some XYZ from some ABC got a fat pay cheque. This breed will come hard at MBA exams this year. if you are an aspirant, Beware!!
Coming back to home, The placement season here was more or less in sync with previous trends, a 20% increase in average placment figures was seen across most of the B Schools. The profiles offered were also better, All in all a better Placement season vis-a-vis previous years. Although, Indian MBA grads were able to thwart the US trend but the picture is not so rosy for the engineering students. Just like it happened in 2001, 2008 engineering recruits are being asked to wait for their final offer letters. In 2001, lot of companies went to the extent of canceling the placement offers altogether, a scenario which is even more likely this time also. I think, this is where we, the MBA wannabes, come into picture and this is where the access of impact becomes all the more imperative.
The impact, in my view will be on three levels,
a. MBA Class of 2009 : For the people passing out in 2009, getting placements wont be easy. Obviously, the 'A+ List' wont be affected but A list will surely feel the pinch, followed by Tier II colleges who will bear the brunt even more and the effect will be cascading. Companies have already started to pull down their future recruitment programme, which would mean fewer opportunities, fewer multiple offers and for some, less than magical 100% placement. According to a survey done after 1982 recession, each percentage point in unemployment index leads to erosion of 7~8% of starting wages. US has managed to avoid recession this quarter, which means it has managed to delay the inevitable which implies that it is far more likely now that MBA class of 2009 will feel the pressure.
b. MBA Class of 2010 : Thanks to Mr. Arjun Singh and Supreme court's judgment of reserving 50.5% seats for general candidates, we still do not know the texture of class of 2010. But picture will be clear sooner than later. Since, many of us are still making up our mind, it becomes all the more important for us to keep these things in mind before we take a final call. Globalisation has ensured that a US recession is not translated into world wide recession ( in one is to one ratio atleast). The Dragon and the elephant are shielding Asia from recession and in all likelihood will continue to do so. But at the same time, two countries are not entirely decoupled which means we will be hit but we will recover soon. We have two years before we are again thrown into the rate race, and all indicators point towards a bearish market for next few years. The summers will be affected but hopefully Final placements will be a trendsetter.
c. MBA aspirant 2008 - 2011 : This breed will be the least affected in terms of placements and exposure but they are going to have a real tough competition this year. There are a whole lot of engineers and other grads who will have their placements delayed this year. People who will have nothing to do during this wait period. MBA has almost become extension of engineering degree and the trend beating placements this year take the MBA illusion forward. In times when they are sitting at home waiting for offer letters, they would be reading about how some XYZ from some ABC got a fat pay cheque. This breed will come hard at MBA exams this year. if you are an aspirant, Beware!!
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