Apart from the written examination, GD/Essay and Interview performance, most management institutes also include the following in their selection criteria:
a. Work experience
b. Academic record and extra-curricular activities
These two factors are considered along with the written exam score by some institutes while arriving at the short-list of candidates to be called for GD/Essay and Interview. Some other institutes short-list the candidates for GD/Essay and Interview based on the written exam score only and then consider these two factors along with the GD/Essay, and Interview performance to decide on the final selection of the candidate.
Usually work experience is given weightage only if it is full-time paid experience after graduation - that too only if it is of more than 11 months duration. Different institutes follow different methods. An indicative weightage given to the various criteria is :
a. Written examination (for GD/Essay & Interview shortlist) : 50 - 80%
b. Written examination (in final selection) : 30 - 50%
c. Interview performance : 20 - 40%
d. Academic record/extra-curricular activities : 5 - 15%
e. Work experience : 5 - 10%
It goes without saying that these percentages are only indicative and can vary widely from institute to institute. Even for a given institute, the weightages may vary from year to year.
By and large, the eligibility requirement for most management institutes is a degree i.e. 10 + 2 + 3 in any field. A qualification equivalent to a degree is also considered adequate provided it is recognized by the appropriate authority. In case a student has a doubt about his/her eligibility, he/she would be well advised to write to the institute and find out whether the qualifications will be acceptable to the institute.
For some management institutes, percentage of marks obtained by the student in the qualifying degree exam may be a part of the eligibility requirements. An aggregate score of 50% in graduation would be considered eligible for most management institutes. There are instances like Maharashtra CET where the minimum percentage marks required at degree level is 50%. It should be noted that the IIMs stipulate that the candidate must have a minimum of 50% in graduation to meet the eligibility criteria for CAT.
Fresh Graduates/Experienced candidates
In India, the vast majority of students seeking admission to management schools are "fresh graduates", i.e, without any work experience. This is distinctly different from the scenario abroad where most of those applying to management schools have work experience. In India, only the top 15-20 management institutes in the country are able to attract candidates with work experience.
About 35 to 40% of the candidates who get into the top management institutes in India have work experience exceeding one year. The remaining are fresh graduates. It should be understood here that in most cases work experience is defined as "full-time, paid, work experience after completing graduation."
However, students have to note that having work experience is NOT mandatory to apply to management institutes, including the IIMs.
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