9 Must Read Books Before MBA

MBA is a dynamic course. It demands you to know something of everything. Serious MBA students are those who take time out from their busy schedule to read books that set them apart from their class. This particularly helps them during their placement time. Recruiters don't only want a student who is excellent in Marketing but has weak communication skills or knows no Finance. They want a dynamic profile. Someone who can show that he/she is a well read student and has an influencing personality.

However B-Schools these days focus more on specialization but the soft skills and the overall personality of the MBA student remains the same. I when I was doing my MBA read a book in 15 days. I became a bibliophile and have a library of my own now. The books I read I use them today as the methods explained help me every-time to find a solution to problems.

My dear friend I if you are an MBA aspirant or pursuing an MBA you must read as much as you can. Make it your hobby to get a book and sleep with it. I never ever got any books from my B-School library to read but to complete projects. I purchase new or used books from market and net. The reason is the one never completes reading books from library is that They are FREE ! Students love their books when they purchase them. Secondly library is a good resource but the huge variety never lets you read the book that is actually good for you.

Also you cannot mark anything on a library book. I love to highlight,underline and write when I read something. And lastly you have to return them in 15 days time or so. I just hate to pay fine to library. Those petty fines I tell you.

Here are some excellent books that you must read. Mark, highlight, write meanings of words along you read.

#1. How to Win Friends and Influence People

Now this one is a Killer. I have never came accross a book which teaches you to be a more influential person.My Human Resource teacher Mr. Neeraj told me to read this book and I thank him every time for such a gift. My take is its a must must read.

#2. The One Minute Manager 

The book is an all time best by Ken Blanchard. If focuses on 3 things must for a business to be successful. They are Delegation process on reports, how to praise your colleagues and how to give criticism that is motivating and positive. I have read this book many times and still learning more from every reading.

#3. In Search of Excellence

You cannot miss to read out "The Greatest Business Book of All Times". Thats what people call this book by Thomas J.Peters. The book explains 8 principles based on a study on 43 US companies. Every faculty I have met recommeded me to read this book when I asked them about any business book. This book is a legend and must read. 

#4. The Fortune At The Bottom Of The Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits 

How can a management student not read the only novel from "The Greatest Indian Management Guru of 21st Century Dr. C.K. Prahalad" If you haven't heard of him please do a Google. He gave many theories to the world. He passed away recently. I was fortunate enough to attend couple of his lectures. The book shows MBA students how they cannot ignore the poor people and make fortune for themselves. It is an inspirational book for if you have a dream to be an entrepreneur. 

 #5. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

The book gives the process to build strong and built to last organisations. Organisation that can take on recession head on. Future managers from MBA must be well equipped to take on any problems any time. This book will teach you many examples that cannot be discussed in a classroom. 

#6. The Art Of War 

A book written 2000 years ago in China and which still holds value today in management science. Its about how a warrior (MBA) has to fight and defend his assets. 

#7.  The Halo Effect: ... and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers

What are the key features that decide your success and failure in business world. How to survive and win the management battle every time. This is what this book explains. 

#8. The 5 Essential People Skills: How To Assert Yourself, Listen to Others

This is an outstanding book I have read that tells you how much to assert oneself, listen to others and how to resolve conflicts. If you feel you have lost a little ground after every meeting? Most of us are either too assertive or passive in our business life and we never end up getting the support,recognition and respect that we desire. Must read this one!

#9. The Goal: A Process Of Ongoing Improvement

I hope this will really be helpful to you. Please comment what you think on these books and do subscribe to my blog. 

MBA Entrance Exams India (Updated 2012)

Every year students from the field of engineering, commerce, arts & science appear for MBA entrance exams in India. They aspire to create a mark in the field of management. B-Schools such as the IIMs, XLRI, FMS, IIFT, S.P.Jain, Jbims, Nitie, Tiss ,Symbiosis ,MDI etc are the best in the class.  The pre-requisite to get into a prestigious B-School is to clear and score well in an entrance exam. In recent years B-Schools have come up with different entrance exams. These entrance exams are somewhat similar to each other however they are different when it comes to the quality of questions and the number of questions. Here is a brief on these entrance exams

MBA Entrance Exams

CAT: Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) every year in the month of Oct-November.Over 2, 00,000 students took CAT in the year 2010 and about 1,80,000 in 2011. Only 1% of this made it to the IIMs. The rest settled for other B-Schools. The exam consists of 3 sections i.e Verbal & English language skills, Quants and Arithmetic problems, Data Interpretation and Logical reasoning. There were a total of 60 questions and total time was 2.15 hrs. CAT 2011 was a computer based test and had multiple answer choices. The questions carried differential marking thus one had to be judicious while attempting a question. CAT is the most reputed MBA entrance exam in India and it is continually evolved during the last decade.


CAT 2011 Format Structure Analysis
CAT 2011 was an computer based test. Total allotted time was 165 minutes(2 hours and 35 minutes) to a candidate in which 140 minutes were for the CAT test  and 15 minutes for demonstration of how to give CAT. You can skip these 15 minutes whenever you want and directly start the test by clicking start tab. However we advise our students to get familiarization with computer based CAT before they go further. There were 2 sections:

1. Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning
2. Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation

You were given 70 minutes for each section. Once the first 70 minutes were over you cannot go back to section 1 and make changes in your answers. Each section had 30 question i.e. total 60.


CAT 2011 Eligibility Criteria

• For general candidates: 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in Graduation.
• For SC/ST candidates: 45% marks or equivalent CGPA in Graduation.
• Final year candidates students in their final year are also eligible to apply

CAT 2012 

It is a computer based test. Applications for CAT 2012 will start from the month of August 2012. You can buy CAT application form from a branch of Axis Bank authorized to sell the forms. I suggest you read the following post CAT application forms 2012. It contains the process regarding from how to apply for CAT 2012 till CAT result.

How to prepare for CAT 2012?

CAT has come a long way from being a speed based test to a quality test. 60 questions in 140 minutes is not very much but the standard of questions has gone higher with time. Therefore you should focus on higher level of difficulty in questions. But first get your basics right. This goes for every section. We advise you purchase Arun Sharma CAT book of quantitative ability, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and verbal ability. They have different level of difficulty and they have explained all types of questions which come in CAT.

Quantitative Aptitude by TIME coaching institute for CAT 2012

For XAT and MICAT Please use the Book Mentioned Above for English and Vocabulary. This will also help you in CAT.

XAT: Xavier’s Aptitude Test is conducted by the Xavier’s Labour Relations Institute (Jamshedpur). The test in recent years has gained popularity for its quality of questions. XAT 2010 was of 2 hours duration followed by an essay for 20 minutes. The topic for the essay was “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed.”

XAT 2010

Section	Number of questions
Verbal and Logical Ability	31
Data Interpretation and Quantitative Ability	40
Analytical Reasoning and Decision Making	30

*The negative marking scheme changed compared to XAT 2009. In each section, 0.2 marks deducted for the first six incorrect answers and for every wrong answer after that, 0.25 marks were deducted.


We suggest you also read XAT 2012 analysis and pattern.

Recommendation: XAT is a tough paper & one should keep his nerves calm while .XAT usually is the last entrance exam and thus many students leave studies before it. One should rather continue to prepare well. XAT is not a speed based test thus one should have good accuracy. Colleges accepting XAT score are in this link:  http://catiim2011.blogspot.com/2011/04/list-of-associate-colleges-for-xat.html

FMS: Faculty of Management Studies Delhi University conducts its own independent exam. FMS is one the best B-School in the country. The different sections of the exam are: Quantitative ability, Verbal ability, English comprehension, Analytical ability & Logical Reasoning. The questions need to be attempted within two hour duration. FMS 2011 had 200 questions with 50 questions in each section. It was a test of speed and accuracy.

IIFT: Indian Institute of Foreign Trade is one of the most prestigious B-school in India. It conducts its own exam usually in the month of November. IIFT is a paper pencil based test of two hours duration. It covers the sections of Verbal Ability, General Knowledge & Awareness, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Analysis. The IIFT 2010 test was of 2 hrs and had 135 questions in all.

SNAP: Symbiosis National Aptitude Test is conducted by Symbiosis International University. In 2010 the test had a total of 150 questions with no sectional cut off. Negative marking of 1/4^th was there. The paper consists of 4 sections i.e. English, Quant, G.K and Logical Reasoning. The paper in 2010 was as follows.

• English: It consisted of 40 questions with 1 mark each. The questions were of Reading Comprehension, Verbal Ability, Verbal reasoning, Idioms and Phrases. Questions varied from easy to difficult.
• Quantitative Ability and Data: This section consisted of 40 questions of 1 mark each.
• G.K: There were total of 40 questions of a mark each. Questions were moderate and were tricky. It consisted of current affairs and G.K questions.
• Analytical & Logical Reasoning: There were 30 questions in this section with two marks each. The topics of the questions were: Quant based Reasoning, Missing Numbers, Linear & Circular Arrangements, Deductions, Data Interpretation, and Critical Reasoning etc.
• Colleges under SNAP.

NMAT: It is the entrance exam for SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Mumbai. This time it was a computer based test. NMAT 2010 gave every candidate 3 chances to give NMAT. The best of the score of any one was chosen as the candidate’s NMAT score. The first online computer based NMAT exam held from 30th January 2010 to 8th February 2010, had 120 questions compared to 150 in the paper pencil version.
However, NMAT maintained its 3 section format.
The three sections were:


-    Language Skills
-    Quantitative Skills, Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency

-    Logical Reasoning


MICAT : MICAT is held by Mudra Institute of Communication & Advertising (MICA) . MICA is the best B-School in India to offer courses in Marketing, Branding and Advertising management. The pre-requisite for MICAT is CAT. However in 2011 only its was only MICAT that one has to pass through and not CAT. The paper checks your command on English. Its a mix of quality and speed. The paper comprises of English,Quants, Reasoning ,G.K, Psychological Test ,Picture Story writing and Essay writing.


The paper is divided into 3 sections. English,Quants, Reasoning in section 1. Picture Story and Essay writing in section 2. There were 4 essays in 2011 paper. These two sections were of 2.15 Hrs and half hour section for physiological section. One has to complete each question in the physiological test section otherwise the paper will not be checked.


We suggest you read MICAT analysis 2011 for more information.


IBSAT : ICFAI Hyderabad organizes IBSAT every year for its intake. Its a speed based paper and comparatively easy one.


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