MBA, Goa Institute of Management, Ribander

Established in 1993, the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) is ranked among the top 20 B-schools in the country (CSR 2007, Outlook 2007). It cultivates links with other institutes to provide greater exposure and learning opportunities. A focus on both theoretical concepts and their practical applications enables students to develop a real-life perspective of business.

Pre-placement offers are routed through the placement cell. Top companies and multinationals visit the campus every year. The highest salary package offered last year was Rs 12.1. lakh per annum.

GIM offers a two-year full-time postgraduate programme in business management, a three-year part-time programme in business management and management development programmes. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has joined hands with GIM to launch a postgraduate programme in management and insurance.

The admission notification is published in September. Interested candidates have to send a demand draft of Rs 1,200 in favour of the Goa Institute of Management, payable at Panaji, or make a cash payment at any centre of IMS Learning Resources, Career Launcher or Career Forum and obtain a receipt.

The institute chooses students on the basis of XAT (XLRI admission test) scores, so applicants have to register for the exam by logging on to www.xlri.edu/xat. Apply online on gim.sify.net, enter your XAT ID and password, fill in the online application form and take a printout. Send the printout along with the demand draft or receipt to the admissions office, Goa Institute of Management, Ribandar, Goa-403006, by courier or registered post. Applicants should mention their name and XAT ID on the reverse of the draft or receipt.

Candidates who are of Goan origin or domicile should send the relevant documents along with the payment. On receipt of request, the institute will acknowledge it by email and send the bulletin by mail.

Eligibility

A three-year bachelors degree or equivalent in any discipline, recognised by the AICTE or the Association of Indian Universities, with at least 50 per cent aggregate.

Entrance exam

Applicants are required to take the XAT, conducted by the XLRI, Jamshedpur. On the basis of their scores, candidates will be shortlisted for the interview and group discussion, which will be held in Bangalore, Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai and Panaji. Final selection will be based on past academic performance, XAT score, performance in group discussion and interview, and work experience, if any. For students of Goan origin, the qualifying XAT score will be lowered by 10 points.

Pattern of exam

The two-hour multiple- choice test is divided into three sections — verbal ability and logical reasoning (VA), quantitative ability (QA) and data interpretation and analytical reasoning and decision making ability.

Questions include fill in the blanks, synonyms, antonyms and reading comprehension. For QA, there are questions on permutation and combination, word formation, sets and operators, matrices and number series. There are about 10 to 12 questions on data sufficiency and data interpretation.

The level of maths required for XLRI is very high. The level of understanding required is that of a Class XII student.

How to prepare

The section on verbal ability has objective-type questions pertaining to comprehension, usage and vocabulary. The GMAT / GRE guide by Barron is a good source for preparing for this section. Revise grammar from a standard text book like the one by Wren and Martin. Enrich your vocabulary by going through Better English and 30 Days — A more powerful vocabulary by Norman Lewis. For reasoning, practise from Mental Ability and Quantitative Aptitude by Edgar Thorpe and Reasoning by R.S. Agarwal.

Revise maths concepts from Quantitative Ability by R.S. Agarwal, Trishna’s Quantitative Ability and the book by Tata McGraw Hill publishers. Prepare from Analytical Reasoning by M.K. Pandey, Logical and Analytical Reasoning by A.K. Gupta, and Analytical Reasoning by Ravi Chopra.

It is important to develop accuracy with speed, so timed practise of model test papers is essential. The aim of the group discussion and interview is to assess your depth of understanding, presence of mind, analytical skills, communication skills, confidence and composure. Successful conversation demands clear thinking, expressed in concise and grammatically correct language, which must convey facts in an easily understandable and interesting manner.

As part of your preparation, you must revise your academics thoroughly, and update your general knowledge. Maintain a scrapbook of duly collated important articles and news items.

Try to get a group of MBA aspirants together and practise discussing various topics, making sure you put across your views clearly and precisely.