• Quantitative Ability (QA): This section tests your mathematical skills and it comprises essentially high school mathematics. Topics covered are Number System, Profit & Loss, Percentages, Averages, Progression, Work, Speed, Geometry, Algebra and some miscellaneous topics.
• Data Interpretation (DI): This section has problems on different types of Data Representation. You have to analyse and give specific information from Tables, Activity Charts, Bar Charts, Pie Charts and Graphs.
• Verbal Ability (VA): This is a section on English usage. Topics tested are Grammar, Vocabulary and Verbal Reasoning.
• Reading Comprehension (RC): This section tests your reading skills. This section consists of about 5 passages followed by questions on the same. Passages are of about 800 words length and cover various topics such as music, astronomy, civics, sociology, art and literature.
• General Awareness/Business Awareness (GA/BA): This section basically tests if you have been keeping in touch with the current affairs and business events. This section is there in most of the tests except CAT. You are asked questions on political events, scientific developments, awards, economic indicators, brands, CEOs and books.
• Logical Reasoning (LR): Your analytical skills are tested in this section. Under this section you can have Data Sufficiency, puzzles and deductive reasoning.

The 2nd Sunday of December is when CAT, the entrance test for the IIMs is held. Other institutes like Management Development Institute (MDI), T.A. Pai Institute of Management (TAPMI), Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), International Management Institute (IMI), and the Fore School of Management also conduct their admissions through CAT.

The CAT of Dec 9, 2001 has been relatively easy as compared to the CAT of the previous two years when students emerged shell-shocked from the centres. The paper was of 2 hours' duration. There were 3 sections of 50 Questions each and there was no sectional time limit, meaning that you could attempt the whole paper in any order. There was negative marking for a wrong answer which we assume to be ¼ th of a right answer. The paper was easy, but the time pressure was tremendous as students get carried away while attempting the paper. The problem is not of complexity of the paper but of efficient time management.

( Xavier's Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur ): XAT, the test for XLRI and Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, was suppose to be the first test to go online from 2002. But XLRI had to finally conduct the test in a paper and pencil format, as its effort to go online were not successful. The XAT is usually held on the first Sunday of January and it has questions on General Awareness and Industrial Relations as a separate section. There is stress on higher level maths topics such as probability, set theory and permutations and combinations.

Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi : FMS has a paper whose pattern is similar to that of the CAT, and in addition, they have a Business and General Awareness section as well. The paper tends to have long passages but is relatively easy to solve. During the second stage of selection process, FMS has extempore apart from GDs and interviews.

Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad: MICA specializes in Advertising and Market Research. If you get a call from MICA after the written round (CAT), you would find yourself going through a special aptitude test for advertising at the interview stage. This is to check your innovativeness, creativity and presence of mind. They also check awareness of brands, advertisement agencies, ad punchlines, and knowledge about socio-cultural environment.

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi: The general awareness section of the IIFT paper has questions based on trade-related figures, dates, UN bodies and WTO. Rest of the sections are like CAT, but of a lower difficulty level. Usually, there is no negative marking in this test.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai: TISS specializes in Human Resources and Personnel Management. It is one of the most sought after B- Schools for Personnel Management. TISS paper consists of an essay on a socially relevant issue, apart from the aptitude test. The test is conducted in June in Mumbai.

CET stands for "Common Entrance Test" - conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra. In case you need to pursue an MBA Degree course from any of the affiliated universities in Maharashtra, you need to take this test. The competition is tough as there are very few seats for outside Maharashtra candidates. The number of institutes covered under CET runs into hundreds, but only a handful are worth a try. Some of these are Jamunalal Bajaj, Narsee Monjee, Symbiosis, etc.

JMET

The Joint Management Entrance Test for the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science; JMET is conducted in December. The Techno-MBAs passing out og IITs and IISc focus on Systems and Technology Management and go for relevant jobs in high-tech industries or consultancies.