Getting admission through the direct route and the entrance exam is one of the important decisions an MBA aspirant needs to make.
It is a strategic choice that will influence the college you will get into for the MBA programme. Let's first understand what is meant by both of these modes.
Entrance Exam-Based Admission
Students opting for this method are required to appear in one of the applicable entrance exams for MBA. The following is the list of some of the most popular entrance exams-
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Common admission test- CATis the most opted exam for students who wish to get into the top Indian Institute of Management and other prestigious institutions of the country
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Xavier Aptitude Test- It is a popular test conducted specifically for students who wish to get admission into XLRI Jamshedpur and other prestigious institutions which accept the same examination
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GMAT- GMAT is another popular entrance exam for MBA. It is taken up by students who wish to enroll in international programs and colleges like the Indian School of Business. There are other institution-specific entrance exams like SNAP conducted by Symbiosis Institute, and its own entrance exam is conducted by Narsee Monjee College.
Direct Admission Into the MBA
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There is an alternative route for students who do not wish to appear in our national-level competitive exam, which is directed mission.
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Some private universities accept students for admission on the basis of marks obtained in the undergraduate degree and their past academic record.
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These institutions also look into the work experience a student has gathered to offer them prioritized admissions.
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Another mode under the direct MBA admission is the management quota mode, which is not very popular amongst everyone, but is a very effective way to secure direct admission into private MBA colleges
Which One Is Better?
1. Efforts
If we see in terms of student efforts, then the direct admission method is more student-friendly, as a student doesn't need to go through the heat of a competitive exam. The direct admission route ensures smooth entry into the MBA.
2. Access to colleges
In terms of access to colleges, the merit system is nowhere close to the entrance-based system because almost all the top institutions of our country accept admission only through an entrance-based mode.
Institutions like the Indian Institute of Management, Faculty of Management Studies, and MDI XLRI accept some of the other entrance exams to grant admission.
3. Cost
Institutions that take students through an entrance mode generally have lower fees as compared to students who avail the direct entry route.
The institutions which offer direct entry are generally private institutions. Hence, fees are normally higher than those of the government institutions.
4. Admission time Certainty
All the timelines are fixed for the entrance-based mode, such as when the entrance exam is going to be conducted and when the forms will be out, etc., whereas in terms of timings, the merit-based system is highly flexible.
5. Placements
Placements are the most important parameter on which we should judge any method of admission.
Through an entrance-based system, access to elite institutions is open and, ultimately, fantastic placement opportunities are presented to the students.
However, there is much variability in private institutions depending on the past record and brand value of the college.
6. Stress level
In an entrance-based mode, there is always a sense of stress until a student finds their name in the final merit list.
However, this is not the case with merit-based systems or direct-based admission, where students can be very sure from the beginning of securing admission.
Conclusion
Although under the direct admission route, students' stress and anxiety would be lower, ultimately, students should go for the entrance test system because the entrance-based system will open up entry to fantastic institutions of the country, multiplying the prospects of building a successful career.
Even though both methods have their own advantages, one should always prefer the entrance test system over the direct entry system as their first preference.
