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Questions Asked On IIM Calcutta, Kolkata
What was your IIM Calcutta interview experience like?
IIM Calcutta is undoubtedly one of the most difficult colleges to gain admission to among the Holy Trinity of IIM ABC (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta). As a matter of fact, it's no surprise that passing the PI at IIM C is a difficult task.
The first step in the hiring process at IIM C is a Written Ability Test, followed by personal interviews. It lasts approximately 20 minutes. The word count is limited to 200. WAT has three Panellists.
The personal interview lasts 20-30 minutes, with 2-3 interviewers seated to take your questions. They inquire about you, your visions, and your stance on specific issues. They want to know about your abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as your points of view. Students are questioned on the most recent debatable and controversial topics or issues in order to assess their understanding of current events.
In such a situation, you should put on your best smile and keep your cool. It is critical to remain calm and composed in order to respond to the best of one's abilities.
Is it a better choice for choosing FMS, Delhi over IIM-B and IIM-C?
No, choosing FMS Delhi over IIMB or IIMC is definitely not a good decision as you will be missing out on so many opportunities. Some of them include
- Student exchange programs: The top 3 IIMS have student exchange programs wherein almost 30% of the batch spends one term at a European B School. Also, IIM Calcutta is a part of CEMS. 25 students from IIMC are offered the most coveted CEMS MiM degree.
- Placements: Without any doubt, the top IIMs have the best placement drives than any other B school in India. All the major companies like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and AT Kearney visit the campus and hire 50+ students every year. Even if the same companies visit FMS M, the roles offered are different. Also despite being good for marketing, the biggest giants in FMCG don’t visit the campus regularly. So top jobs are offered at IIM ABC and FMS misses out on this opportunity.
- Campus Life: With no hostel facility, FMS Delhi has non-existent campus life. Meanwhile, all the other IIMs have beautiful campuses, excellent infrastructure, and hostel facilities.
- Brand name: Without any doubt, IIMs have a bigger brand name than FMS.
- ROI: ROI or Return on Investment is higher for IIMs than FMS in the long run. Although due to the payment of loans initially, ROI will seem less than FMS(low fees), that’s not the case. IIMs provide better opportunities, global recognition, and an alumni base that add to the ROI value.
You won’t lose anything from joining IIMS over FMS.
What are the books IIM A, B, and C follow for finance, marketing, strategy and operations management?
The books followed by IIMs depend upon the faculty and the specific courses being taught.
Here are the commonly recommended books for these subjects-
- Finance-
- Principles of Corporate Finance by Richard Brealey, Stewart Myers, and Franklin Allen
- Financial Management: Theory and Practice by Prasanna Chandra
- Security Analysis and Portfolio Management by Donald E. Fischer and Ronald J. Jordan
- Investments by Zvi Bodie, Alex Kane, and Alan J. Marcus
- Corporate Finance: A Focused Approach by Michael C. Ehrhardt and Eugene F. Brigham
- Marketing-
- Marketing Management by Philip Kotler
- Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being by Michael R. Solomon
- Strategic Brand Management by Kevin Lane Keller
- Marketing Metrics: The Definitive Guide to Measuring Marketing Performance by Paul W. Farris, Neil T. Bendle, Phillip E. Pfeifer, and David J. Reibstein
- The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Content Marketing, Podcasting, Social Media, AI, Live Video, and Newsjacking to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott
- Strategy-
- Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors by Michael E. Porter
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
- Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard P. Rumelt
- The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen
- The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
- Operations Management-
- Operations Management by Jay Heizer and Barry Render
- Production and Operations Management by R. B. Khanna
- Operations Strategy by Nigel Slack and Michael Lewis
- The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox
- The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer by Jeffrey K. Liker
This list is not fixed for IIM A, B, C, or any other IIM. The professors at each IIM have their own preference list of the books and resources for their respective course.
What is it that only IIM Calcutta has, but no other IIMs do?
IIM Calcutta provides you with a second chance in life. Nowadays, most IIMs place a high value on your previous academic achievements.
If you go to Ahmedabad, you will find people with exceptional academics, brilliant 10th, 12th, and undergraduate marks, and toppers in every phase of their lives who have never failed.
Except for the high CAT Percentile, everything is the same in Bangalore.
However, at IIM Calcutta, the majority of them failed in life. After achieving a high CAT percentile, IIM Calcutta is the only top college that provided them with the opportunity to prove themselves once more in life. Failures and struggles have occurred in the students' lives. They understand how to work with limited resources. The best thing IIM Calcutta has done for them is given them HOPE. It is the only place that believes in you and provides you with the necessary opportunities. People, not profiles, can be found there.
You'll meet people who have faced disappointments in their lives, learned from them, and risen above them. People who are compassionate and steady. Individuals who understand how to function with fewer resources.
What is the fee for SC/ST students in IIM A, B, and C?
There is no concession for SC/ST students in IIM A, B and C. But this is not a major issue.
IIMs offer a lot of financial aid services to financially weak people. In some cases, the entire fee is paid by the college or some part. It depends on the judgment of the panel on the basis of your situation.
All IIMs offer educational loans at a relatively low interest rate. Banks usually consider IIM students as a profitable investment. So rather than worrying about the money, focus more on your goals.
What CAT percentile do I require to get calls from IIM Blackis, FMS, SP Jain, JBIMS and MDI Gurgaon?
For GEM, the CAT percentiles required to get an interview call from IIM Blackis, FMS, SP Jain, JBIMS, and MDI Gurgaon are
- ABC and FMS: Both institutes required nothing less than 99.5. Those who get admission at a lesser percentile, usually don’t belong to the GEM category. There are many who don’t even get a call with 99.3. So to stay on the safer side, go for nothing less than 99.5.
- IIM Indore and Kozhikode: Both the institutes require percentiles around 97.5 for an interview call
- SPJIMR: This Institute has unique selection criteria under which CAT is given less value and calls are issued on the basis of the candidate's profile. The CAT percentile required in this case is less than the normal if you have a good academic profile along with work experience,
- MDI: This institute issues calls around the 96% mark.
It’s important to know that these figures are based on trends and not on actual data so you will find exceptions everywhere. Moreover, it’s better you don’t waste time analyzing the CAT cutoff and start preparing for the same.
Which one is better, IIM Calcutta or IIM Bangalore? Why?
IIM Calcutta Vs. IIM Bangalore debate is a never-ending one, and there is no clear winner. Both of these institutes are among the top in management education and have their advantages.
- Faculty wise there are no such differences between the two IIMs.
- In terms of location, IIM Bangalore is definitely better. The city is a hub of industry houses, so you will get better placement opportunities and exposure.
- Contrary to the various rumors, placement at IIM A, B, and C is almost similar.
- IIM C offers a wide array of electives. You are free to choose from a huge variety of courses depending on your interests and career plans.
Both institutes are at the top of their game and will offer you many opportunities to grow.
Should I join IIM Calcutta or IIM Kozhikode? I am an average student who somehow managed to do well in the CAT and convert both of these but want a fair shot at being in the better half of the batch
Both IIM Calcutta and IIM Kozhikode are top-notch management institutes in India. The majority of people claim that IIMC is better than IIMK just because it has a strong alumni connection and extremely experienced faculty.
But don’t make your decision solely based on this. Keep your aim in mind before deciding.
Choose IIM Calcutta if-
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You want your personality to be developed to the maximum extent
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You have a knack for Maths and Analytical Skills Development
Choose IIM Kozhikode if-
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You want to be in the top 1% of the class
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You prefer an institute with less dynamism
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If you are average at Maths and Analytical Skills Development
The final decision is yours to make.
Why is IIM Calcutta not so talked-about as IIMA or IIMB?
I think IIM Calcutta is not as recognized or talked about as IIMA or IIMB because it did not gain fame from Bollywood. Bollywood movies have been shot at IIMA and IIMB. So they are more talked about than IIMC. It has nothing to do with its own facilities. That being said, some amazing features of IIM Calcutta are
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Top notch alumni base
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Beautiful campus: The campus of IIM Bangalore is not an average one. Its beautiful infrastructure and location give it a surreal ambiance.
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Amazing Placements: IIM Calcutta is the best for finance placements. Reputed banks like Merrill, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and Chase, Goldman Sachs prefer students of IIM Calcutta over IIMA and IIMB. For consulting IIM Calcutta has all the top 4 Mckinsey, Bain, BCG and AT Kearney.
So nothing about IIM Calcutta is less than other IIMs. It just lacks the general fame, not the works.
What is so special about IIM Calcutta? It is one of the oldest IIMs in the country, but what makes it stand out from other institutes in imparting management education?Why would someone join IIM C?
Surely IIM Calcutta is the oldest and yet stands out the most from other IIMs. But trust me it has nothing to do with its campus, alumni, education, placement, extracurriculars or any other features. All the IIMs are equally good in all these aspects.
What makes IIM Calcutta different from them?
In reality, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore welcome students only who have been toppers throughout their life. Their academic reports are flawless. Be it their 10th or 12th or Undergraduate. They have never seen failure in their lives.
But in the case of IIM Calcutta, it has both genius students with flawless reports and people who have great CAT scores but below average undergrad or 10th and 12th scores. IIM Calcutta welcomes a mixed crowd and this is what sets it apart from other IIMs.
At IIM Calcutta, you will find peers who have failed or been to the lowest level once. But they have climbed the ladder of success with determination. Studying alongside people with such qualities makes education much more than just learning your subjects. You grow as a person. You don’t find people here, you find profiles. A manager needs to have these qualities in order to excel.
All the IIMs are great but it’s only IIM Calcutta that welcomes a mixed crowd.
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