Strategy & execution notes
for serious aspirants.
Study plans, exam strategy and lessons from the daily drill data — written by the GRADSCALE team.
Should You Fill All the MBA Forms? FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, IIFT and the IIMs: How to Decide
"All of these colleges are tier 1, and they all need the same percentile. So should I just fill every form? If I already have MDI and IIFT in Delhi, why bother with SPJIMR?" This is the most common question we get in November, and it deserves a real answer. Here is how to deci…
IIM CAP 2027: Participating IIMs, CAT Cutoffs, Process and Who Should Apply
If your CAT percentile is good but not good enough for the top IIMs, the Common Admission Process, or CAP, is one of the most useful second chances in MBA admissions. You fill one application, give one interview, and that interview score is shared with every participating IIM.…
SNAP and NMAT for Low CAT Scores: Best Colleges to Target Below 90 Percentile (2026 Cycle)
If your CAT score is stuck below 90 percentile, SNAP and NMAT are the two exams that can still get you into a good MBA programme. Both allow up to three attempts and count your best score, and both lead to colleges that call at percentiles where CAT calls dry up. Here are the …
Female vs Male Non-Engineer: CAT Percentile and Target Colleges for 2026
If you are a commerce, arts, science or law graduate, you already get an edge at many IIMs because of academic diversity points. If you are also a woman, you get a second set of points on top. Here is how the gap between male and female non-engineers looks at each IIM, which c…
FMS Delhi Summer Internship 2026-28: 100% Placed, ₹3.76 Lakh Median Stipend and What It Means for Aspirants
FMS Delhi has completed summer internship placements for its 2026-28 batch, and the median stipend has gone up to ₹3.76 lakh, with a highest of ₹6 lakh. Here is what the numbers show, how they compare with the last batch, and what they mean if you are applying this year.
Female Engineer vs Male Engineer: CAT Percentile and Target Colleges for 2026
Two engineers with the same CAT percentile can get very different results at the IIMs. The reason is not the exam, it is the shortlisting formula. Most IIMs add gender diversity points, and that changes the percentile a woman engineer needs for a call. Here is how much it matt…
Which Colleges Can You Target at Your CAT Percentile? Engineers vs Non-Engineers (2026 Guide)
"I scored 97 percentile. Which colleges can I get?" is the most common question after CAT, and the honest answer depends on your background. An engineer and a non-engineer with the same percentile often land in different places, because IIMs and other B-schools add points for …
IPMAT 2027 Syllabus: Topics, Pattern and Weightage for IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak
IPMAT is the entrance test for the five-year Integrated Programme in Management at IIM Indore and IIM Rohtak, and the two IIMs run different papers. Neither one publishes a detailed official syllabus, so students work from the pattern and past papers. Here are the topics that …
SPJIMR Summer Placements 2026-28: 100% Placed, ₹2 Lakh Median Stipend and What It Means for Aspirants
SPJIMR has completed summer placements for its Class of 2028, and the numbers are higher across the board. The median stipend is up 17% to ₹2 lakh a month, and all 365 participants are placed. Here is what the numbers show, how to read them and what they mean if you are applyi…