During the past few years, most of the offline teaching had to be inadvertently converted to the online mode because of the deadly coronavirus. Even now, the coaching platforms keep alternating between offline and online mode of teaching which causes a lot of inconvenience on the students’ part, especially those who need to travel out of station to take up a center in a particular city.
Therefore, it would be the best decision in this time to opt for an online CAT course since it doesn’t only help save your time and money but also a lot of your energy used to travel back and forth from the center. Hence, we have brought about a list of Top 6 online Coaching Institutes in India that you can enroll in right now, all at the comfort of your homes.
We have also evaluated them on various aspects such as fee structure, study material, preparation for non-CAT exams, past record etc.
Elites Grid
The first entry to the list is one of the newer coaching platforms but also one that has gained a lot of trust and popularity within the 6 years it has been in the management educational field. With top B-school alumni as their faculties, Elites Grid is certainly an excellent choice.
Study Material
Includes live webinar classes, recorded sessions, 140 sessions on quant, 90 sessions on LRDI, 90 sessions on VARC, 200+ topic tests, exam specific approaches, shortcuts and options usage. There’s also a free booster course for intensive practice in the last phase of preparation which will partake 60 to 80 classes.
Non-CAT exams
Also prepares students for non-CAT exams like SNAP, CMAT, IIFT etc. It has a YouTube channel which offers plenty of free material for everyone.
Fees
The fee for the courses is 20000 on average.
Uniqueness
EG is one of the best coaching platforms not only in terms of the way the concepts are discussed and the types of questions conferred but also the student-teacher bonding it has had. The number of unique practice questions is more than any other institute and the concepts are also cleared to the core. It also has its fees on the lower side.
Bottom line
The CAT course of EG is definitely recommended and it has converted many top tier B-schools in the years it has been in the management education field. Students wouldn’t regret taking up this course.
Alchemist
Next up on our list is Alchemist which actually is an award winner in the “Best CAT Coaching Program for MBA” category.
Study material
Includes live interactive online classes for all the three sections of CAT. There are also CAT mock test series along with a SWOT analysis which is essentially CAT Competency Assessment Test. According to the analysis, there is a personalized learning plan made for each individual. Also, students have a choice to take as many classes with top faculties to master their skills as they like. There are two study modules – basic and advanced; additionally, there are daily sectional exercises and tests with over 21000 questions to practice from. Moreover, there’s a study zone for live doubts.
Non-CAT exams
It also prepares students for non-CAT exams like XAT, SNAP, TISSNET, CMAT etc. It is an optional thing, so students may or may not choose it
Fee
The fee for this course starts from INR 45000.
Uniqueness
The best part about Alchemist is that it encourages you to think unconventionally and out of the box. It doesn’t follow a solution-centric but an approach-centric method to answer questions. Also, Alchemist assigns you a mentor who then goes ahead, assesses your strengths and weaknesses, analyses your test performances and helps you with your overall study plan.
Bottom Line
Overall, Alchemist is an amazing institute, especially if you think that you are an average student because they make sure that every student is looked after. Having said that, we would strongly recommend you to also give your 100% and do side-by-side self-studying and you will certainly have the best time of your life.
iQuanta
Next addition to our list is iQuanta coaching institute which is a purely online based CAT coaching platform.
Study Material
There are 5 different courses that the students can choose from – although the most comprehensive course is the Full Course which has around 350+ hours of live sessions, 1500+ videos, 100+ assignments. There are also 15 full mocks, 30 sectional mocks with video solutions for the mocks and assignments. There is a huge question bank with topic wise questions provided for practice every day.
Non-CAT exams
It also prepares you for not-CAT exams like XAT, SNAP, IIFT, NMAT etc.
Fee
The fee for the courses ranges from INR 10,000 to INR 35000.
Uniqueness
iQuanta has dual application of learning i.e., there are live classes which are followed by live interaction sessions so that students can get a firm grip on the concepts. Also, if you are a working student, they conduct their classes in the evening, from 7-9 pm and at night, from 10 pm – 12 am, so it will be convenient for you. In addition to that, it makes a brilliant use of social media to incorporate it into teaching and there is a 24*7 doubt solving facility available for students.
Bottom Line
It is an excellent option with various courses to choose from and hence, different fee structures. Also, if you are a working student, it will be really convenient for you; even if you are working only part-time, the evening and night classes will be a great alternative.
T.I.M.E.
T.I.M.E. is one of the most prominent CAT preparation coaching platforms in India with a team of 40 IIT/IIM graduates and its online course hasn’t lacked either.
Study Material
Includes e-books, GAT papers, online sectional tests, self-administered mock CATs, MBA Ed. and Careers magazine, AIMCAT discussion videos and concept videos. It also includes 240 recorded sessions, 35 AIMCATs with video solutions, 15 OMETs and 3500 questions in the online sectional tests.
Non-cat exams
It also prepare students for non-CAT exams like XAT, SNAP, IIFT, NMAT etc.
Fee
The fee ranges from INR 10000 to INR 33000.
Uniqueness
T.I.M.E. is really good in terms of the test series and the type of questions that it provides. Also, there are plenty of questions of the same type to make the concepts clear in students’ minds.
Bottom Line
One of the things that might bother students is the fee which is slightly on the higher side. Also, the repetitive questions might feel time-consuming for some students while they could be good for others so take some demo classes and decide for yourself if you want to go for it or not.
2IIM
The next addition to our list is 2IIM which is run by various IIT/IIM alumni and is a leading name in the CAT coaching platforms.
Study Material
The study material provides around 150 classes for all three sections combined, 200+ interactive live sessions, about 36 mocks, revision classes, 5000 CAT level questions, 3000 Drill level questions as well as hard copy books.
Non-CAT exams
It also prepares students for non-CAT exams like XAT, IIFT and so on.
Fee
There are three courses offered by 2IIM with the course fee ranging from INR 37000 to INR 49000.
Uniqueness
The best part about 2IIM is the way the concepts are explained in-depth. Also, there are remarkable Percentile Booster classes which are essentially revision classes and the material helps you a lot with your final prep. As for XAT, there is a great Business Decision Making class which will not only help you with the exam but even after that.
Bottom Line
The course is really good, although, sometimes the questions might seem more difficult than the actual level of CAT but if you supplement the course with mocks and test series from any among IMS, CL or TIME, you would be good to go.
MBA Guru
The last addition on our list is MBA Guru which has CAT 99+ %ilers in their faculty pool who are also alumni from IITs and IIMs.
Study Material
Includes 300+ hours of live sessions which are adaptive with basic and advanced levels to maximize improvement. There are also adaptive modules, concept and practice books, 26 CAT mocks, 35+ non-CAT mocks, 500+ short videos by CAT toppers, doubt solving as well as GDPI preparation.
Non-CAT exams
It also prepare students for non-CAT exams like XAT, SNAP, IIFT, NMAT etc.
Fee
The fee for the course is around INR 23000.
Uniqueness
Apart from excellent study material and faculty, MBAGuru also conducts regular SWOT analysis after which you are allotted special classes which are called module classes to enhance your performance and scores.
Bottom Line
The institute is really good in terms of study material and the kind of mocks and test series it provides. However, you might want to take up some demo classes to see if the way of teaching is suitable for you or not and then choose accordingly.
Poll Results
Conclusion
MBA is a dream for every aspirant and so is getting into a good B-school. The preparation for MBA requires a lot of grit, patience, hard work but along with that it also requires a good strategy which can only be achieved via good mentoring. Therefore, you should make sure that you join only the best and best coaching institute for your CAT preparation because that is essentially your first step in your MBA journey and you got to make sure that it is the right one.
Also, it is extremely important to remember that you shouldn’t just rely on the teaching of any specific coaching center, you must also do your own self-preparation and give your hundred percent because ultimately, that is what’s going to make you stand out.
We wish you all the best for CAT!
Frequently Asked Questions
The average fee for online CAT coaching is around INR 25,000. However, it varies with each institute – some have their fee as high as INR 50,000.
The teaching offered in online CAT coaching has improved manifolds. Additionally, online classes save your travel time and money.