Will my IQ solely determine my success in MBA entrance exams?
[“Sheldon: Is that the prototype drive system for the high-G rover?
Howard: No, Bernadette got me a Fitbit so she can track how much I’m exercising….”]
“I wish I had Sheldon’s IQ. I could do such a lot more than engineering.” My 19 year old nephew lamented, pushing me to pause the television for the fifth time.
“Like what?” I replied, trying to contain my impatience as best as I could.
“I don’t know man. I spend such a lot of time studying, someone with Sheldon’s IQ would study half as much as I do and still ace the test. And here I am, struggling to keep up with my class.”
“At least you’re not about to put yourself through a grueling selection process to get into a top college.”
“No. But Sheldon would ace that too.”
My nephew’s stoic response had put me off for that night. I was worried enough already. With every though of that day, a steady whirlpool grew in my stomach, churning all my thoughts into dreadful possibilities. Now to add to that, I had started to worry about Sheldon.
Well not Sheldon Cooper. But the realism of his fictional IQ struck me like a dagger. There had to be people of a higher IQ than mine attempting to crack that exam with me. I had always been an average student. Not exceptionally high grades in school but nothing that my parents had complaints about. What I did have was discipline. I put my heart and soul into preparing for CAT. But now I had started to second guess myself. Was this going to be enough?
How Far Does IQ Take You in Life?
Short for Intelligence Quotient, IQ is a measure of one’s intelligence. A standardised test determines the level of one’s IQ.
PRAQTISE Fact File: On the Stanford-Binet test, a score of over 140 tags you as a genius, while average IQ remains at about a 100. In the past, research has shown that 20% of our life’s success depends on our intelligence.
Researchers still debate on the extent to which IQ influences success in life. Most contemporary thinkers seem to agree that although Intelligence is a crucial component, high IQ by itself does not assure success at work or other aspects of life.
IQ and its relevance to MBA Entrance exams
Intelligence is what determines our ability to understand concepts. A higher IQ equals a better comprehension of ideas which later translates to grades and scores in terms of academics. However the question we are asking is, does IQ decide your eligibility for CAT?
This question can only be answered by someone who has been in and out of this game. We look at some students who aced MBA entrance exams and their take on this subject:
Arup Chaudhari, who cracked the CAT exam for the fifth time in 2011 said that “to crack CAT, you need to be smart, not intelligent.” In an interview then, Chaudhari had said that CAT can easily be cleared if basic concepts are clear. Arup attempted CAT 5 times, and scored above 98 percent in each of his attempts. His 5th attempt landed him a 99.36 percent in 2010. To ace the test, the trick is to know which questions to attempt, says Arup. To get into a good b-school, you need a good score, and playing smart is the key, thinks Chaudhari.
Verdict: Smartness over IQ
Sumit Patil, aced the CAT exam in 2013 on his first attempt agrees that doing well in CAT takes more than just intelligence. A near perfect performance in the MBA exams, with zero coaching is no easy feat. According to Sumit, CAT is not a very difficult test to crack, only if concepts are clear. While Sumit spent not more than 6-12 hours a week to prepare for MBA entrance exams, he believes that solving more question papers raises your chances of cracking the test. Sumit believes that Intelligence will aid when learning new concepts but practice will highlight the weak areas, that can be worked on and similar mistakes can be avoided.
Verdict: Practice over IQ
Sudipta Banerjee, a graduate from IIM Calcutta, says that IQ is an important aspect when attempting to crack CAT but it is not the only thing that will bring about success. Banerjee too, draws focus on mock tests and the familiarity of the paper pattern that solving mock tests bring about.
Verdict: Practice over IQ
In popular opinion, it has been noticed that most MBA graduates emphasise on having a higher frequency of solving CAT mock tests rather than a higher IQ.
A Praqtical Look: Dedication is more important than IQ in MBA entrance exams
As an answer to this burning question, we think it would be safe to say that a high IQ does not further your chances at cracking CAT any more than an average IQ does. Dedication towards your goal with practice is and will continue to be the answer to your prayers for success. To quote Denis Waitley “The winner’s edge is not in a gifted birth, a high IQ, or in talent. The winner’s edge is all in the attitude, not aptitude. Attitude is the criterion for success.”
How important is IQ according to you? Should one’s IQ stop them from even trying? Tell us what you think in the comments.