CDAC - All you need to know about [FAQ]
There's pretty buzz going there regarding the CDAC since the result came out. People are asking questions which are pretty much same and asked over and over a lot of time. Here, I will try to answer some of these questions.
When is the exam held?
The CCAT is held twice per year. One for August batch and another for February batch. The notification of the same is made on their website and newspapers.
How to apply for CCAT? What is the fee structure? How to prepare for exam?
Answer to every of your question can be found here -> <a href="https://cdac.in/index.aspx?id=edu_acts_PGDAdmissionBooklet" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PGDAdmissionBooklet</a>
Which are the good centers?
1. CDAC ACTS, Pune
2. CDAC ACTS, Bangalore
3. CDAC ACTS, Hyderabad
4. Sunbeam, Pune
That's all I know about. Other institutes I don't have much of an idea.
Which course should I choose?
Seriously? You should ask that question to yourselves. Please don't do like, give exam, get qualified and think, which course should I go. The worst choice you would ever ask is DAC vs. VSLI. They are so different in their nature. If you're not sure about your choice, I am no one to suggest anything.
Here's the link to all the courses -> <a href="https://cdac.in/index.aspx?id=pgdiploma" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Post Graduate Diploma</a>
Go to each of the course you think sounds interesting to you. Click it. Go to modules section which should give you the exact topics you'll be taught. Check it to see if its really something which you're expecting.
What should I expect from CDAC?
It'll take out every last drop of your juice. If,
You're passionate about the field.
You like to work whenever given a chance.
You can work for 13 hours straight.
You don't differentiate between Sunday and Monday.
then CDAC is definitely for you.
Provided you satisfy all the above points, choose any course and definitely you're placed. If you're a person from the above category, hell, one chance is enough for you and believe me, that's the least you could expect.
But if it happens that you're not enjoying, life will be hell.
Imma wearing my cool jeans/mini skirt at the classes. \m/
That's not happening. Most of the institutes have dress codes which is generally formals, sometimes with Tie. Though there's no standard uniform and the dress code totally depends on institute.
Is there any value to CDAC's Diploma?
It definitely worth more than your XYZ institute diploma. CDAC is pretty old institute and is very reputed.
Enough of your bullshit, tell me about the placement.
Alright, here we go. I'll first list the courses and their placement records.
1. DAC - Extremely High
2. WiMC - High
3. DESD - Moderate
4. VLSI - Low
5. DITISS - Low
6. Others - Never heard any company for them this time.
The placement activity is common per region. For eg. If you belong to Pune region, all the institutes from Pune will take part in the activity. That doesn't mean every person is coming to compete. Each company prepares a shortlist which will include students from all centers in Pune, Mumbai and Nagpur. The institutes may call companies on their will for their own but overall, any company comes you'll be able to compete irrespective of the centers provided you qualify the criteria.
The placement notification may come at midnight 12 am which asks you to be present at 8 am sharp on the same day. You have to become ninja for first month and remain alert.
The shortlisting criteria is generally unknown to the students and is pretty mysterious. Sometimes, the shortlist would just not make any sense but you've to accept it.
What kind of packages are we talking about?
Packages, they differ. At start, the companies gives package ranging from 2.7-4.5 LPA (this time stats).The companies visiting at later point of time, towards the end offers ridiculous packages like 1.2 LPA.
I've "just" 70%. What shoud I do? 😔
Well, enough! Lol. At least if you're coming to Maharashtra region's CDAC, 60% is all what you need to be eligible for most of the companies. And 70% is not "just" here. How the hell did you score that much anyway?
I've less than 60% in my 10th/12th/B.E./B.Tech. What about me?
You're in trouble bro. While courses like DAC & WiMC would still get you enough opportunities (more than your college did), you should not expect much from other courses. Besides, you need to get some good grades in CDAC exam to increase your chance. And if you've any hard bound that you'll only work in MNC's from the very first day of your career then better drop it. It's not gonna happen. You'll mostly be ineligible for MNC's.
I've X years of gap. Will it matter?
If the gap is 1 year, then no, it won't matter much. However, if you've a bigger gap you must have a valid reason for it. If you were working, it'll work but few companies just want freshers. On the other hands, there are few companies like SanDisk which prefer to take experienced people. However, you must note that no extra benefits will be given if you're experienced. You'll be given the same package as the other fresher.
So yeah, gap does matter. A small gap is fine but if you've 2+ years of gap then there might be chances that you'll not be eligible for few companies. Most of them don't care about it though but big names surely does.
I am selected in XYZ course. What preparation I should do before joining the classes?
Generally speaking, you don't need any preparation. However, I am assuming you're thorough with basics taught in engineering. Rest be assured, they will start from very basics but don't expect them to give very much time on it.
I hope I covered many questions. If you think something more can be added, drop in here...
Also, I don't claim this to be 100% accurate but its just here to give a rough idea about the scenario at CDAC. The information I've provided may be inaccurate or completely wrong but those are just from my experience and research I did before joining.
If you think any of the information is not correct, please inform me.
Best Regards.