Altera Institute uses a profile-based shortlisting process, where the chances of getting an interview call depend on your overall application strength instead of a single cutoff percentile. Like SPJIMR, ISB, and BITSOM, Altera institute also evaluates candidates on academics, quality of work experience or internships, leadership exposure, extracurriculars, and the clarity of your career choice and objectives portrayed in your application form.
This means shortlisting students for the program can sometimes appear non-linear in contrast to solely percentile-driven selection. This is what a profile-based selection process is all about, where a 95%iler may not get shortlisted if their profile or SOP responses are weak, while someone with an 90% can still move forward if they show strong impact and an overall convincing profile aligned with the program.
Since applicants are frequently similar in terms of academics and work experience, the questions in the application form related to the SOP-style inquiries emerge as an important differentiator. They do not just reflect what you have achieved so far, but also show how you think, how well you know what you want to achieve, and why Altera Institute is the right place where you can take the next step.
This article explains Altera Institute's eligibility requirements and the two-phase admissions process used to evaluate candidates, so your application communicates both capability and clarity as expected by the Institute.
Admissions Criteria for Altera Institute
The institute considers thousands of applications each year, and the intake is based on your overall profile strength, not just test scores. Your entrance exam scores are important as an initial filter but will not be the sole and final determiner of admissions.
The institute seeks students who can demonstrate intent, ability, and potential qualities that go beyond just exam scores. The admissions team wants students who know their career goals, can discuss their strengths with concrete examples, and demonstrate suitability for Digital & AI first careers.
Phase 1: Pre-Application Profile (50% Weight)
The first phase is further divided into 2 stages, where the initial stage examines the following dimensions of your profile:
1.Education:
Altera Institute reviews your educational performance and history to determine whether you will fit into the program. The minimum requirement is a 50% aggregate, but more importance is given to consistency across academic history, as well as the depth displayed in your chosen subjects and applicable coursework. For example, engineering students who have developed solid data interpretation skills and commerce students who have excelled in accounting would be considered positively.
2.Competitive Exam Scores:
Altera Institute accepts CAT, XAT, NMAT, and GMAT scores. Last year, the median score for shortlisting candidates was in the 90th percentile in CAT and equivalent scores in XAT and NMAT. These are not final cutoffs, as your overall profile is more important. This year's safe scores are expected to be higher given the massive growth in volume of applications due to the strong placement outcomes delivered by the institute in the previous year.
Hence, as a general guideline and not an absolute benchmark, students with a CAT score around the 90th percentile can strongly consider applying for Altera Institute as a realistic option. Students who are in and around this percentile range but missing it slightly can also consider applying if they have a stellar academic/work profile and a convincing career story, which can rightfully increase their chances of admission.
Applicants confident in their overall profile but have not attempted any competitive exam score are welcome to take the Altera National Aptitude Test (ALNAT), a two-hour online exam designed by the Altera Institute to assess fitment for the PGP. Additionally, candidates who have strong profiles but slightly miss out on the competitive scores’ thresholds may also be invited to take the ALNAT.
3.Work Experience and Internships:
For professionals, Altera Institute looks at the depth and quality of your experience, not just how long you have worked. For example, someone with 2 years of experience should demonstrate real impact, leadership, or domain expertise. For fresh graduates, the quality of internships, leadership positions, participation in clubs, startups, and competitions will be considered. However, information regarding internships and other extra/co-curriculars should be mentioned in the CV or in the SOPs. They should not be clubbed in the work exp section.
After this it brings us to the second stage of Phase 1, where the application form and the SOP responses are evaluated:
4.Quality of Responses in the Application Form:
The application form consists of essay-type SOP questions that play a very key role in the shortlisting process of profiles at Altera Institute. In addition to academics and test scores, these answers assist the admissions team in evaluating your career clarity, motivation, self-awareness, and fit for a practical, high-intensity, digital-first program. Since many applicants may look similar on paper, the SOP often becomes the strongest differentiator.
Altera Institute’s SOP questions are career-oriented and are designed to surface both intent and capability:
Q1: What is your career ambition?
You choose up to three motivations (e.g., leading digital brand strategy, brand management, building a startup, consulting, analytics, leadership). What matters is not the “best” option, but whether your choices match your past experiences and show a clear direction.
Q2: What is the superpower that sets you apart?
This is not a list of strengths. You are to choose one or two distinct skills that will be present in every situation, make a measurable impact, and are not typical, such as leadership or communication (e.g., organizing ambiguous problems, managing stakeholders, first-principles thinking). This can be best articulated using the STAR framework: Situation, Task, Action, Result, which means your assertion is supported by evidence and consequences.
Q3: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now, and how will Altera Institute help you get there?
Here you get the chance to show your vision and planning. Your goal can be role-based (Brand Manager/Product Manager), sector-based (eCommerce, consumer tech, BFSI), or even entrepreneurial (build a venture later), but it must be supported by a credible “why” which is grounded in actual experience, wisdom or exposure. Then clearly connect how Altera Institute’s curriculum, projects, and career ecosystem help with your goal.
Know that your SOP is not a test of your English proficiency. It is a window to assess your self-awareness, ability to reflect, and capability to navigate a rigorous course ahead if selected. Every claim you make in your SOP should be supported with specific, real examples that explain the context of your achievement and goals.
Phase 2: Post-Application Profile (50% Weight)
Assessment Process Performance:
This is the final aspect of the admission process where shortlisted candidates proceed to the three structured rounds mentioned below:
1.Case Study Round:
The Case Study Round is typically a 30–40-minute, discussion-based evaluation process in which you are given a short case (usually 1–2 pages) to read for about 10 minutes. After this, you are asked to work toward a specific objective and discuss your recommendations with the interviewer. It is designed to feel like a real problem-solving conversation where you can expect questions on your assumptions, prioritization, trade-offs, and how you interpret the information provided in the case.
Note that it is not a viva where the interviewer checks whether you “know the industry”; it checks whether you can reason with fundamentals in an uncertain situation. It also judges your:
- Ability to think in a structured way when information is incomplete (problem decomposition, prioritization, assumptions).
- Ability to communicate clearly and in context (articulating logic, asking the right questions, using data when available).
- Ability to reach conclusions logically rather than via hit-and-trial (hypothesis → analysis → trade-offs → recommendation).
2. Personal Interview (Director's Round):
Next, candidates meet with Directors or senior leaders to assess fitment. The discussion covers your past experiences, interests, challenges you have faced, ambitions, and how well you match Altera Institute’s culture of progress and digital focus.
3. Program Director Interaction:
Final validation of fitment and potential through senior leadership engagement.
The USPs of Altera Institute’s PGP Course
Altera Institute is an industry-backed B-school in Gurugram’s Cybercity, focused on helping students break into digital and AI-enabled careers. In contrast to traditional MBA programs, Altera Institute offers a modern upgrade to business education, preparing students for high-growth careers in Marketing, eCommerce, Growth Management, Product Development, and founders' offices.
The PGP in Applied Marketing is a 15-month, full-time, residential course that provides a modern upgrade to the traditional two-year MBA. The program is constructed of three pillars.
- First, the curriculum is developed by industry experts and delivered by well-established leaders, with CXOs, founders, and marketing leaders of companies like Amazon, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Nestle, Bain and Company, and Goldman Sachs, teaching the curriculum. This aligns the curriculum in tune with the present market needs rather than just teaching theory.
- Second, the teaching method is practical. Students work on live projects with real companies, attend weekly bootcamps, complete capstone projects, and solve real problems with business leaders. They also receive over 300 hours of career preparation and one-on-one mentorship.
- Third, the institute is dedicated to helping students secure jobs in Digital and AI-focused roles, which are often out of reach for graduates of traditional business schools. The selection process, including interviews and case studies, is designed to find students who will succeed in this challenging, innovative setting.
Placement Summary
The admissions to the PGP at Altera Institute are quite competitive as they have rapidly made a name for themselves on the back of their strong placement outcomes. On the back of their current placement news, the volume of applications is expected to further go higher, and thus the cutoffs and selection rate may get more competitive.
Let’s take a quick look at Altera Institute's 2025 placement results, which has positioned them as a strong option for students looking for options outside the Top 10-15 B-Schools.
The class of ‘25 had a 100% placement rate. The median salary was ₹18.14 LPA, the average was ₹16.85 LPA, and the highest offer was ₹26.08 LPA. Impressively, 70% of students landed roles above ₹15 LPA, which are not entry-level jobs, but high-growth positions which are usually reserved for experienced professionals.
The role distribution reflects specialization:
- 35% landed in eCommerce positions.
- 24% moved into Founder's Office and EIR roles.
- 12% secured Revenue and Growth positions.
- 9% entered Product Management functions.
- 9% in Brand management
- And finally, 11% of the students got into FMCG sales roles.
Some of the top recruiters of Altera institute include Amazon, Flipkart, Godrej, Honasa Consumer, Himalaya, Mama Earth, Supertails, and numerous D2C and consumer tech companies.
It is important to note that Altera Institute's placement report follows IPRS (Indian Placement Reporting Standards) Revision 2.2, the same standard developed and used by IIM Ahmedabad. This enables Altera Institute to provide a detailed description of Fixed Yearly Cash, One-Time Cash Payments, Variable Pay and performance-based Components, which are not provided or even addressed in most B-schools.
As a short snapshot of the current PGP class of 2026, the program has successfully attracted a cohort size of 135 students, 65% of whom have a minimum of 24 months of work experience. These were professionals who had left companies like Nestle, Titan, Deloitte, PepsiCo, and Reliance, to name a few, and had joined Altera Institute for a structured learning experience.
Finally, students who are actually serious about getting into careers in eCommerce, growth, or product management, Altera Institute offers a modern alternative to traditional B-schools, which ensures you are evaluated on real-world skills and overall profile and not just your entrance test score.
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