From qualifier test to PAP agreement: how admission works and how to clear the Foundation Unit
Admission to the MICA x Masai Pay After Placement programme runs through eight steps, and the five-week Foundation Unit is the one that decides whether you continue. Here is each step, the numbers you must hit and how to prepare.
Quick answer: Admission has eight steps, from the ₹99 qualifier test to signing the PAP agreement. The five-week Foundation Unit is both Unit 1 and the filter: it ends in a Foundation Test, and clearing it takes you into the main programme. To go on to Unit 2 you need 90% attendance, 80% assignment completion, 60% in assessments, every project submitted and a CIBIL score of 700 or above.
Admission steps as of 27 October 2026.
The eight steps
- Register and pay ₹99 for the Masai Qualifier Test. The fee isn't refundable.
- Take the test. If you don't clear it, the process ends here. If you do, you are invited to a mandatory webinar.
- Read the information email. It carries the terms and conditions, FAQs, brochure, success story links and your acceptance letter.
- Attend a one-on-one counselling session.
- Decide whether to enrol. If you do, you sign the Acceptance Agreement and pay ₹10,000 plus GST to confirm your seat. If you don't, you can exit without any further payment.
- Complete the five-week Foundation Unit, which is Unit 1.
- Take the Foundation Test at the end of the unit. Results come by email and on your portal. If you are selected, the email has your Placement Agreement attached.
- Sign the Placement Agreement and submit your onboarding documents, then start the main programme from Unit 2.
Until you enrol at step 5, the only money you have spent is the ₹99. Clearing the Foundation Test takes you into the main programme without any additional enrolment payment, and the Elevate unit later carries a separate ₹5,000. The full list of charges is in the guide to MICA Business Analytics with AI fees.
The qualifier test and counselling
The Masai Qualifier Test is the entry step. You pay ₹99 and take the test. Learners who clear it attend a mandatory webinar and a one-on-one counselling session, and then decide whether to enrol.
What the Foundation Unit covers
Unit 1 has three parts: Business Foundations and Analyst Mindset, SQL for Analysts, and a mini project. It builds the business analytics skills every analyst uses from day one: P&L thinking, KPI logic, sector literacy and problem framing. Excel and Python follow in Unit 2.
The unit also assesses how you work. It measures commitment, consistency, attendance, assignment completion and readiness for a demanding schedule. Plan for around 25 hours a week, on a schedule of five days a week at three hours a day.
The numbers you have to hit
| Requirement | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Attendance | 90% and above |
| Assignments | 80% completion, daily |
| Assessments | 60% and above, weekly and at the end of each unit |
| Projects | All required projects submitted |
| Conduct | The Code of Conduct throughout, with no plagiarism or academic misconduct |
The 60% assessment threshold is also the bar for the MICA Certificate, which needs at least 60% in each unit.
Attendance is simple arithmetic. Five weeks at five classes a week is about 25 sessions. If each class counts as one session, 90% allows two missed sessions at most.
The CIBIL condition
Moving to Unit 2 requires a CIBIL score of 700 or above. Under RBI rules you can request a free full credit report from each credit bureau at least once a year, and TransUnion CIBIL is a good place to start.
How to prepare for Unit 1
Before you start, get comfortable with the basics of SQL: selecting columns, filtering with WHERE, sorting, grouping with GROUP BY and joining two tables. Unit 1 includes SQL for Analysts, and a few evenings of practice make the first weeks smoother. Learn the vocabulary of a business: revenue, gross margin, conversion rate, churn, customer acquisition cost. Read a listed company's latest quarterly results and find its revenue, costs and profit. The guides to data analytics tools and how to become a data analyst in India give a map of the tools and skills ahead. Set up your laptop and your internet connection, and block out about 25 hours a week in your calendar.
During the unit, do each assignment the day it is set, since the threshold is measured daily. Raise doubts as they come up instead of saving them for the days before the Foundation Test. Start the mini project in the first week of the unit, not the last. Track your attendance every week, since a margin of two sessions runs out quickly.
If you don't clear the Foundation Test
If you don't clear the Foundation Test, you don't progress to the main programme in that batch. You receive a participation letter or certificate if you meet the participation criteria, which are completing all assignments and appearing for the test. The ₹10,000 enrolment fee isn't refunded, and no further payment is due.
Two related cases apply. If you clear the test but choose not to continue, you receive a Foundation completion participation certificate. If you clear it and don't sign the Placement Agreement, you are dropped from the programme and the ₹10,000 isn't refunded.
The Placement Agreement
You receive the agreement after you clear the Foundation Test and sign it to continue. It sets the minimum CTC for an eligible placement, the period between joining a job and the fee starting, the rule on eligible offers and the drop-off schedule. The guide on when you pay in pay after placement explains the trigger.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Foundation Unit?
Five weeks. It is Unit 1 of the programme.
Do I pay anything more to start Unit 2?
No further enrolment payment is due when you clear the Foundation Test. The Elevate unit, which comes later, costs ₹5,000.
What CIBIL score do I need?
A CIBIL score of 700 or above to move from the Foundation Unit to Unit 2.
Can I exit before I enrol?
Yes. Before you sign the Acceptance Agreement and pay the ₹10,000, you can exit without any further payment.
To start, register for the qualifier test on the MICA Business Analytics with AI programme page, or read how the model works in Masai Pay After Placement is back.
Placement support is not a job guarantee. Past record is no guarantee of future prospects. The programme is offered by Masai in collaboration with MICA, Ahmedabad.