The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2009 registrations are ending on October 1.
The Common Admission Test, CAT, which will be getting online, will be held from Nov 28 over a period of 10 days, to get over on Dec 7. The official notification regarding CAT came on Sunday.

The CAT will be an online test, for which a US-based firm has been hired by the IIMs. This firm will conduct the competitive exam across the country for candidates seeking admission to the prestigious B-schools.

The test will be conducted at 30 centres including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, New Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad, it said.

There are around 1,800 seats in the existing seven IIMs at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Shillong.

Besides IIMs, about 50 other reputed B-schools in the country give admission to students from the CAT merit list.

The results of the test will be announced on January 22 and can be accessed from the CAT website www.catiim.in.

If you are a CAT aspirant and would like to register for the most highly rated competitive exam, then it has become easy for you.

CAT 2009 aims to be completely easy to apply and easy to appear for the test options.

The candidates can view required information at www.catiim.in

Some Important steps for CAT Exam

a.  Email ID :
You must have a valid email account throughout the selection process, say CATIIM.in. You will need to submit this email id at the time of registration.The admit card will be sent to you as an email on your this email address, after you have filled in your online application and scheduled a test.

b.  Download ‘Registration Instructions & Manual for CAT 2009’ and ‘CAT 2009 FAQs’.

Link for Instruction Manual:

http://content.catiim.in/pdf/registration_inst.pdf

Link for CAT 2009 FAQs: http://www.catiim.in/faq.html

c.  CAT Voucher’s Sale starts on September 9.

Link for AXIS bank locations http://www.catiim.in/buy_voucher.html

d.  Register online early and schedule your exam location ASAP: Online registration for CAT 2009 will also begin on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 and end on Thursday, 1 October 2009.

e.  Choose your exam time:

A typical testing day for CAT will have 2 exam sessions. Candidates are allowed to schedule for any one of the sessions, subject to availability. Session timings are as follows:

Session 1: Testing will begin at 10 AM and end at 12:30 PM. Candidate check-in will commence from 8 AM. Candidates are required to arrive at the test center no later than 8:30 AM.

Session 2: Testing will begin at 3:30 PM and end at 6 PM. Candidate check-in will commence from 1:30 PM. Candidates are required to arrive at the test center no later than 2:00 PM.

f.  You must have a valid Photo ID :

According to IIMs you must present a valid (nonexpired) form of photo id before you can test. Acceptable forms of photo id include: driver’s license; passport; PAN card; voter ID; college ID; employee identification card; or a notarized Affidavit with photo, signature, date of birth and residential address.

g.  Sample official mock CAT is available at

http://content.catiim.in/catdemo/index.htm

There was a time when most of the students in India were interested to pursue their careers in either engineering or medicine. But gradually, the focus has shifted to Business Administration. And in keeping with the times, MBA colleges have grown in large numbers. MBA schools in India have gained international repute and are in no way inferior to the famous business schools of the world.

Since the day India threw open its doors to foreign investors, there has been a flood of business deals in India. This has automatically led to a demand for MBA students to attend to the various jobs in these business houses. The lure of money is enough to entice most students to pursue MBA as a career. Needless to say, the birth of many MBA schools in India is a direct repercussion of this. MBA colleges have kept up with the demand for educated business professionals. Every year, scores of MBA professionals are ready to be drawn into the variety of jobs that are there in the business houses.

All the MBA colleges of India are basically involved in two spheres: one, to absorb students who seek a business qualification, and the other, to make available these students to different companies who seek them. When students enter MBA schools in India, they are almost assured that they will get a good job when they graduate from the institution. Hence, placements play a critical role in determining the success or failure of MBA colleges.

But with the passage of time, both the spheres have become more demanding. Students have supreme confidence in their capabilities and have their own list of preferences of MBA schools in India. In the same way, business houses are in search of people who can satisfy a variety of requirements and who can serve them in the best possible way. All this has led to the development of new branches in MBA and also tough demands on the graduates of different MBA colleges.

MBA colleges which can draw the best students stand to gain a lot in reputation. Similarly, students will be drawn to colleges which provide the best jobs and good remuneration. This brings out the very essence of business: to succeed in the midst of stiff competition. MBA schools in India are focusing on the latest techniques to attract the students. Innovation is the keyword to make MBA colleges the most sought after in India.

CAT is the gateway to the cream of management institutes in India, the IIMs. CAT, or the Common Admission Test, is an aptitude test; it is the most popular test among prospective management students because it is accepted by the best institutes. The CAT is one of the world’s ost demanding entrance examinations for any graduate institute.

CAT MBA entrance exam is used as a criteria to shortlist applicants for admissions to the six IIMs-IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, and IIM Kozhikode. Common Admission Test is one of the largest MBA entrance exams conducted in India, anually. The CAT score is also accepted by more than 75 non-IIM institutes across India, some of which are as reputed as the IIMs.

Eligibility for the postgraduate programmes in management at all IIMs and to appear for IIM-CAT is at least a three-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with 50% Marks in graduation. Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), the premier business-schools of the country (and counted among the best in the world) conduct this test for selecting potential students for the next round of admission process (comprising of a personal interview and a group discussion) for their MBA and Fellow-ship programmes.

Those appearing in the final year examination of graduation are also eligible to appear in Common Admission Test. Some People feel that Common Admission Test (CAT) is more of a rejection procedure than a selection process.It rejects those who can’t make their minds work at break neck speed for two and a half hours non-stop.

CAT Exam covers questions in five broad areas such as verbal ability and reasoning, reading comprehension, quantitative skills, data interpretation and logical reasoning.

The number of questions asked in Common Admission Test vary every year and a typical CAT question paper can have anywhere between 75 and 150 questions. Common Admission Test evaluates the candidate’s presence of mind and his ability to perform under pressure. Announcement of the procedure for appearing in the Common Admission Test is made in leading newspapers in August every year for admission to the programme beginning in the second half of June of the following year. The test will be conducted during November.

Usually, CAT tests three of your abilities:- Problem Solving- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. The CAT examination demands competency across all sections of the paper. So, the number of sections in the test don’t really matter; what matters is whether you are competitive and have answered questions in all the sections.

All the questions are of multiple-choice nature with four/five alternate answer choices and the candidate has to choose the best answer for each of the questions and mark it on a special Optical Reader answer sheet. Differential marks are allotted to the questions. The test comprises 150 to 200 objective type questions and is usually divided into three to four sections. The number of questions in the test has been coming down steadily, from nearly 200 in the 1990s to 90 in 2005 and just 75 in 2006.

Very little strategy could be applied in selecting the easiest questions. Cut that down and don’t waste time on questions which are lengthy. One misconception is that you need to slove the whole Question Paper – not at all. If you can solve 38 to 40 per cent of the questions, CORRECTLY, you are through.

MBA Entrance Exam in India is also no cake walk. You need in-depth knowledge, analytical mind, sharp memory and above all, systematic planning and preparation. Needless to say that the candidates cannot and should not attempt preparation for his MBA Entrance Test overnight. Since the competition is amongst the best available talent from all disciplines, meticulous and long term preparation are required to get admitted to the MBA program. Although the syllabi in the admission/entrance test differ from university to university, there are certain common aspects that appear in most of the entrance test, CAT, XAT, MAT, XLRI, SNAP and MBA Entrance Exams conducted by State Universities in one form or the other. These aspects include tests on quantitative aptitude, reasoning, intelligence, comprehension, case analysis, relationships, word power, synonyms, antonyms, general knowledge/awareness, etc. It is therefore, essential that the candidates start preparing well in advance on all the above aspects. If one can get hold of previous year’s papers or at least the pattern, this would go a long way in guiding the candidates to prepare properly for the test.

Here are some tips to prepare on important aspects which are common to most of the MBA entrance examinations in India:

(1) Quantitative Aptitude: A candidate seeking admission to MBA programme is expected to have aptitude for basic and elementary accounting as well as the knack of solving the simple arithmetic problems. This is one of the areas in the admission test which, if properly prepared and practiced, is likely to put the candidate ahead of others, as one can hope to score even 100% marks in this part.

(b) Logical Reasoning: Questions on logical reasoning may be of several types and in several forms. These could include a statement on which the candidates are asked to draw correct interference out of the given choices. There could be questions on series of words and figures, arrangement of alphabets, brain teasers or even such questions as only call for drawing logical inferences. Just like quantitative aptitude test, this portion of admission test also needs special and detailed preparations and practice.

(c) Comprehension Test: Comprehension test is aimed at gauging the understanding of English language by the candidates. Usually, a paragraph is given which the candidates are required to go through carefully and then answer the question by choosing the correct answer. To attempt this part speedily and correctly, the candidates must practice reading with a quick speed and understanding the entire passage.

(d) General Awareness: As the name suggests, the test of general awareness aims to judge the general knowledge of the candidates. Basic facts about all aspects of general knowledge like Science, Geography, History, Economics, Polity, etc are essentially required to be known.

COMMON ADMISSION TEST (CAT)
www.catiim.in

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIMs)

IIM AHMEDABAD, VASTRAPUR, AHMEDABAD-380015
E-MAIL : pgpabm@iimahd.ernet.in / mdp@iimahd.ernet.in
WEBSITE: www.iimahd.ernet.in

IIM BANGALORE, BANNERGHATTA ROAD, BANGALORE-560076
WEBSITE: www.iimb.ernet.in E-MAIL : director@iimb.ernet.in / dean@iimb.ernet.in

IIM CALCUTTA, P.O. JOKA, DIAMOND HARBOUR ROAD, KOLKATA-700104
E-MAIL : aomdp@iimcal.ac.in  WEBSITE: www.iimcal.ac.in

IIM LUCKNOW, PRAHANDH NAGAR, OFF.SITAPUR ROAD, LUCKNOW-226013
E-MAIL : dsingh@iiml.ac.in / deanaa@iiml.ac.in / mdp@iiml.ac.in
WEBSITE: www.iiml.ac.in

IIM INDORE, PIGDAMBER, RAU, INDORE-453331
E-MAIL : mdp@iimidr.ac.in / biswajeet@iimidr.ernet.in
WEBSITE: www.iimidr.ac.in / www.iimidr.ernet.in

IIM KOZHIKODE, KUNNAMANGALAM P.O., KOZHIKODE-673571
E-MAIL: iimk@ac.in / mdp@iimk.ren.nic.in   WEBSITE: www.iimk.ac.in

RGIIM SHILLONG, NEHU MAYURBHANJ COMPLEX, NONGTHYMMAI, SHILLONG-793014. E-MAIL: admissions@rgiim.ac.in  WEBSITE: www.rgiim.ac.in

Admission into the seven Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) is based on your performance in the Common Admission Test (CAT). The IIMs conduct a two-year Post graduate Programme in Management (PGPM) and a Fellow Programme in Management (FPM).

PGPM is recognized as equivalent to MBA by Indian and foreign institutes. The fellowship Programme (FPM) is aimed at those interested in research, consultation and teaching. It is recognized as equivalent to Ph.D by the Association of Indian universities.

When is CAT held?

CAT is normally held in the month of November, for the session beginning July next year. Candidates who cross the cut off marks in the written test are told to appear for the Group Discussion and Personal Interview. Final selection is based on one’s performance in the written test, Group Discussion, Personal Interview, Scholastic achievements and work experience. Your mastery over the English language plays a vital role in the selection process.

Eligibility

Candidates who have secured at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST) in any discipline are eligible to appear for CAT. CAT traditionally is a multiple choice examination covering English language skills, logical analysis of data interpretation, and quantitative applications of mathematics, algebra and geometry. You must strive to do well in every section.

Exam Pattern
-Quantitative ability
-Data interpretation
-Data Sufficiency
-Logical reasoning
-Reading comprehension
-Verbal ability

Although the exam pattern of CAT is not consistent, usually 75 to 100 numbers of questions are asked in a CAT examination. The marks may also vary from 0.5 mark, 1 mark or 2 marks on a correct answer as well as deduction of 1/4 or 1/3 can be expected on a wrong answer. CAT Examination is conducted to test the ability of the aspirant in following areas which are

• Verbal Ability

• Reading Comprehension

• Problem Solving

• Data Interpretation

• Logical Reasoning

• Data Sufficiency

• Maths Problems

The pattern of this test has often been changed in the past.

CAT Preparation

CAT requires intelligent and innovative preparation both mentally and physically. Maintain poise and composure during the entire length of the test.

Scan the paper once or twice to get a reasonable overview. Answer the easy questions in each section first. Skip what cannot be answered and move on. There is negative marking. So it is better to skip questions than answer them wrongly.

While preparing for general knowledge, you must give due importance to economics, politics, national and international issues.

Common Admission Test (CAT) is multiple-choice based entrance exam, with negative marking for wrong answers. It comprises of three sections, which span the domains of arithmetical problem solving, geometry, statistics, data interpretation, logical reasoning, puzzles, and English language skills. Ever year, changes are also made in the total number of questions and the time duration of CAT.

Syllabus
There is no set or defined syllabus for the CAT exam. It is designed to assess the natural ability of a person towards their preferred field. Hence, it is designed to test the inclination of the applicant towards managerial tasks and roles. Mainly, the questions are asked from Quantitative Aptitude, Reading Comprehension & Verbal Ability, and Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency.
Test Pattern

Common Admission Test – CAT is a 2 ½ hours test comprises of Four sub sections:

Quantitative Ability (QA)
The questions are designed to stress more on reasoning skills of the candidates, rather than on their computational skills.
The level of difficulty of this section is perceived to be higher because the questions are not only lengthy to read but at times require more effort in terms of understanding and solving.

Data Interpretation (DI)
As the name suggests, this section presents data to the candidate in forms such as caselets, pie diagrams, bar graphs, etc and questions are set to evaluate the candidate’s skills at analyzing the given information.
Data Sufficiency questions in this section are based on basic mathematics (at times Data Sufficiency is a part of the Quantitative Ability section).

Reading Comprehension (RC)
CAT usually has 6-8 passages in the RC section, with an overall length of 4500-5500 words and about 50 questions to answer in a span of about 30 minutes. However this too can vary according to the level of difficulty of questions.

Verbal Ability (VA)
This section explores your understanding of the English Language and also tests you on Reasoning Skills.
The questions in this section typically comprise sentence correction, sentence sequencing, verbal reasoning etc.

During the weeks prior to your scheduled exam date, it’s a good idea to complete one or more practice tests specific to the exam you are going to take. Score your practice test questions, and look closely at the items you missed. By making sure you understand the reasons the answers you selected were incorrect, you’ll be in a better position to interpret the questions correctly the next time.

While you are preparing for the exam, learn what you can about the manner in which the test will be scored. It is very important to find out if wrong answers count against your score. If they do, you should avoid guessing if you aren’t fairly certain which answer is correct. If there is no penalty for wrong answers, however, make sure that you don’t leave any questions blank. If a wrong answer can’t hurt your score, it only makes sense to attempt to answer every question. Doing so might actually have a positive impact on the outcome of the exam.

According to several successful candidates one should start preparing for the CAT exams at least a year in advance. A common dilemma among students is whether to take CAT along with final year or after finishing graduation. All coaching classes and faculty are unanimous in their opinion that CAT should be taken along with the final year.

Analyse weak areas

Begin by identifying weak areas and evolve a strategy to overcome them. For example:

• To improve maths skills, start with high school books to brush-up arithmetic, algebra and geometry.

• To improve verbal ability read extensively – editorials, articles, etc. Create your own lexicon by noting down unfamiliar words.

Common Admission Test (CAT) is all set to go online from 2009.

The Common Admission Test (CAT) will finally do away with its 25-year-old history of the traditional paper-pencil test.

The decision will impact thousands of students who, each year, appear for the highly competitive entrance exam at centers across the country in the ambition of making it to the hallowed corridors of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

The examination will be conducted on the pattern of similar international exams like GMAT (Graduate Management Aptitude Test), with the only exception that the results will not be declared instantly.

The IIMs had first given a deep thought at conducting the CAT 2008 online. However it was confirmed later that the IIMs were considering various alternatives for modifying the process of conducting CAT, but the exam in 2008 would be a paper-pencil test.

The CAT being conducted online will reap benefits for both aspirants and institutes conducting the test. For the IIMs, it would mean larger revenues as the cost of application forms are likely to go up.

MBA aspirants may also be allowed to appear for the examination three times in a year.