Common Admission Test (CAT) could go two-tier in the future. The IIMs, that conduct the prestigious B-school entrance, might introduce a preliminary screening to the examination. This would mean that CAT would soon have a screening test like UPSC to weed out poor candidates.

The information was revealed in a reply to an RTI query filed by Rakesh Reddy Dubbudu, an RTI activist from the city in 2009 when CAT was ridden with several technical glitches. The IIMs, however, not specified the year in which the two-tier system will be introduced.

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.

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.

The test has the following components.

-Quantitative ability
-Data interpretation
-Data Sufficiency
-Logical reasoning
-Reading comprehension
-Verbal ability
-The test duration is of 2.5 hours.

Preparing for CAT

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. Try and improve your reading speed and comprehension. You should attempt as many mock-CAT tests as is possible. This should give you a feel of the exam as well as improving your confidence.

The Common Admission Test to the six IIMs ( IIM A, B, C, L, I, K and the Rajiv Gandhi IIM Shillong) is also the entrance test for few other top B-Schools such as SP Jain, MICA, and T A Pai. CAT tests your skills in five broad areas viz.

1. Verbal Ability (VA)
2. Reading Comprehension (RC)
3. Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
4. Data Interpretation (DI) and a bit of Data Sufficiency (DS)
5. Logical reasoning (LR)

Number of Questions in CAT

The test used to comprise upwards of 180 questions in the early 90s. ( when i wrote the CAt) From 1999 onwards, the number of questions in the CAT exam has been steadily decreasing. What was a 165 questions paper in CAT 1999 and 2000 reduced to a 150-questions paper in 2001 to 2003. In 2004, the test had only 123 questions and in 2005 the CAT posed just 90 questions. The number was reduced further in 2006 to a 75-questions paper divided equally into three sections. Typically this test can be expected to comprise between 75 to 150 objective type questions and is usually divided into three to four sections. Each question has a question statement followed by four or five alternate answer choices and the candidate has to choose the best answer for each of the questions and mark it on an OMR sheet.

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.

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a graduate degree that you can study for through colleges and universities. It initially encompasses a very broad range business management studies, then branches off into more specialized areas such as accounting, marketing or finance from the second year onwards.

It is universally accepted that if you have completed the MBA program, then you have very thorough business training behind you. The harsh reality of the real business world has show that MBA graduates are better equipped to handle the rigors of everyday business than most other business degrees. An MBA is recognized world wide as being a “cut above” an undergraduate business course.

To even gain admittance to an MBA course in India, an applicant must first pass the Common Admission Test (CAT). The CAT is a set examination directed at determining the aptitude of a candidate for business management studies.

Where as the entrance criteria to most college courses is largely established on academic criteria, MBA courses place a lot greater emphasis on work experience, references, personal interviews, community service and non-business interests as well as academic achievements.

The normal MBA degree course covers everything from economics, marketing, international business, finance, information technology management and accounting, right through to government policy and organizational behavior. As MBA’s have become more fashionable it is now possible to find courses specializing in these same fields.

Common Admission Test (CAT 2008) for MBA Admissions in Indian Institute(s) of Management in 2009 will be held on Sunday, November 16, 2008, for their various programmes. :

PROGRAMMES

Post Graduate Programmes in Management (PGP)

IIM Ahmedabad PGP, PGP-ABM

IIM Bangalore PGP, PGSEM and PGPPM

IIM Calcutta  PGP-PGDM and PGP-PGDCM

IIM Indore    PGP and Exec-PGP

IIM Kozhikhode PGP

IIM Lucknow    PGP and PGP-ABM

RGIIM Shillong PGP

Last date for receipt of completed CAT Applications by the IIMs:

Date FOR COMMON ADMISSION TEST: 16.11.2008 (Sunday)

CAT ELIGIBILITY:

The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA [45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST) or Persons with Disability (PWD) category], of any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under section 3 of UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. The Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent qualification obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of three years of education after completing higher secondary schooling (10+2) or equivalent. The percentage obtained by the candidate in the bachelor’s degree would be based on the practice followed by the university/institution from where the candidate has obtained the degree. In case of the candidates being awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, the equivalence would be based on the equivalence certified by the university/institution from where they have obtained bachelor’s degree. In case the university/institution does not have any scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by the IIMs by dividing obtained CGPA with the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the resultant with 100. Candidates appearing for the final year of bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirement and are awaiting results can also apply. Such candidates must produce a certificate from the Principal/Head of the Department/ Registrar/Director of the university/institution certifying that the candidate is currently in the final year / is awaiting final results and has obtained at least 50% marks or equivalent (45% in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD category) based on latest available grades/marks.

SALE OF CAT APPLICATION FORM AND BULLETIN BY IIMs:

Under exceptional circumstances [such as (a) the stock of bulletins get exhausted in the nearby branch of the bank, (b) the bank branch is inaccessible to the candidate, and/or (c) the bulletin sale through banks has closed], CAT Application Form and Bulletin can also be obtained directly from any one of the IIMs till August 13, 2008 by sending a crossed demand draft for Rs. 1300/- (Rs. 650/- for SC/ST candidates with a copy of the SC/ST certificate) drawn in favour of the respective IIM. Request for the bulletin should be accompanied by a cloth-lined self addressed unstamped envelope of size 12″ x 10″.

The completed application form for CAT 2008 with supporting documents should be sent so as to reach the concerned IIM on or before September 5, 2008.

IIMs will not be held responsible for non-delivery or postal delays in case of CAT Application Forms and Bulletins sent by the speed/ registered post/courier and/or non-delivery or postal delays in receipt of completed CAT 2008 application forms.

SALE OF CAT APPLICATION FORM AND BULLETIN BY BANKS:

The CAT Application Form and Bulletin can be obtained from branches of Listed Axis Bank , between July 14 and August 8, 2008 for Rs. 1300/- (Rs. 650/- for SC/ST candidates). Please note that a candidate needs to buy only one CAT Application Form irrespective of how many IIMs he/she is applying to. Candidates must enclose the 3rd Copy of Bank’s Pay-in Slip along with the CAT Application Form. Note that the name appearing in the pay in slip is that of the CANDIDATE only. SC/ST candidates should submit a copy of SC/ST Certificate to the Bank at the time of obtaining the CAT Application Form. Candidates should ensure they meet the eligibility criteria of the Programme in which they are interested, before procuring the CAT Application Form. CAT Application Forms of ineligible candidates and application forms with incomplete information will be summarily rejected. CAT Application Forms, once sold, will not be taken back and no claims of refund of CAT Application Fee will be entertained.

Postal and Website Addresses :

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management,
Vastrapur, Ahmedabad – 380015
Phone No. : 079-26307258
website   : www.iimahd.ernet.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management
Bangalore, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore – 560076
Phone No. : 080-26484650
website   : www.iimb.ernet.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management
Calcutta, D.H. Road, Joka, Kolkata – 700104
Phone No. : 033-24380266
website   : www.iimcal.ac.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management
Indore, Prabandh Shikhar, Rau-Pithampur Road, Indore – 453331
Phone No. : 0731-4058371
website   : www.iimidr.ac.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management
Kozhikode, IIM Kozhikode Campus P. O., Kozhikode – 673570
Phone No. : 0495-2803005
website   : www.iimk.ac.in

Admissions Office, Indian Institute of Management
Lucknow, Prabandh Nagar, Off Sitapur Road, Lucknow – 226013
Phone No. : 0522-2736666
website   : www.iiml.ac.in

Administrative Office, Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management
Shillong, NEHU Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymmai, Shillong – 793014
Phone No. : 0364-2230041
website   : www.rgiim.ac.in

For More Information Log on to
http://www.catiim.in/