Common Admission Test
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is an all-India test conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) as an entrance exam for the management programmes of its seven business schools. About 250,000 students took CAT in 2008 [1]for about 1500 seats in the IIMs. This is said to make the IIMs more selective than the Ivy League Universities[2]
The test is multiple-choice based with roughly one-fourth negative-mark penalties for wrong answers, and traditionally comprises three sections that span the domains of arithmetical problem solving, geometry, statistics, data interpretation, logical reasoning, puzzles, and English language skills. It is held on the third Sunday of November each year. The test duration was two hours prior to year 2006, but since 2006, it has been extended to two and a half hours. The total number of questions has varied from 180 (prior to year 2000) to 150 (from 2001 to 2003) and has gradually decreased to 75 (in 2006 and 2007). However, in 2009 the number of questions increased once again and became 90 (40 in Verbal Ability and 25 each in Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation). This trend has seen the CAT evolve from a speed-based test to an exam that evaluates fundamental abilities of candidates in the aforementioned areas.
The CAT is the first step for admission to the IIMs. After the test, by the second week of January next year, the IIMs declare exam scores and put up a list of candidates who are eligible for the next stage of a group discussion and an individual interview. The scores are relative and are calculated on a percentile basis for individual sections as well as for the total. Candidates invited for the next stage usually possess total scores that are in excess of 99 percentile and, more importantly, also possess balanced high scores across all the individual sections.
On 1 May 2009, it was announced that from CAT 2009 would be a Computer Based Test.
Pattern of the test
CAT (as it is most commonly known across India) has evolved from a speed based simple test into a test which demands more proficiency in concepts and fundamentals.
CAT test comprises three sections viz.[3]
1.English
2.Problem Solving (MATH)
3.DI - DS - LR
English section contain 2 sub sections
i.Verbal Ability
ii.Reading Comprehension (R C)
Earlier CATs (prior to year 2000) had 180 questions to be solved in 2 hours. For the years 2001, 2002, and 2003 the paper consisted of 3 sections of 50 questions per section.
In 2004, the IIMs introduced the concept of differential marking for the first time. The paper had 123 questions in three sections with 50 English, 35 Mathematics, and 38 Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. The 2005 CAT contained 90 questions, 30 in each section, each having subsections containing questions with different numbers of marks.
CAT 2006, conducted on November 19, was a 2.5-hour exam instead of the traditional 2-hour exam. The test had 75 questions, 25 questions per section and 4 marks per question, making it a 300-mark paper. There was a penalty of 1 mark for a wrong answer. The paper also proved to be a break from the previous pattern in that it had 5 answer options instead of the usual 4. The English section was generally perceived as difficult,[4] whereas the quantitative aptitude section was relatively easier than previous CATs as well as in comparison to the other two sections.
In 2007, the CAT exam was held on Sunday, November 18th. It contained 25 questions in each of the three sections, each question having 1 mark negative for each wrong answer. This was the same pattern as CAT 2006.
The CAT paper of 2008 was a contrast as compared to 2007. It had 40 questions in English and in all 90 questions (25+25+40). For the first time a higher weightage was attributed to one of the sections. Maths for CAT08 was simpler but was full of tricks and prone silly mistakes. DI sections for 2008 was the toughest of the three. The 40 questions in English had been evenly divided for Verbal Ability(VA) and Reading Comprehension(RC). RC was easier as compared to 2007 whereas VA was tough.(CAT08 results were declared on 9 January 2009)
Notable incidents
In 2003, the CAT question paper was found leaked before the exam. This was a first in the 28-year old history of the test. A retest was held on 15 February 2004. Most news publications attributed the leak to logistical difficulties.[5]
CAT 2006 was notable due to some printing errors that had crept into the question paper.[6] The IIMs accepted the errors and formed a committee to look into the matter. The committee ruled that the wrong questions would be ignored. The idea of a re-test, proposed by some quarters, was set aside by the authorities.
The results for CAT 2006 were declared on January 2 2007 among much confusion, as the server hosting the results was inaccessible for prolonged periods of time. Also, for the first time, the IIMs declared the actual key to the question paper along with the results.
There was a case of impersonation for the CAT 2007. Two persons tried to appear on behalf of the original candidates in Chandigarh. The police arrested them on the day of the exam. [7]
From 2009 CAT has changed From "paper based" to "Computer based test"-CBT, much more like GMAT
Other colleges
Many other business schools in India, other than the IIMs, also accept the CAT scores for admission. This has contributed to the CAT gaining an extremely high level of popularity. As of 2008, CAT scores are accepted by approximately 120 MBA institutes in India.
Some of the more prominent colleges which accept CAT scores for admission are:
- S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai
- Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon
- Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA), Ahmedabad
- National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai
- University Business School (UBS), Chandigarh
- Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad.
- Institute of Management Technology, [IMT], Ghaziabad.
- TA Pai Management Institute [TAPMI],Manipal.
- Birla Institute of Technology (BIT),Ranchi
- Department of Business Management, University of Calcutta (MBMCU), Kolkata
The importance of a good CAT score to a student in India aspiring for an MBA has led to a burgeoning and immensely profitable coaching business.[8]