NIASoM, one of the most prominent B-School: TOI

The ultimate test in MANAGEMENT


The Common Admission Test (CAT) is an all-India test conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) as an entrance test for the management programmes of its six business schools. It is also the entrance test for few other top B-Schools.
Around 180,000 students compete for less than 1200 general seats in the IIMs which makes it an extremely tough competition. In fact, the CAT is one of the world's most demanding entrance examinations for any graduate institute. Even with a top 1% score, a candidate must also cross the equally stringent hurdles of a group discussion and an individual interview.
The test taker is expected to excel in arithmetical problem solving, geometry, statistics, data interpretation, logical reasoning in solving complex puzzles, and English language skills.
It is neither expected, nor possible, that all the questions be answered, so the CAT also tests the candidates' ability to prioritise under pressure: a quality necessary in the competitive environment of IIMs' courses.
The test tests your skills in five broad areas viz.
Verbal ability and reasoning
Reading comprehension
Quantitative skills
Data interpretation
Analytical and logical reasoning.
CAT has evolved from a speed-based simple test into a test which demands more proficiency in concepts and fundamentals rather than just speed. 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 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.
Over the years, the number of questions being asked in CAT has been decreasing steadily. While the early 90s witnessed 180 to 200 questions, the late 90s, specifically CAT 1999 and CAT 2000 had 165 questions each. CAT 2001, CAT 2002 and CAT 2003 had only 150 questions each and these 150 questions were divided into three sections of 50 questions each. There were 123 questions in CAT 2004 and only 90 in CAT 2005. CAT 2004 and CAT 2005 both had differential marks to questions. There were 0.5 marks, 1 mark and 2 marks questions.
The duration of the test is of 120 minutes. This literally translates to answering a CAT question in 48 seconds. Most successful aspirants do not attempt anything more than 120 plus questions. And quite a lot of them attempt between 70 and 90 marks worth of questions.
CAT 2006, which was conducted on November 19, was a 2.5-hour exam instead of the traditional 2-hour exam. It is speculated that this change was made by the CAT exam committee to decrease the level of predictability of the exam and to relieve the stress caused to students in a two-hour time limit.
CAT 2006 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 very difficult, whereas the quantitative aptitude section was relatively much easier than previous CATs as also in comparison to the other two sections.

The key to success, therefore, lies in two important parameters:



The accuracy or strike rate

While each correct answer carries 0.5 or 1 or 2 positive mark, each incorrect question carries 1/3rd of the marks allocated to it as negative marks. Hence, it is important to get a strike rate of over 85% - that is reduce the number of negatives.

Smart selection

As it is clear that you will not be generally able to attempt all 150 marks question, and you skip between 60 to 80 questions, key to success lies in selecting questions properly. Hence, there are no kudos, nobel prizes or awards waiting for attempting the tough questions. Be smart to choose, the easiest of the questions and the ones that you have practised a lot and smash them. Do not venture into unsafe territories or to questions which you only have a vague idea.
CAT and entrance tests of other top B Schools are a unique breed of entrance exams. They focus on testing some of the basic qualities essential for managers - the grit to work hard, smartness
to choose the best alternative, quick thinking and above all perseverance.
Exams like IIT JEE test the depth of your knowledge, while the Civil Services exams test your width of knowledge. CAT evaluates your presence of mind and the ability to perform under pressure. You cannot prepare for CAT during the last 10 days, as one generally does for semester exams. A minimum of 3 to 9 months of regular preparation is essential.
Other colleges accepting CAT scores Many colleges in India, other than the IIMs, also accept the CAT scores for admission.

SOME OF THE MORE PROMINENT ONES ARE:

• National Insurance Academy School of Management (NIASoM), Pune

• 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

• International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi

• T.A.Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal.

• Fore School of Management (FSM), New Delhi

• Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad

• Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad.

Source: Times of India, 15/07/07