IIM’s planning to introduce some changes in CAT

This year nearly 2.15 lakh aspirants have registered for Common Admission Test (CAT) for entry into leading management institutions of the country. But among this huge number nearly 67% candidates are from engineering background, which is big enough.

Looking at the current registration trends, the country's leading B-Schools are planning to make some necessary changes in the Common Admission Test to ensure participation of students from other steams too. IIM directors said we are making the draft for changes in exam pattern and it is just at initial stage.

CAT 2012 convenor and professor at IIM Kozikode SSS Kumar, said, "Efforts are on to have a relook at the Common Admission Test (CAT)… some changes that will be helpful for people from other disciplines. Over 67 per cent (over 1.44 lakh) of the candidates appearing for the ongoing CAT this year are from engineering discipline." However, he refused to disclose anything regarding these new changes by saying that this draft is at very beginning stage. The total number of candidates registered for CAT is 2,14,068.

IIM Kozhikode director Debashis Catterjee said the main motive behind making these changes is to encourage aspirants from all streams and disciplines. Soumitra Roy, Managing director of Prometric India which is partnering with IIMs in holding the test said the registration this year has indicated some important and interesting trends.

Nearly 17,000 aspirants who will take this test have two to three years of work experience. This year the numbers of students from agriculture and architecture background have also increased. The numbers of students from humanities backgrounds have dipped a bit from 3,708 last year to 3,404 this year.

The category wise registrations also indicate the participation from OBC category which is nearly 17.3%, SC at 5% and ST at 7.4%. This year maximum students have registered from Mumbai with 31,040 followed by Uttar Pradesh at 25,070 and Delhi with 21,507.

� ( a g �9 �9 strewn across papers which would have intimidated many engineering students leave alone a non-engineer. The fact that any graduate can take the CAT exam should necessarily be considered while setting papers. The Quant section, especially, should have questions from areas taught till the 10th standard. While some of the above topics mentioned are introduced in the 10th standard in many boards, there is hardly any depth in the concepts taught. 

Overall, a success

despite what has been said above, conducting of CAT 2012 as well as the paper(s) so far have pleased students, as now only those with genuine aptitude and preparation can get through the paper.