CAT shifts to global managers

AHMEDABAD: The Common Admission Test (CAT) is getting global by the day. And this time around, it has also got bigger than what it was last year. CAT is making a concerted effort to select candidates with the right ability to make it as global managers. This is well reflected in this year���s question pattern, which put emphasis on verbal ability and objectivity. The overall exam pattern also puts freshers at par with repeaters, without giving natural advantage to the latter, a practice followed by international tests like GRE and GMAT.

So, making a major departure from the past, CAT 2008 has made its objective very clear: it is primarily aimed at selecting candidates with right managerial orientation and not just those with impressive academic record. The questions, thus, were framed with more emphasis on verbal aptitude and analytical mind. Hence, engineers and commerce graduates could not get undue advantage.

���Subjectivity seen in last year���s ���verbal��� section was missing as it was designed undoubtedly to seek students with a good hold over language and ideal interpretation skills. Quantitative section was easier than last year���s but required good aptitude to crack. Data Interpretation section���s difficulty level was maintained so that no unfair advantage was available to either commerce or engineering students,��� said an IIM-L alumnus, TM Narasimhan, who has been following CAT.

Verbal ability had 25 questions last year while this year, it had 40 questions. This section has been given special emphasis in all CAT examinations. However, in 2005, 2006 and 2007, all the three sections had equal number of questions. Further, total marks have gone up to 360 from last year���s 300. Also, the number of questions is up from last year���s 75 to 90.

���This is the 32nd time that IIMs are holding CAT and over the years, we have been experimenting with patterns, breaking the past pattern and experimenting with new patterns. Also, we try to adapt to the best practices to get right candidates, and the question pattern is in the same direction,��� said IIM-A admissions chairperson, Satish Deodhar.
Experts said pattern suggested that only candidates with right aptitude would crack the paper rather than the compulsive CAT takers, who have been posing big problem for CAT authorities.

���Over the years, there have been candidates who make repeated attempts at CAT and even get right percentile for admission to one of the IIMs. However, such candidates lack the right attitude and IIMs in fact don���t like them. And this year���s pattern reflects this very well,��� said a CAT expert.