Common Admission Test (CAT)
CAT is conducted by the IIMs. Many management colleges other than IIMs all over India also accept the CAT scores. However, the candidate needs to fill up a separate application form for those colleges.
CAT is designed to test the
propensity of the applicant towards managerial tasks with speed and accuracy.
Solving maximum number of correct questions in a given timeframe is important.
Theoretically, the Entrance Process evaluates students in the broad areas of:
v Leadership Qualities
v Managerial Abilities
v Administrative Capabilities
v Team Management
v Risk Management
In practice, the tests also provide a clear indication of a student’s decision making abilities, time management skills, reasoning abilities, crisis management skills and so on.
Eligibility for appearing in CAT
A 3 year bachelor's degree or an equivalent in any discipline recognized by any Indian University / AICTE is eligible for post-graduate studies. Students in final year of graduation can also apply. Such candidates, if selected, will be allowed provisional admission with the condition that the mark sheet and a certificate of passing is produced before certain specified date.
Selection Process
Stage I : Common Admission Test (CAT) – Paper Based Objective Test
Stage II : Group Discussion
Stage III : Personal Interview
Stage I
Common Admission Test (CAT)
The paper pattern for CAT has variations every year. In fact in couple of years they plan to make CAT a two stage examination where the selection criteria will be implemented in phase I.
The duration of the exam as of now is 2 hours. The structure of CAT and the number of questions vary every year. Total number of questions ranging from 90 (2005), 123 (2004), 200 (2003), . . .
The Aptitude Test has following sections
v Verbal Ability
v Reasoning Section
v Quantitative Aptitude
v Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency
Features of Common Admission Test :
Unpredictable, Negative Marking, Speed and Accuracy, Time Management
NOTE :
It must be noted that the CAT is divided into sections. There are sectional cut-offs.
v Quantitative
v Verbal
v Data Interpretation / Data Sufficiency
Stage II
Group Discussion
The Group Discussion is essentially
used as pointer to assess the students in the following areas:
Communication skills, Clarity of thought, Leadership quality - Initiator,
Co-coordinator, Motivation, Summarizer, Team Player, Inter-personal behavior.
Stage III
Personal Interview
This is the final stage, where panel of Experts interview the candidate individually and grade the candidate based on ones personality, common sense and presence of mind.
(a) As far as IIMs are concerned, a candidate only if selected gets a call for GD/PI
(b) For all colleges other than IIMs who accept CAT scores, the candidate will have to apply separately to the individual colleges. The GD/PI sessions are then conducted independently and the candidates are invited for the same.
