CAT 2017 Notification: IIM Lucknow to throw more changes and surprises in official release

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
July 18, 2017
IIM Lucknow may bring more changes and surprises in CAT exam pattern, structure, dates in the CAT 2017 notification going by its reputation to make all out efforts to bring out the best quality and to strive for excellence in management programmes in IIM class rooms
CAT 2017 Notification
With TCS fully geared up and IIM Lucknow at the helm of affairs, CAT 2017 is expected to be conducted earlier than CAT 2016

IIM Lucknow, the CAT 2017 convening IIM proposes to release CAT 2017 notification with more details by the end of July and as per the tradition the CAT Notification is expected to be out in newspapers on July 30. Prof Neeraj Dwivedi, Convener CAT 2017 and faculty at IIM Lucknow has clarified “CAT-2017 notification is likely to appear in newspapers towards end of July.”

Going by its reputation to make all out efforts to bring out the best quality and to strive for excellence, IIM Lucknow may bring more changes and surprises in CAT exam pattern, structure, dates in the CAT 2017 notification.

As it has been made clear that CAT 2017 official notification is going to be out most probably on July 30, 2017 in all the leading newspapers, the clock of speculation on the dates of the exam has started ticking the minds of CAT 2017 aspirants. Candidates can expect number of changes in the examination scheduling, dates, scoring pattern in CAT 2017 going to be conducted by IIM Lucknow in partnership with CAT 2017 testing agency Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) which will continue as CAT test taking agency for a minimum period of another 2 years unless the contract is renewed further for 5 years by the IIMs.

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Details available in CAT official Notification
Below is shared the CAT official notification with all the details that you would be able to find in the CAT 2017 official release from IIM Lucknow:

Common Admission Test (CAT) is the largest entrance examination for MBA/PGDM programmes in India. Not only 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) but also other top B schools will accept CAT 2017 scores as the basic eligibility criterion to shortlist the candidates for final admission round. It is expected that about 2 lakhs candidates will write CAT 2017 given the fact that MBA job market has begun looking up and placement packages in B-schools have gone up substantially in the placement season 2017. 

CAT official Notification contains all programmes of 20 IIMs
The CAT 2017 Advertisement in newspapers will notify the details like which IIM would offer which programme alongwith the names of different management programmes offered by 20 IIMs in 2018. It will help the CAT 2017 aspirants to choose the different management programmes in order of preference at the time of completing CAT 2017 registration form online.

Apart from this, in case IIMs choose to add more management programmes in 2018 and admission is through CAT 2018 exam, the notification will provide the opportunity to the candidates to know what the programmes are and they can check it on the website of respective IIMs.

CAT Notification: A guide on Non-IIMs
Not only the 20 IIMs, but other tops B-schools in India also rely and accept CAT scores. CAT 2017 official notification will guide you to the link wherefrom you can see this list of Non-IIMs accepting CAT 2017 scores.

Apart from 20 IIMs, prominent top B-schools are supposed to accept CAT 2017 exam scores for admission to their flagship MBA/PGDM programmes 2018-20. Some of them are – FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMI New Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, management departments of all IITs, NITIE, JBIMS, BIMTECH, TAPMI among hundreds of others. Usually the state-wise list of Non-IIMs accepting CAT scores is displayed on the website www.iimcat.ac.in.

Eligibility criteria: Key point in CAT Notification
CAT 2017 Notification will share all the key points determining eligibility criteria to appear in the exam. One of the key changes over the years in CAT eligibility criteria, as reflected in CAT notification is that it now wouldn’t require you to be a graduate with minimum 3 years bachelors’ degree. Candidates with 2 years of graduation degree in old pattern are also eligible.     

Score Validity of CAT 2017 exam
CAT 2017 notification will give out the last date of CAT 2017 score validity. Beyond this date CAT 2017 score will no longer be valid. The tentative date of CAT 2017 score validity is to remain December 31, 2018.

Expected changes & surprises in CAT 2017 notification
Common Admission Test (CAT) 2017 is the mandatory exam for admission to top rated IIMs in 2018. Following are the anticipated changes in CAT 2017 as the exam can take a different shape in 2017 with IIM Lucknow at the helm of affairs in conducting CAT 2017.

An Early CAT? Possible…
Going back to claim the pristine glory during the paper-pencil era of CAT, when it was conducted in the third quarter of the year, it appears CAT 2017 might also be conducted in the month of November 2017.

With TCS fully geared up and IIM Lucknow at the helm of affairs, CAT 2017 is expected to be conducted earlier than CAT 2016. CAT had the history of being conducted prominently in the month of October every year till 2013, in 2014 it got delayed by one month and was conducted in the month of November 2014. This was followed in the year CAT 2015 also while CAT 2016 was shifted to December. This year CAT can be expected in the end of October or November 2017, if all goes well.

CAT Testing window may change
After the computerized CAT in 2009, CAT 2014 was the first exam conducted in a 2 day testing window on November 16 & November 22, 2014 in 4 sessions of morning and afternoon instead of 21 days and 42 sessions testing window that took place in CAT 2013.

CAT 2015 and 2016 were further shortened to one day testing window. It is very much expected that in order to further strengthen the process of conducting CAT, IIM Lucknow and TCS might conduct CAT 2017 in two days 4 sessions. This would not only accelerate the collation of CAT 2017 data but also would smoothen the process of score normalization.

Expect a different CAT 2017
With IIM Lucknow in command, CAT 2017 aspirants might expect a bit higher Level of Difficulty in the exam. The number of questions and time allotted is also expected to change. The difficulty level might go up. CAT 2017 aspirants would need good preparation strategy and planning for CAT 2017.

Between the sections movement
CAT aspirants were jubilant when they were allowed to toggle between the sections in 2014 exam. The time constraint has again been imposed since 2015. It was a tough time for the candidates who attempted one section a few minutes before the allotted time limit but could not move on to other section. It so happened that due to this time constraint they lost their threshold percentile in one of the three sections despite scoring high overall percentile of 99+ and were not even shortlisted by any IIM.

Such aspirants who are planning to appear again in CAT 2017 are worried what more tough changes could be there in coming exam. It would be a good aspirant friendly change, if the sectional time limit is removed and the test takers are allowed to move between the sections in CAT 2017.

Expect change in CAT scoring pattern
To improve gender diversity and more representation of different education domains in IIMs, it is expected that weightage to questions in different sections in CAT 2017 may vary and a different scoring pattern might emerge to achieve this goal.

CAT is a yearly examination conducted by Indian Institutes of Management. CAT 2017 will also be conducted for admission to PGDM/MBA programme in 20 IIMs and other top management institutes in India like FMS Delhi, IMI Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, JBIMS Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, NITIE Mumbai, Management departments of IITs, SPJIMR Mumbai, TAPMI Manipal and other more than 500 B-schools.

2.32 lakh candidates applied for CAT last year. This number may increase this year as during last few years CAT has seen tremendous growth. IIMs and other top B-schools along offer admission to more than 30000 students in their different management programmes. Read more about CAT 2017

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2017

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Take CAT 2017 Mock Full LengthTo assess your preparation in revised CAT 2017 exam pattern with 100 questions.
Section 1:
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
Quiz 1: Time limit to solve: 15 minutes;  Level of difficulty: Moderate Quiz 2: Time limit to solve: 15 minutes;  Level of difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Section 2:
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Quiz 1: Time limit to solve: 15 minutes; Level of Difficulty: Moderate Quiz 2: Time limit to solve: 15 minutes; Level of difficulty: Moderate
Section 3:
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Quiz-1: Time limit to solve: 15 minutes; Level of Difficulty: Moderate Quiz-2: Time limit to solve: 15 minutes; Level of difficulty: Moderate to difficult