To aid our readers, we decided to speak Mumbai based IMS Learning believes that while the mode of examination has changed, the “core purpose” of the CAT Entrance Exam is the same, and hence students need not worry.
Welcoming the decision of making the CAT Entrance Exam as a computer based test, Mr. Nilesh Sarawate, Director, Test Prep of Mumbai based IMS, said: “It is a welcome decision. Given the number of test takers and number of venues, this was a logical conclusion. An online test will help IIM de-link from the actual conduct of the test and focus more on the other selection parameters.”
Talking about the changes to CAT Entrance Exam as a result of this move, Mr Sarawate said: “The core purpose of the CAT cannot change which is to test the candidate’s verbal, logical, quantitative and data interpretative abilities. The only change that has happened is the mode of conduct.”
When asked how CAT aspirants should prepare for CAT 2009, Mr Sarawate said: “The new reality is a simple reality – just the mode of the test has changed. If you can answer a question on paper, you can answer a question online. All that the student needs to do is to get acclimatized to the new test condition. Practicing a few tests online will help the students handle this. Also, since it is a relative test, if there is a problem it is a problem for all. So don’t worry.”
IIMs have been conducting the CAT Entrance Exam in paper-&-pencil format for the last 33 years. With growing student aspirations to undertake MBA and management education, the number of candidates appearing for the CAT Entrance Exam has been increasing manifold. While about 95,000 candidates took the CAT Entrance Exam in 2003, the number rose to about 250,000 in 2008 indicating a rise of a whopping 163 percent. This has resulted in severe strain on the administrative system of IIMs to conduct the CAT Entrance Exam in its existing format.
CBT is a natural culmination of the modernization the CAT Entrance Exam has undergone, said IIMs, while announcing this decision. MBAUniverse.com was the first media platform in the country to publish this development on April 27.
