CAT 2009: CAT prep institutes get ready for new avatar; to embrace computer-based testing

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
July 25, 2016
With the announcement of the IIMs that CAT 2009 will be Computer Based Test (CBT), MBA aspirants have many questions. How and with what methodology is my tutorial, though reputed enough, planning to prepare me for the new CAT avatar?

This is the most common query students have shared with MBAUniverse.com.

To deal with such questions MBAUniverse.com talked to the officials of leading CAT preparation institutes like T.I.M.E., IMS Learning, Career Launcher and PT Education on how they are planning to help the MBA aspirants to appear for the CBT-CAT 2009.

It seems that the top CAT preparation institutes are ready with their own sets of strategies to cope with the new avatar of CAT. According to them, the change is only in the ‘form’ and not in the curriculum. Top CAT preparation institutes are putting added focus on making their students ready for computer based testing process.

Mr. Jaideep Singh Chowdhary, Official Spokesperson, T.I.M.E., Hyderabad said, “T.I.M.E. has been training students for both CBTs and Computer Adaptive Tests like GRE and TOEFL for nearly a decade. So this kind of training is not new for them. Therefore we have the capability available in house. To adapt with the new situation, T.I.M.E. will conduct many of its All India Mock CATs online. Along with that, many sectional online tests will also be provided.”

Mumbai based IMS Learning says that it has adapted to all the changes CAT has brought in. So the change in form will not hamper its coaching. According to Mr. Nilesh Sarwate, Director, Test Prep, IMS Learning, “We already offer 100+ tests online, we would be providing necessary infrastructure in all our centers. Also, we would conduct all India tests under simulated conditions.”

“Starting from this May 2009, IMS will provide all its enrolled students with an ‘Online Study Plan’ for their preparation. So, be assured that IMS will provide the right mix of offline and online training to ensure that we continue in our endeavor to deliver success to our students even with the new Online format of the CAT,” added Mr. Sarwate.

Career Launcher shared that it started its first CBTs called “Web Sprints” in 2000, and is ready for CAT’s new format.

Mr. R Shiva Kumar, Director of Academics and R&D, Career Launcher said, “For the new format of CAT 2009, CL will upload many more sectional tests in the Student Information System (SIS) across sections. We have already put up online tests on our website which have been built using the statistics of the students who took these tests on the day they were conducted, and compare it with the test taker today in order to give a fair idea to the students where they stand.”

“CL has also made infrastructural developments for the students such as computer labs for computer aided learning and providing them study materials in the form of CDs and DVDs so that it gets easier for the students to real from the computer,” Mr. Kumar added.

According to Mr Manish Saraf, COO of PT Education, “We have been giving Online Mock Tests since two years. So the technology is ready and working with us. This year we are committed to provide a series of Online Prac CATs for our students.”