The 2.18 lakh candidates registered for CAT 2015 would be sharing a single day exam in 2 slots on Nov 29, 2015 with no scope of getting better or poorer scores on account of LOD in different sessions, thus making a competition field more fierce calling for yet higher percentile score.
22000 more candidates have registered for CAT 2015 than last year. They will also be competing at various test centres across India to enter their dream IIM campus in 2016. It will sure be a challenge for the candidates calling for meticulous preparation to ace CAT 2015.
Common Admission Test (CAT) 2015 will be a single day 2 session exam with many changes in content and structure having been brought about by the CAT 2015 convening IIM Ahmedabad. But the biggest competitive challenge in one day CAT 2015 with 2.18 lakh candidates is that there wouldn’t be much benefit on account of location and scale difference in the process of normalization of scores as the exam would be summed up in 2 sessions only. As such now the CAT 2015 test takers shall have to compete with 22000 more IIM aspirants.
Getting into newest IIMs more difficult
The 6 new IIMs that have begun operation in 2015 also need high CAT 2015 percentile in flagship PGP admission 2016. The asking percentile score by these very new IIMs as the minimum cut-off percentile is even higher by their mentor IIMs. Most of them need minimum 80 sectional and minimum 96.3 as overall whereas their mentors need minimum 80 sectional and minimum 90 overall. Accordingly to get shortlisted at the first stage by even these new IIMs, you need to score at least a 96.3 overall.
More competition nullifies higher intake
So far 3500+ seats were available for admission in 19 IIMs in their flagship programmes. From 2016, there will an intake of around 5000 candidates with the increased seats in IIMs. Besides, one more IIM in J&K is also proposed to be added to this list. But this increased intake has been compensated by increased number of candidates going to appear in CAT 2015. The only solution is well planned preparation strategy to ace the exam to get into one of the dream B-schools.
Those who are not preparing so well and were expecting a dip in CAT 2015 registration should now gear up to make substantial headway in CAT 2015.
CAT 2015 offers more; grab it
CAT 2015 is going to offer you more than what you expected in form of more intake in flagship PGP programmes at more number of IIMs; increased CAT 2015 testing time with 10 minutes; equal division of time in 3 sections; more choice of questions in the test in the form of MCQs and Non-MCQs; no botheration of self scheduling the test. So get ready, prepare well and get into an IIM in 2016-18 batch, chances are more, if you follow the preparation schedule meticulously.
Remember, IIMs look beyond your high overall percentile in CAT before offering you admission. Still high CAT 2015 percentile will be the foremost requirement to get shortlisted for second phase of admission round.
A candidate should also qualify on the IIMs’ prescribed standards, to get shortlisted after scoring high percentile in CAT 2015. You can get an edge over your peers if you have excellent academic profile, other than Engineering background, work experience, have been participating in extra-curricular activities as all these will add to the weightage on admission process.
CAT although offers yet more opportunities of admission in IIMs but to convert the call in final admission round, one should also get into the merit on specific weightage which facilitates the offer of admission in IIMs.
Your knowledge, intelligence and smart way of attempting the test can get you a high overall as well as high sectional percentile to get you shortlisted and then convert your call to an IIM of your dream.
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