CAT 2016: Non Engineers & females to increase in IIM; need based changes since last year

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
August 5, 2016
CAT 2016 Exam Center are working towards the strategy to improve the ratio of non engineers and female candidates in their class rooms to effect a good learning experience with optimum academic and gender diversity
We would like to see an increase in the number of applicants from the non engineering background and from female applicants as well Prof Rajendra K Bandi, Convener CAT 2016

CAT 2016 targets to increase the number of non-engineers and female students in IIM class rooms in PGP 2017-19 batch – so says the test convener Prof Rajendra K Bandi faculty and admission chair at IIM Bangalore.

IIMs need diversity to improve learning
In fact almost all the 20 IIMs have been facing massive influx of engineers after every CAT exam in their class rooms. Out of 17 candidates scoring 100 percentile in CAT last year, it was difficult to find one or two non engineers. Besides, the ratio of female 100 percentilers during the past 2 years has remained 1 female to 15 or 16 male candidates.

IIMs are working towards the strategy to improve the ratio of non-engineers and female candidates in their class rooms to effect a good learning experience with optimum academic and gender diversity.

This was the reason that with effect from the 2015 CAT convened by IIM Ahmedabad concrete efforts were made to revamp CAT exam by inserting more number of sections and introducing different types of questions. This yielded good result and now carrying the flag flying high, CAT 2016 convener Prof Bandi proposes to move on the same pattern although there may be slight changes in the content level of the exam.

Sharing with MBAUniverse.com, Prof Rajendra Bandi, Convener CAT 2016 emphasised the need of higher number of registrations from Non-engineers and women candidates “We would like to see an increase in the number of applicants from the non-engineering background and from female applicants as well.”

IIMs need mix of students
According to Prof Bandi, CAT 2016 convener, “We believe that having a good mix of candidates from both the genders, and from all academic backgrounds enriches management education.”

The statement has a great significance as students in IIM class rooms learn more from peers, cases among other pedagogic tools. The more diversified is the class; the better is the learning process.

CAT 2016 inspired by last CAT
Last year CAT registration which clicked the closing mark at 218664 applicants contained 69176 girls constituting 31.63% of total candidates increasing from 27% in 2014.

Non-engineers registered in CAT last year were 46% increasing from 37% in 2014. Out of total 2,18,664 registered candidates for  CAT 2015, 179602 candidates appeared in the test. While there were 112,012 engineers who appeared in CAT last year, 67590 candidates were from other academic streams like commerce, science, arts, and humanities.

The improvement in academic and gender diversity, due to changes brought about in CAT last year are proposed to continue in CAT 2016 also.

IIMs change admission criteria
Almost all the IIMs propose to change their admission policy for PGP 2017-19 batch. While less weightage is proposed to be awarded to CAT 2016 scores, higher weightage on academic and gender diversity, academic profile, work experience among others is proposed to be awarded so that a particular section of the test takers does not get all the advantages in the admission process.

How do engineers get mileage in CAT
In fact, score in Quant used to dominate the percentile rank in CAT. As a consequence it brings in skewness to the selection process towards a particular set of candidates from a particular background.

Since last year by making changes in the test content and also by rationalizing weights assigned to different components of the test, IIM Ahmedabad tried to address this problem and was successful to a large extent.
It created a level-playing field for all candidates, no matter what educational background they came from, and removed skewness to a large extent.

CAT 2016 convener Prof Bandi also believes ‘a number of bright students opt for a whole range of non-engineering disciplines as well and we would like to encourage more of these candidates to appear for CAT.’

Common Admission Test (CAT) 2016 is the mandatory exam for admission to management programmes at 20 IIMs and other top B schools in India. IIM Bangalore is conducting the first computerized CAT in 2016 and proposes to make it one of the most aspirant friendly test keeping intact the last year CAT pattern consisting both – MCQs and Non-MCQs in the exam.

CAT 2016: Important dates
Online registration opens: Monday August 8, 2016 at 10AM
Online registration closes: Thursday September 22, 2016 at 5PM
Admit card download: Monday October 18, to December 4, 2016
CAT 2016 exam date: Sunday December 4, 2016 in forenoon and afternoon sessions
CAT 2016 Result declaration: January 2017 second week

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