CAT 2016 aspirants may not get much to be surprised with, after the release of CAT 2016 Sample Mock Test on October 25, 2016 by IIM Bangalore. The sample test contains 100 questions divided in 3 sections beginning with VARC with 34 questions; DILR with 32 questions and Quant with 34 questions.
While VARC and Quant sections have 10 Non-MCQs each, the DILR section has 8 Non-MCQs divided equally in DI and LR parts with 4 Non-MCQs each. The major expected surprise on confidentiality maintained so far by IIM Bangalore on the number and composition of questions in CAT 2016 has turned out to be of no value. The CAT 2016 sample test has again indicated that the candidates preparing in-depth vocabulary and error correction topics on Grammar and other parts of English Language should focus more on Reading comprehension as it commands 70% weightage in VARC section.
IIM Bangalore has earlier informed that the CAT 2016 Mock test will be made available on October 18 and later indicated that it would be made available towards the end of October 2016. However the sample test has gone live on October 25, with CAT Centre 2016 keeping up the tradition of commitment.
Full Length Sample test with changes
The sample test is full length indicating the type and number of MCQs and Non-MCQs that you may expect on the day of CAT 2016 exam on December 4. The sample test reflects number of changes in the structure and content of CAT 2016. Candidates should now proceed to take the test to understand the changes in the test pattern that they are going to face after 30 days on December 4, 2016.
Now the Sample test will continue to be available for the CAT 2016 aspirants till the CAT exam is over. With number of changes in the CAT 2016 exam pattern, the test is supposed to be a good and authenticated guide with sample questions right from the horse’s mouth. CAT 2016 aspirants can now very well familiarize themselves by practicing the sample questions as many times as they like.
100 questions in CAT 2016 Sample test
CAT 2016 convener Prof Rajendra K Bandi, faculty at IIM Bangalore did not share till the last moment regarding the number of total questions expected in CAT 2016 nor their sectional composition was divulged in the name of confidential information.
Now with the release of CAT 2016 sample Mock test on CAT website, the 100 questions as appear in the mock test are expected to be of the type as would appear on CAT exam day.
The questions will be divided in 3 sections beginning with Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section comprising 34 questions. Second section will have 32 questions on DILR. The last section will be on Quant with 34 questions. Total allotted time to complete the test will be 180 minutes.
Actual CAT exam could be different
The instructions in sample test however do confirm the notion and says that the actual number of questions, including the number of MCQ and Non-MCQ type of questions, could be different in CAT 2016.
But going by the trend for the last 2 CAT exam years, the sample test has proved to be the right indicator of the topics and type of questions in the CAT exam. Hence it can be anticipated that CAT 2016 will also follow the pattern as reflected in the CAT 2016 sample test enabled by IIM Bangalore.
60 minutes to attempt each section
Candidates cannot freely switch from one section to other during the overall time limit. Time constraint of 60 minutes will apply to each of the 3 sections to attempt the questions. Besides, candidates can not choose any of the 3 sections to start with. The order of the sections is fixed from 1 to 3 and the test taker will have to move accordingly.
VARC: 1st section
CAT 2016 has placed the VARC section as the first section in the exam. Earlier the first section used to be on Quant section. Now Quant will be the last section of CAT 2015 among the 3 sections.
Out of 34 total questions in VARC there are 24 questions based only on 5 RC passages. While 2 RC passages are followed by 3 questions each, the other 3 RC passages are followed by 6 questions each. The other 10 questions in Non-MCQ format are based on jumbled paragraphs , picking odd sentence out of jumbled paragraph and para summary.
28 Non-MCQs
Each of the 3 sections in CAT 2016 sample test has 8 to 10 Non-MCQs. is expected to have not less than 8 Non-MCQ type questions, going by the pattern in sample test. The answer options are available on the screen, but you will have to type the correct one in space given on the computer screen although there is no need to write the solution process.
Non-MCQs: No negative marking questions
All the MCQs will carry maximum 3 core marks with a penalty of -1 mark for each wrong answer. However, there is no provision of negative marking for Non-MCQs whether you attempt it wrong or do not attempt it.
With 28 Non-MCQs present in CAT 2016, if you can crack 8 correct and 16 wrong, you will get rewarded for 8 correct answers but will not be penalized for 16 wrong answers – a win-win situation.
240 minutes time for PWD/DA candidates
CAT 2016 test duration is for a total time of 3 hours. PWD/ DA candidates with scribe requirements will be allowed 20 minutes extra in every section implying 60 minutes more will be allowed to them to attempt the CAT 2016 test paper. All candidates will start the test at the same time. Candidates are to remain at their seats for the entire duration of the test even if they complete their test early.
CAT 2016 aspirants have anxiously been waiting for the Sample test right from the beginning. IIMs have stopped making the sample test available with the opening of CAT registration process. Thousands of CAT 2016 aspirants who have been approaching MBAUniverse.com and CAT 2016 helpline regarding the delay in making live the Sample Test have taken a sigh of relief now.
Since the test is published by the CAT Centre 2016, there should not be any doubt about the type of questions proposed to appear in the exam and the proposed CAT 2016 exam pattern. Aspirants should practice the test, understand its key points, focus on similar type of questions in their CAT 2016 preparation.
At present there are 20 IIMs apart from other top B-schools like FMS Delhi, Great Lakes, IMI Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, LIBA, MDI Gurgaon, NITIE Mumbai, SPJIMR Mumbai, JBIMS Mumbai, TAPMI Manipal, XIM Bhubaneshwar among others that will offer admission to MBA/PGDM 2017-19 on the basis of CAT 2016 exam scores.
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Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on CAT 2016
