The change declared by AICTE in conducting the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) from twice a year to once a year has taken CMAT September 2015 aspirants off guard. The information to change the policy decision is shared by AICTE in the month of August while the notification for the CMAT Sep exam used to be published in the first week of July every year.
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has now categorically announced that instead of 2 CMAT exams there would be only 1 CMAT exam in one calendar year. The first yearly CMAT is going to be convened in the month of January 2016 immediately after XAT 2016. The yearly CMAT 2016 will remain an online exam for admission to AICTE approved MBA/PGDM courses commencing in 2016.
Whether once a year CMAT or the exam should be twice a year, views are different. Important and interesting points have emerged while gathering the pros and cons on the periodicity of AICTE-CMAT in a year.
AICTE going on IIM & XLRI way
From CMAT 2016 onwards, the yearly CMAT announced by AICTE means that the exam is going to follow the footsteps of IIMs’ CAT and XLRI’s XAT. There are number of MBA/PGDM entrance exams and twice a year CMAT was adding to this number only. A candidate, who can prepare well and attempt the exam well, will not have much variation in scores. The CMAT 2016 score accepting B schools will no longer have to wait for the CMAT February exam result and may close their admission process immediately after the CMAT 2016 January result is declared as result of most of the other All India Tests will have been declared by then.
CMAT Jan: High number puller
More candidates take CMAT February test is a data driven fact which cannot be proved wrong. The registration data for CMAT Sep exam vs Feb exam during the past is an example of this glaring fact that fewer candidates appear in CMAT Sep exam and more candidates prefer CMAT Feb exam. The main reason behind it is that almost all the results of important exams are out by then and CMAT remains the only hope to explore admission opportunity in good B schools.
Past trends may reveal some facts-
Table: Comparison of CMAT Data: Number of candidates appeared
| CMAT exam |
Number of candidates appeared |
|
Feb 2013 |
1,17,434 |
|
May 2013 |
45,157 |
|
Sep 2013 |
64,534 |
|
Feb 2014 |
88,942 |
|
Sep 2014 |
60,000 (Appx) |
Source: AICTE & MBAUniverse.com Analysis
Single CMAT: May remain 2nd largest exam
So far CMAT has retained its position as the second largest MBA/PGDM entrance exam. Around 1 lakh candidates register for CMAT especially for CMAT February exam. Now AICTE has decided to convene CMAT as a yearly exam in the month of January, it may do more good to the MBA aspirants.
September is the registration and preparation time for other important MBA/PGDM entrance tests like CAT/XAT/NMAT/IIFT/SNAP. As against CMAT, these tests are conducted once in a year and their preparation pattern is slightly different. For example CAT doesn’t focus on General Awareness and General Awareness in XAT is not considered in percentile calculation. Sectional formation is also different in each test. With all these key factors, more aspirants find it better to go for CMAT February test instead of registering for CMAT September. Accordingly it is expected that CMAT 2016 January exam may find higher number of test takers than in earlier years.
But, not all agree…
As every coin has 2 sides, similarly apart from those who find once a year CMAT better than twice a year CMAT, there are many candidates who consider 2 CMAT exams a better option.
CMAT a year: Opportunity to improve score
Since 2012, AICTE has been conducting 2 CMAT exams in a year- the first in the month of September and other in the month of coming February for admission to the same academic session. The AICTE announcement to conduct only 1 CMAT in a year has generated spark of debate and number of CMAT Sep 2015 aspirants feel deceived as they were planning to appear in both the CMAT exams to improve their scores. Now it will not be possible and whatever scores they get in CMAT yearly exam will have to be used for admission to available B school.
CMAT Sep exam: Valuable practice test before CAT
Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted after one or two months from the September CMAT every year. Since CMAT and CAT both are computer based tests, the CMAT Sep exam provided a good practice opportunity to the CAT aspirants. This facility will no longer be available with effect from CMAT 2016 which is proposed to be held in the month of January 2016 while CMAT Sep 2015 stands scrapped by AICTE as per its notification.
GK in CMAT: Similarity to IIFT exam
Written entrance test, although paper pen based, for admission to MBA (IB) programme 2016-18 of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi & Kolkata campuses is going to be held on November 22, 2015. Apart from other similar sections, one section based on General Knowledge (GK) questions is common in both CMAT and IIFT exams.
CMAT Sep 2015 could be a good opportunity for IIFT aspirants also to understand and practice the GK questions on current pattern, after appearing in CMAT exam. There is no such exam before IIFT entrance test except CMAT that could offer the opportunity to the test takers to practice and know the current trend of GK questions.
CMAT 2016 may clash with XAT 2016 in January
January used to be the month of XAT exam or the month of various results like CAT/ NMAT/ SNAP among others. After going through their results, candidates used to decide whether to appear in next CMAT or their earlier scores are fine. Now, it will be a different scenario and along with XLRI-XAT 2016 preparation, candidates will have to prepare for CMAT 2016. On the top of it, both the exams have different pattern. CMAT 2016 will be a computer based online test whereas XAT 2016 will be a paper pen based test with MCQs and essay writing.
Moreover, the top XAT 2016 member and associated B-schools like XLRI, XIMB, SPJIMR, IMT Ghaziabad will not accept CMAT scores, a fact that may render appearing in CMAT 2016 a wasteful exercise.
CMAT Result: Many B-schools may not wait
Most B-schools may close their admission process by the time CMAT January 2016 result is declared. These highly ranked MBA/PGDM institutes begin closing their admission process in the month of January after declaration of CAT/XAT result. AICTE may not be able to declare the CMAT 2016 result so early after convening CMAT 2016 in the month of January.
Most of the top rated B-schools open their admission application process around September/ October and prefer to close it in the month of December/January. Since scores of CMAT September test used to be out in the month of December itself, it was very much convenient for the candidates to apply to the preferred B-school. Now how many B-schools will keep their admission process open after CMAT 2016 result is declared, remains to be seen.
Expert comments
In view of Prof S K Agarwal Expert on verbal Ability and mentor on CMAT preparation, candidates will focus more on CMAT 2016 January test as they will be free from their other important exams like CAT, IIFT, NMAT by GMAC, SNAP, XAT.
Most of the top B schools accepting CMAT scores used to close their admission application process by the time result for CMAT February test is declared but now they shall keep it open if they at all are going to accept CMAT January 2016 scores. Earlier they allowed the candidates to submit their improved scores over CMAT Sep exam but this improvement was only marginal and used to be lost in the glitter of CAT/XAT scores in most of the B-schools
CMAT scores are accepted by around 400+ B schools running AICTE approved management programmes in India. It is the 2nd largest MBA/PGDM entrance test after CAT in the country. Management institutes affiliated to Universities in thirteen states of Chhatisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and other private B schools approved by AICTE accept the CMAT scores
The detailed notification for CMAT 2016 January is proposed to be released by AICTE in a month or so, on its site.
Related Article
CMAT: Exam Schedule Changed now; CMAT 2016 onwards a yearly test
CMAT 2015: September Cancellation indicator of AICTE Changed policy to yearly exam
CMAT 2015: September cancelled; candidates lose the one opportunity
AICTE-CMAT 2016 First test: Announcement in a week's time; says AICTE Director
CMAT Sep 2015: Skipped or completely stopped by AICTE
CMAT Sep 2015: AICTE forgets opening of registration; may cause delay in exam dates
CMAT Feb 2015 scorers: Last few days to decide the B school; Admission process drawing to close
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates on AICTE- CMAT 2016
