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Test
Sections
Reading
Comprehension
Simply
put, this section tests your ability to understand written
information. In practice, however, this can prove to be a
difficult exercise. The passages are culled from a wide variety of
sources - scientific, literary, philosophical and the style of
writing can often be unfamiliar. Being a versatile reader can,
therefore, be of help here. The questions are both direct and
indirect. By indirect we mean - inferential - i.e they require you
to make logical inferences from the information, so that the
implications are also clear. This is the section where the time
pressure is perhaps the most palpable as one has to read both
quickly, and effectively.
Verbal
Ability
Verbal
Ability consists of questions based on vocabulary, usage and
reasoning. This section deals with the correct usage of the
English language the coherence and the conciseness of the
language. The areas tested are synonyms, antonyms and sentence
completion. The last requires, in addition to the knowledge of
meanings of words, a sense of context. You may also have analogies
in this section - the ability to identify relationships between
pairs of words. This section also tests the knowledge of grammar -
how to identify common mistakes made in colloquial language.
But
in the last few years, CAT has tilted towards reasoning-based
questions to such an extent that hardly 5-10 questions are
designed to test your knowledge of the language. This in no way
implies that vocabulary or English usage is irrelevant. On the
contrary, your comfort with the language is taken for granted. The
focus is then on a higher level of understanding - so that
language and communication in any form should not pose a problem.
Verbal Reasoning is designed to test your comfort with information
that may not be presented in an easy-to-understand manner. Some of
the problems in assimilating and understanding such information
may be - a) difficult language, b) irrelevant information which
confuses the issue, and c) technical language or
"jargon". Logic helps us focus on what is being asked so
that we may separate the relevant from the irrelevant and come to
a conclusion. This section then, focuses on the flow of
"logic" in any given information.
Problem
Solving
This
section tests the candidates quantitative ability. The questions
asked are based on basic knowledge of Mathematics, covering such
fundamental topics as Ratio & Proportion, Speed , Squares
& Cubes, Geometric Principles, Trigonometry etc. conceptual
clarity in these topics is a must as the questions are to be
attempted in just over 30 seconds each. While the stress maybe on
the quantitative aspect, good analytical skills are also required
in order to comprehend a question and identify the best approach
to solving it. In other words, the PS section is not merely a high
speed maths section.
The
PS Section in CAT usually comprises 45 questions. Around 5
questions belong to the category "Data Sufficiency",
where one need not actually obtain a solution to the problem, but
simply conclude whether or not the given data is sufficient to
solve the problem.
Data
Interpretation
This
section, as the name suggests, tests a candidates ability to
interpret the given data and arrive at conclusions. The data is
usually presented in a graphical or tabular format, indicating
such things as trends in sales of a product or a country's
industrial production over a period of years. Given this
information, one can find out the rate of growth ratios of various
parameters, percentage change in value etc.
As
a manager, one is likely to be presented with various
graphs/tables that summarize data pertaining to one's area of
work. An ability to arrive at quick and correct conclusions after
taking a look art the data is an essential quality of a good
manager. The objective of the DI section is to measure the
candidates proficiency in this area.
Marking
& Results
Every
year, the number of questions in the CAT exam varies
between 180-200. The number of questions in CAT cannot be
guaranteed.
There
is a two-hour period to answer all the questions, which is
spread over 4 sections. However, solving all the questions
in this time period is considered impossible by many.
To
be considered for admission to IIM, a minimum of 20 points
is required in each section. An overall score of 120
points (on 185 or 195) is considered to be competitive
enough. Guessing a wrong answer can cost points, as the
examiners deduct 1/4th (one-fourth) of a point for every
wrong answer. That translates to one lost point for four
wrong answers. Don't guess too hard!
The
results of CAT are not disclosed to the students. The
scores are sent directly to the IIMs where you have
applied, and they are the ones who see an applicant's CAT
score. Based on the score, the IIM will then call you for
a group discussion and a personal interview. If you do not
get a call from any of the six IIMs, then just assume that
you have done badly in the CAT. In the end, it is only the
institute that gets to see your CAT score, not you.
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Where
to Send the Application Form
| If
your test centre choice is: |
Send
the completed CAT Form to: |
| Ahmedabad,
Bhopal, Jaipur, Mumbai or Pune |
Incharge,
Admission Office,
Indian Institute of Management,
Vastrapur,
Ahmedabad - 380 015.
Phone No. (079) 640 72 41 |
| Bangalore,
Chennai, Kochi, Tiruchirapalli or Vijayawada |
Incharge,
Admissions,
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore,
Bannerghatta Road,
Bangalore - 560 076.
Phone No. (080) 663 24 50 |
| Bhubaneswar,
Calcutta, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Nagpur
or Patna |
Executive
Assistant, Admissions,
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta,
Joka, Diamond Harbour Road,
West Bengal - 743 512.
Phone No. (033) 467 8300/04;
Telefax. 467 9178
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| Chandigarh,
Lucknow or New Delhi |
Officer-in-charge,
Admissions,
Indian Institute of Management,
Prabandh Nagar,
Off Sitapur Road,
Lucknow - 226 013.
Phone No. (0522) 361 891 to 361897 |
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