CAT Format May be Tweaked to Help
IIMs Attract Diverse Talent
The
IIMs have announced the dates for CAT 2013, and IIM Indore will be conducting
the exam this time round. Sreeradha D Basu caught up with this year’s CAT
convenor Rohit Kapoor, faculty in the institute’s operations management and
quantitative techniques area, to get a handle on the exam as well as the way
forward.
Excerpts from the interview:
MBA entrance exams seem to be witnessing reduced applications. Do you anticipate a similar trend for the upcoming CAT?
In 2012, we saw a rise in CAT applications by 4.2% compared with the previous year, which clearly indicates the increasing inclination of students and working professionals to pursue an MBA for great career opportunities. The recently-held CAT survey results by our test delivery partner Prometric show that candidates are now comfortable with the computer-based testing format. With the job market for MBAs remaining firm, I anticipate an increase in applications this year as well, though such things cannot be predicted.
The CAT format is believed to be skewed in favour of students with quantitative abilities. Will it be tweaked to facilitate the diversity that IIMs are now trying to bring in?
There will be no big surprises. However, I differ on the point that CAT only favours students from engineering backgrounds or those with strong quantitative abilities. The current pattern of independently-timed two sections allows candidates to spend an equal amount of time on quantitative and verbal sections and provides an equal opportunity to exhibit their capabilities and skills. That said, we may plan to revisit the existing format of the test in the future and introduce changes in subsequent editions that will help the IIMs attract more diversity and talent across all backgrounds.
What is the status on CAT’s plans to go global?
There have been some discussions within the IIMs on delivering CAT outside of India. We will not be doing so for CAT 2013. Meanwhile, we will thoroughly assess the demand for this and may consider it subsequently.
What about the year-round testing format for CAT along the lines of GMAT? Is a pilot project on the anvil?
CAT 2013 will be administered over a set period between October 16 and November 11. To align it with the format of other global as well as domestic exams, we may explore such options in the future. However, nothing is decided as of now.
sreeradha.basu@timesgroup. ET130503
MBA entrance exams seem to be witnessing reduced applications. Do you anticipate a similar trend for the upcoming CAT?
In 2012, we saw a rise in CAT applications by 4.2% compared with the previous year, which clearly indicates the increasing inclination of students and working professionals to pursue an MBA for great career opportunities. The recently-held CAT survey results by our test delivery partner Prometric show that candidates are now comfortable with the computer-based testing format. With the job market for MBAs remaining firm, I anticipate an increase in applications this year as well, though such things cannot be predicted.
The CAT format is believed to be skewed in favour of students with quantitative abilities. Will it be tweaked to facilitate the diversity that IIMs are now trying to bring in?
There will be no big surprises. However, I differ on the point that CAT only favours students from engineering backgrounds or those with strong quantitative abilities. The current pattern of independently-timed two sections allows candidates to spend an equal amount of time on quantitative and verbal sections and provides an equal opportunity to exhibit their capabilities and skills. That said, we may plan to revisit the existing format of the test in the future and introduce changes in subsequent editions that will help the IIMs attract more diversity and talent across all backgrounds.
What is the status on CAT’s plans to go global?
There have been some discussions within the IIMs on delivering CAT outside of India. We will not be doing so for CAT 2013. Meanwhile, we will thoroughly assess the demand for this and may consider it subsequently.
What about the year-round testing format for CAT along the lines of GMAT? Is a pilot project on the anvil?
CAT 2013 will be administered over a set period between October 16 and November 11. To align it with the format of other global as well as domestic exams, we may explore such options in the future. However, nothing is decided as of now.
sreeradha.basu@timesgroup. ET130503
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