PUZZLED BY THE CAT AFTER THE IIM-A ADVERTISEMENT FOR CAT 2009,THE PIECES HAVE FINALLY FALLEN INTO PLACE.TO PUT ALL SPECULATION AND RUMOURS TO REST,AJEET KHURANA HIGHLIGHTS THE KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PAPER-BASED CAT AND THE E-CAT ,AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDENTS
Every November, students aspiring to pursue the coveted MBA at the Indian Institutes of Management appear for the CAT arguably, the largest management entrance exam in the country. But this November will be different. Setting a precedent, the CAT will be the first MBA entrance exam to go online. The anticipation attached to the e-CAT this year has created a lot of buzz about what the actual nature of the e-CAT may turn out to be. Rumours have been flying thick and fast, and students are likely to be misled by the clutter of contradictory information out there. In this article, weve sifted through all the information to help you understand the differences between the paper-based CAT and the computerised CAT.
DIFFERENCE #1: The number of questions and amount of time is different Over the past couple of years, the CAT has been 150-minutes (or two and a half hours) long. CAT 2009, however, will be a 135-minute exam. This is not obvious in the CAT bulletin, as there is a 15-minute tutorial at the beginning of CAT 2009. In addition, CAT 2009 is the firstever CAT, where the number of questions in the test has been declared prior to the exam. We now know that the forthcoming CAT will have 60 to 70 questions. This is unlike CAT 2008, which had 90 questions or CAT 2006/2007, which had 75 questions each. Lets first dispel the rumour that fewer questions portend a tougher CAT. The reduced number is caused by: a) The reduced time b) The lowered speed of reading off a computer screen. Until last year, you could make it to an IIM with a net score as low as 40% (not percentile). This meant that you could prepare for half the syllabus really well and still secure admission. This year, the required score may not change significantly, which means that you will have fewer questions to skip, and consequently, fewer topics to skip.
DIFFERENCE #2: You can no longer underline phrases, or mark the question paper In multiple-choice exams like the CAT, it often makes more sense to reject incorrect answer choices, rather than attempt to directly mark the right one. Most notably, in algebra, critical reasoning and reading comprehension, students arrive at their answer by striking out unlikely choices. Others underline part of the problem to aid them in arriving at a solution. These strategies cant work in a computerised exam. You could mimic them by using rough paper, but that could end up being a recipe for confusion. Hence you must evolve your strategies to accommodate the fact that you cannot touch the test paper.
DIFFERENCE #3: The number of options will be different Though this might change as we approach end-November , at this point of time, the IIMs are indicating that CAT 2009 will have four multiple choices and not five, as has been the norm. This should cause a substantial strategic shift. Negative marking exists to negate any score increase from random guessing. Probability calculations, hence, dictate that an incorrect answer in a five-option exam should attract a score of minus 0.25. But this penalty increases to minus 0.33 in the case of a four-option exam. Hence the need to avoid mistakes is higher in CAT 2009. The upside is that fewer choices reduce the number of likely incorrect choices from four to three, while maintaining the number of correct choices at one, thereby reducing the likelihood of choosing an incorrect option.
DIFFERENCE #4: Reading a comprehension passage will be challenging Reading comprehension presents an interesting challenge because it is tricky to simultaneously display the passage and the question. CAT 2009 allocates the left one-fourth of the screen to the passage and retains the rest for the question. Since the width of the passage is small, you have to keep scrolling down, reading only a few words per-line . If you do not practise reading in this manner, you may not be able to focus during the CAT.
DIFFERENCE #5: Computer skills are important The process of moving across questions in a computerised test is determined by the navigation provided. Suppose the first section you are presented with is quantitative ability, but you would much rather attempt verbal ability first. The novice would click the Next button 20 (or so) times to reach the desired section. The expert would click the Review button and then double-click to attempt question number 21 directly. Likewise, effective use of the Mark button, and understanding the three different types of Review buttons is something that could save you many precious minutes.
DIFFERENCE #6: The computer constantly reviews attempts In the paper-based CAT, you had to keep track of the number of questions you attempted per-section , the ones you want to attempt later, and the questions you left unanswered. The computerised CAT will do all this for you. That is where the crucial Review option plays a role. If you have no experience of this, you may lose out on one of the biggest benefits of the computerised CAT.
DIFFERENCE #7: Your test date could make a difference The fear that the level of difficulty of some of the 20 CATs that will be conducted this year (two CATs per-day , for 10 days), could be substantially different from the other CATs is unfounded, as sound statistical methods can scale scores to iron out the differences. But, as this is the first ever computerised CAT, students who choose a later date could gain from the experiences of those who appear earlier. The flip side is that students who attempt the CAT in the last few days of the test, will probably spend more time ruminating over the CAT discussion frenzy online. This will distract them from their CAT preparation. It might be a good idea to skip the first day or two, and then appear for the CAT. This way, you get all the information you need, and ensure you do not go insane listening to personal accounts of the CAT.
DIFFERENCE #8: Your practice tests could be irrelevant The test formats and navigation you might have been practising might be substantially different from the actual CAT of 2009. There is no harm in attempting paper-based mock tests for now. But in the last month or so, the only mock tests you appear for, should be on the computer.
For information on CAT 2009, visit http:// www.catiim.in, or call the official CAT helpline, 1-800-103-9293
The writer is Director, Peak Seekers. He is available at www.educationtimes.com/ counsellorforum to answer your queries related to CAT ATTENTION!
Sale of CAT Vouchers commenced on Wednesday, September 9, 2009, and will conclude on Thursday, October 1, 2009. Since exam slots are available on a first-come-firstserved basis, you may not get the slot of your choice if you register late.
All The besst...!!
