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 ‘The Saga called - CBT CAT!
The mystery shrouding CBT CAT is slowly being revealed. It all
started on the day the rumor mills started doing the rounds
that CAT 2009 will be an ‘Online Test’. Putting
aside traditions, the paper pencil format was giving way to
new edge technology!
It couldn’t have come at a better time than now, with
CAT aspirants doubling in thousands every year! With the mammoth
task of handling so much of paper the IIMs made this conscious
decision, to go paperless, their contribution to avert the effects
of ‘Global Warming’.
But this news sent out many wrong signals amongst the student
community especially those candidates who were targeting the
CAT exam this year.
The first question in everybody’s mind ‘will it
be an Internet Based Test (IBT)?’ was soon put to rest
with the news that it will be a ‘Computer Based Test’
but within a structured, and designated location across the
country. The test would be loaded onto a computer and with the
mouse making the right moves you have to answer the questions
appearing on the screen in front of you. Your intelligence will
be challenged in much the same way as it is in the paper pencil
format. In fact it is cleaner to ‘erase’ on screen
than on paper.
Another apprehension, bordering on hysteria was that the CAT
will become even more difficult than before… clearing
the air, the CAT has always been and will always be a challenge
for the serious minded IIM aspirant, so, the CAT getting tougher
every year is just a myth which has to be dispelled. But what
will always remain is the surprise element in the paper format
that the IIMs spring with each passing year! That’s what
keeps the game of ‘The CAT’ a suspense. The focus
of this Cat and Mouse play cannot be compromised.
Last but not the least was the fear that only a part of the
student community that is the engineering graduates or the IIT
passouts will stand to gain from this CBT CAT. Getting rid of
this thought as fast as it came is the only effective solution.
Any graduate from any discipline can make this entrance exam
their stepping stone to the IIMs or to a B-School of repute,
all that’s necessary is to fulfill the eligibility criteria
set down by the IIMs.
 ON SCREEN ADVANTAGES
 Over the years the Reading Comprehensions in the Verbal Ability
section of the CAT exam, started getting shorter
and shorter, setting a fashion statement which other MBA entrances
are slowly adapting to, this was just so that
readability on screen was feasible. No doubt the inference based
questions with their answer options will always
fox us but reading a passage of about 500-600 words makes answering
them faster.
The complexity of deciphering graphs and tables in the DI section
will be simpler when they can be enlarged
on screen. No efforts are needed here to pore over minute typewritten
text within pie-charts and tabular graphs.
THE CBT ADVANTAGE
Having a window of 10 days available to answer the exam will
reduce the pressure that comes with a one day
exam.
Provision for different sets of papers for the candidates will
only increase their competitive spirit.
There will be a uniform difficulty level maintained in the three
sections in all the test papers reducing any bias
to any particular section.
Less chances of a paper leak or a mysterious ambush on route
to the examination centre.
Have you mentally
shifted gears from the Paper Format to the On Screen format?
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