More applicants for CAT this year
The impact of the gradual recovery of the global economy on improving the sentiments of MBA aspirants worldwide, can be seen in India too. This year, IIM Kozhikode, the organizer of CAT 2012, has already received 2.09 applications and is expecting to cross the figure of 2.10 lakh by the time admissions close on September 19, 2012. From a high point of 2.76 lakh in 2008, the number of applications for the Common Admission Test (CAT) had dropped to around 2.42 lakh in 2009 and then to 2.04 lakh applications in 2010. The year 2011 saw 2.05 lakh applicants for CAT.
CAT 2012 will be a computer-based test that will take place over a period of 27 days – from October 11 to November 6, 2012. Cracking CAT will allow students an opportunity to secure a seat at one of the 13 IIMs as well as about 150 other management institutes in India.
Format of the exam will remain same as CAT 2011. The paper will have two sections of one hour 10 minutes each. Each section will have 30 questions, which will access students’ quantitative ability and data interpretation skills, verbal ability and logical reasoning skills.
Reportedly, the number of women applying for CAT has stabilized at 28% over the years.
Internationally too, the demand for management education has increased. Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Applications Trend Survey 2012 reveals that demand for graduate business and management education is showing signs of renewed growth across the world. GMAC report states that 51 per cent programs have received more applications than last year.
Perhaps, the confusion about which management entrance exams will be accepted by the institutes might also be contributing to more students drifting to the safer option of CAT again.
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