IIMs Expect 10% Rise in CAT Applications after Poor Stint with Technical Glitche

The number of applicants for the computer-based Common Admission Test (CAT) for admission to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) is expected to rise in the current year. Following technical glitches in initial stages, a significant number of applications for CAT are reported to have taken a nosedive. If statistics are to be believed, in comparison to 276,000 applications in 2008, the number fell to 240,000 in 2009 and further to 206,000 in 2010.

The computerized CAT conducted jointly with Prometric in 2009 had a very bad experience, following which CAT was done in two phases. Even Prometric moved out of its partnership with NIIT and entered into agreement with MeritTrac and Everonn.

With economy booming, Janakiraman Moorthy, Convenor, CAT 2011 and faculty member at IIM, Calcutta (IIM-C), is expecting to receive a rise of 10% in applications this year following a successful tenure in 2009.

Moreover, Moorthy is of the opinion that though a lot has been learnt in the last two years, constant consultation with his predecessors Satish Deodhar of IIM, Ahmadabad (IIM-A) and Himanshu Rai of IIM, Lucknow (IIM-L) has given him enough confidence to combat any challenge.

Moorthy added, "The one challenge that remains is of conducting the CAT in such a short testing window of 20 days for such a large number of students. We may not be able to change that this year but making CAT a round-the-year is the way forward".

Source: Test Funda

Date: 18^th June, 2011