New Delhi: The Common Admission Test for
the IIMs this year will have two sections instead of three and
students will have 70 minutes to answer each of them.
The test will be conducted online within a 20-day
period from October 22 to November 18.
"Candidates will have 70 minutes to answer 30
questions in each section which will have an on-screen
countdown timer. Once the time ends for the first section,
they will move to the second and will no longer be able to go
back," said Prof Janakiraman Moorthy of IIM Kolkata, who is
the convenor of CAT 2011.
While the first section will focus on `quantitative
ability and data interpretation` and the second part will be
on `verbal ability and logical reasoning`.
This year, a 15-minute tutorial will be provided
before the start of the test.
The total duration will be two hours and 35 minutes
including the tutorial.
"Considerable effort has been invested in maintaining
similar level of difficulty across papers. A small number of
statistically and psychometrically validated questions are
randomly inserted in each question paper as equating blocks,"
Moorthy said.
Prometric, provider of technology-enabled testing and
assessment, will conduct the online test in partnership with
IIMs.
Three new cities - Bhilai, Jammu and Dehradun - have
been added to the previous 33 test locations to bring CAT
closer to the northern states. Besides, to reduce difficulties
in purchasing CAT vouchers, candidates will also be able to
purchase CAT vouchers from 201 Axis Bank branches, an increase
of 30 outlets then last year, said a statement.
A practice test to provide candidates with a feel of
the timed sections, as well as navigation and functionality of
the actual test will be made available in the coming weeks.
This will help candidates to go though them carefully
to familiarise themselves with the screens, layout, and
navigation, the statement said.
PTI
