Qualify Common Admission Test (CAT) to become a brand!

Conducted annually CAT or Common Admission Test has become a feat to exhibit surreal talent, much as it was during Olympiads in Greek civilization; CAT attracts the same fervour, talent and competition. And why not, the two and a half hours (for the past two years) prove seminal in any aspirant’s future course of career development. [What is CAT?] To introduce, CAT is an aptitude test conducted by the IIM, the Prima-Donna institute of India. It serves as the scrutiny parameter for over 200 renowned institutes of India for their MBA programs. It includes the six IIMs, MDI, IMT, IMI et al. The number of aspirants undertaking this test has increased exponentially. It has rose to approximately 2.3 lacs in CAT-2007 vis-à-vis around ninety thousand five years ago. Constituting of three sections namely Mathematics, English and Data Interpretation, CAT remains unpredictable at its best. The pattern of exam changes almost every time. The results are conveyed in the form of percentile that in turn decides whether candidates get calls from the institutes of their choice or not. [Importance of CAT] Although there are many other institutes nationwide that conduct their own entrance examinations, they all fail to pull as much crowd as CAT does. Symbiosis conducts SNAP, Xavier’s has XAT, NMAT takes NMAT, and of course there is MAT or Management Aptitude Test conducted by AIMA four times a year. Though MAT as an aptitude test, compared to other individual entrance tests, lends access to a wider lobby of institutes for PG courses in Business Administration, it fails to match up to the iconic glory of CAT. Apparently, as the IIMs associated with CAT offer the most handsome packages across national margins. Not to mention, CAT is counted amongst the finest in the world and the entrance ratio is stringent than even Harvard and MIT. Thus, it has become the elite group of all examinations enjoying the first mover’s advantage. The associated institutes carry higher value in the ambitious minds, which is enough to seal the fate of any examination. Besides, an introspective look at influence of CAT divulges that it affects us all. ‘How’ needs to be defined in two categories. First constitutes of the people directly involved, including the examiners, institutes, aspirants and the parents. The future maker aptitude test not only gives substantial acceleration to the career path of the chosen few, but also implicitly affects the masses as the winners emerge as leaders and the decision makers in the world economy. Prahlad Kakkar, Harsha Bhogle and Chetan Bhagat are just a few names to establish the mettle of the examination. Many more tacit pillars are erect to hold our happiness. The good news is that CAT is open to all undergraduates with no upper limit of age. July is coming your way with forms of next Common Admission Test. Keep your spirits high, set the ball rolling and check your calibre at the great battle. Wish you all the luck to succeed.