The Hindu Business Line : CATching them right

THIS time "CAT is all about taking the right set of decisions," says Mr Shreyan M.L., a Bangalore-based software engineer and an MBA aspirant, who has got call letters from a couple of IIMs. It may be recalled that the Common Admission Test this year had a surprise element: A differential marking system.

Mr Shreyan, who had taken the exam a couple of years ago when he was just out of a professional college, says the question paper this year was definitely designed to select a `different' set of students. "I think, this year they are testing the risk-taking ability of the student, which I believe is an essential managerial quality."

According to Mr Prahlad Rao, Director, Career Plan, a Bangalore-based training institute for management school entrance exams, the IIMs, through a different question paper structure, are ensuring that the quality of intake is better this time.

"I think they are testing the aptitude of the student towards a managerial job like risk-taking and working under pressure, rather than just his academic skills," he feels.

Professor Vijaya Sherry Chand, Chairperson, Admissions Committee, IIM Ahmedabad, says that at the written test stage itself, the IIMs wanted to see how students strategise their responses. "This time we are looking at students who apply their academic knowledge."

According to Professor Ishwar Murthy, Chairperson, Admissions, IIM, Bangalore, every year, they have a `student profile in mind' when they set the question paper.

"Yes, managerial ability is one of the most essential criteria for selection."

On whether a student with work experience will be able to handle this type of question paper better, he said: "Yes, work experience does help, but at IIM-B, we also look at the past academic performance starting from high school."

Mr Shreyan feels this time around, CAT will select students who are level-headed and able to keep their balance while trying to plan their answer papers.