CAT 2011: A perspective on the changes in test structure

The Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs) recently announced a changed module for CAT 2011 exam. To be held from 22 October to 18 November 2011, CAT 2011 will now have only two sections:
• Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation
• Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning
The candidates will also be provided 15 minutes tutorials before the examination starts. Including the tutorials’ timing, examination will be of two hours and 35 minutes. Further, 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. 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 available soon. Another development is the inclusion of three new cities - Bhilai, Jammu and Dehradun - to the previous 33 test locations.
A more balanced test
• By ensuring that students have to spend equal time on both sections the IIMs have ensured that the CAT will become more balanced as a test.
• By implementing a sectional- time limit the test will be able to better filter out people who are equally competent in both sections.
Test becomes more inclusive
• The CAT Convener has said that through these changes they hope to make the test fair and equitable; we are sure that this will happen because these changes make the test more inclusive.
• The changes are a shot in the arm for test-takers from a non-Math background as they will now be on a more equal footing with engineers.
• Since one has to allot 70 minutes to each section, engineers and others with a Math background cannot push the Math cut-offs higher and keep the Verbal cut-offs low.
Competence not strategy
Whether they like it not, test-takers are now going to have to spend 70 minutes on a section that might not be their strong point. With the implementation of sectional time limits the CAT will become a test of competence rather than strategy since test-takers can no longer take the test in a way that maximises the return on their strengths and covers their weaknesses.

For example, a test-taker whose forte was acing the Verbal Section of the CAT could have finished the Verbal section very quickly and allocated the surplus time to clear the Quant cut-offs. In the new format this is no longer possible. The test-taker has no option but to improve his attempts and accuracy in the Quant Section within the 70 min time-limit.
Putting a number to competence?
It is seen that test-takers who get calls from the IIMs tend to attempt about 80% of the questions in a section and get about 85% of them correct. So in the case of the new CAT the target for test-takers should be to enable them to attempt about 24 questions in 70 minutes and get about 20 of them right.