A major change in the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2016, is in doing away with a major irritant of an age bar that proved to be a stumbling block for those who had graduated in the 2-year bachelor’s degree course offered by some Universities in India till 1980.
CAT scores are an essential component in the admission process at various business schools and management institutes in India, including the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs).
The CAT Registration form till now had a column in the academic qualifications section for only 3 or 4 year bachelor’s degree graduates. Those who had completed the 2-year degree course under the old pattern were directed to fill in this column that often led to confusion and embarrassment in having to explain what appeared as an anomaly.
It was seen as a major stumbling block for hundreds of people in the middle management category from enhancing their professional qualifications by joining the Executive MBA or similar programs.
The CAT Registration form till now had a column in the academic qualifications section for only 3 or 4 year bachelor’s degree graduates. Those who had completed the 2-year degree course under the old pattern were directed to fill in this column that often led to confusion and embarrassment in having to explain what appeared as an anomaly.
In 2014 and 2015 such candidates were allowed to appear in the exam but with a rider that they had to fill in particulars of their degree course in the 3-year graduation course as there was no column for the 2-year bachelor’s degree.
The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), convenor of the examination this year, paying heed to the long-standing demand from 2-year degree graduates, agreed to add a column in the registration form specifically for them.
Thus, the eligibility criteria for CAT 2016 come without any rider on the duration of the bachelor’s degree. The candidate is required to “have a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste(SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Person With Disability (PWD) categories), awarded by any University or educational institution as incorporated by an Act of the Parliament or State legislature in India or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD.”
In effect, the change means reverting to the system that prevailed during the 1980s when 14 years of minimum education till graduation was accepted as qualification for appearing in competitive exams including CAT, XAT and the Civil Services.
According to the schedule announced for CAT 2016 by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM B), the test is to be held in two sessions on December 4 at centres located in 138 cities across India.
