CAT to go online and aspirant-friendly

The Common Admission Test (CAT), the examination to the prestigious B-schools, the IIMs will go somewhat aspirant friendly from this year. Thanks to the online option candidates, can, on second thoughts, change their answers, something which was not possible earlier when they used Weimer sheets that involved blackening a circle against the option they selected for the answer.

It was not that candidates could not change their answers in the Weimer sheets, but the possibility of a computer goof up registering the wrong answer, as the originally marked option could not be completely erased always remained a possibility.

With the test going online candidates are now relieved to that extent as only the option finally clicked will be read as the intended response. Candidates need not worry if they need to change their responses to questions as only the option clicked last will be considered as the candidate's response.

According to a senior CAT core committee member, since the computer-based test (CBT) for CAT was introduced, there have been instances of computers misreading answers registering the one the candidate ticked first while ignoring that was ticked finally.

This year around 2,47,000 aspirants will take the CAT to be held from 28November till 28 December. This year the number appearing for the test has fallen from that of last year.

Candidates will also be able to take the examination in greater comfort this year, now that every exam centre will be air-conditioned and according to a source, candidates will no longer have to sit on cramped benches for three hours as the institutes have concentrated especially on improving the examination environment.