<p>The most significant change is that the number of sections will be reduced to two from the present three. The first section will focus on Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation; the second on Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning. <br /><br />The total duration will be two hours and 35 minutes. A 15-minute tutorial will be provided before the start of the test. 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 made available in the coming weeks. 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. Although new in the computer-based version of CAT, this format was previously practised in some of the earlier paper-and-pencil years.<br /><br /> This year, the number of test days has been retained at 20 days within the window from 22 October to 18 to November 2011. <br /><br />“We are confident that CAT 2011 will help us in identifying the appropriate candidates for our programmes, and that the examination will be fair and equitable,” said Professor Janakiraman Moorthy, CAT 2011 convenor. <br /><br />“Considerable effort has been invested in maintaining similar level of difficulty across papers. A small number of statistically and psychometrically validated questions are randomly inserted in each question paper as equating blocks.”<br /><br /> IIMs and Prometric have also reviewed the operational processes and decided that the check-in procedure this year will start one-and-a-half hours before the scheduled test time instead of the previous two hours. <br /><br /> Three new cities – Bhilai, Jammu and Dehradun – have been added to the previous 33 test locations. CAT vouchers will also be available at 201 Axis Bank branches across the country, an increase of 30 outlets. More details will be available on the website www.catiim.in by August 8.</p>
<p>The most significant change is that the number of sections will be reduced to two from the present three. The first section will focus on Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation; the second on Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning. <br /><br />The total duration will be two hours and 35 minutes. A 15-minute tutorial will be provided before the start of the test. 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 made available in the coming weeks. 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. Although new in the computer-based version of CAT, this format was previously practised in some of the earlier paper-and-pencil years.<br /><br /> This year, the number of test days has been retained at 20 days within the window from 22 October to 18 to November 2011. <br /><br />“We are confident that CAT 2011 will help us in identifying the appropriate candidates for our programmes, and that the examination will be fair and equitable,” said Professor Janakiraman Moorthy, CAT 2011 convenor. <br /><br />“Considerable effort has been invested in maintaining similar level of difficulty across papers. A small number of statistically and psychometrically validated questions are randomly inserted in each question paper as equating blocks.”<br /><br /> IIMs and Prometric have also reviewed the operational processes and decided that the check-in procedure this year will start one-and-a-half hours before the scheduled test time instead of the previous two hours. <br /><br /> Three new cities – Bhilai, Jammu and Dehradun – have been added to the previous 33 test locations. CAT vouchers will also be available at 201 Axis Bank branches across the country, an increase of 30 outlets. More details will be available on the website www.catiim.in by August 8.</p>
