Two days to go for CAT

The actual duration of the test is 2 hours and 15 minutes. Candidates with scribe requirements will be scheduled for an extra hour. Prior to the test, there will be a 15-minute tutorial to familiarise candidates with the layout of the screen and functionality available during the test.

The test consists of Multiple Choice questions that evaluate a candidate’s Quantitative, Verbal, and Logical & Data Interpretive abilities. There are a total of three sections and about 60 to 70 questions in the test. There is no penalty for questions that are left unanswered but negative points will be given for wrong answers.

Candidates are to remain at their seats for the entire duration of the test even if they complete their test early.  No breaks will be given during the test. Candidates are advised to use the bathroom prior to check-in.

Each candidate will be seated at a desk with a computer terminal and he/she will be provided with scratch paper and pencils for calculations. Rough work cannot be done on any other paper/sheet as nothing will be allowed inside the testing room. After the test, the candidate must return the scratch paper to the test centre administrator who will then check him/her out.

Here’s what you do

Tutorial: Candidates are advised to go through the 15-minute tutorial prior to the start of the test which will demonstrate the following:

Navigating the screen: Section and Question number, On-screen timer, Next, Previous, Mark and Review buttons.

Attempting questions: How to Select, Change or De-select your response, or Mark it for review.

Reviewing questions: How to see which questions have been completed, unanswered or marked, and moving to a specific question or reviewing all marked or incomplete questions.

Highlighting text: How to select and highlight any text within a passage for easy reference.

If a question requires candidates to read a passage in order to answer questions related to it, there is a feature that allows you to highlight any text you may wish to refer to. To do this, use your mouse to point to the first letter of text you wish to highlight, then click and hold the left mouse button. While continuing to hold the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the right, highlighting letters as you go. Once the desired text is fully highlighted, stop moving your mouse and release the left mouse button.

Please note that any highlighted text will not be retained once you move to another screen. There will be an opportunity during the tutorial to try out this highlighting feature.

Marking questions that you think need to be reviewed later:  If you are unable to answer a particular question or unsure if your response is correct, you may ‘mark’ it and return to review it after you have gone through the rest of the questions. Simply click on the ‘Mark’ button on the bottom of the screen. Once clicked, the button changes to red so you know that it has been marked successfully. To ‘unmark’ it, click the red ‘Marked’ button.

Review Screen: You can see which questions you have ‘completed’, ‘not answered’ or ‘marked’.

At any time during the test, you can go to the review screen to see which questions you have ‘completed’, ‘not answered’ or ‘marked’. Click on the ‘Review’ button on the bottom of any question screen to do so. The review screen shows a list of all the questions, along with a symbol next to it which indicates if it is ‘marked’, ‘incomplete’ or ‘complete’. From here, you can double-click on a particular question to go to it.
You can also select ‘Review All’, ‘Review Incomplete’ or ‘Review Marked’ from the bottom of the screen.

Time management

The on-screen timer is found on the top right corner of every screen. This counts down from 2 hours and 15 minutes so what you see is the time remaining for you to complete the test. For example, 01:35:48 means the time remaining is 1 hour, 35 minutes and 48 seconds. Do check this timer regularly and allocate your time carefully to ensure you have sufficient time to attempt all the questions.

The question number may be found on the top left corner of the screen.

Final checks: Allow some time to carry out final checks before ending the test.

What to carry with you

Mark the following on the walls of your room. You must bring with you:
1.CAT 2009 Admit Card
2.Photo identification (Driver’s license, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, College ID, Employee ID, or a notarised Affidavit with Photo, Signature, Date of Birth and Residential Address)
3.Valid document as proof of SC/ST eligibility (if applicable)
4.Similar photo identification for scribe of a Differently-Abled candidate (if applicable)
5.CAT 2009 Voucher

IMPORTANT: Candidates will not be permitted to take the test if Photo Identification and Admit Card are not presented.

Candidates will not be permitted to take anything into the testing area, including but not limited to wrist-watch, pen, cellphones, calculators, etc. Do not bring bags, valuables or any large items to the test centre as Prometric will not be able to store these for you.

Differently Abled (DA) candidates who have been approved for special requirements such as wheelchair or hearing aid will need to bring along those devices. Only the magnifying screen will be provided by Prometric.

Reporting for the test

Arrive at your allocated test centre at least 2 hours before your scheduled appointment. This will allow time for security checks, identity verification and checking in. You will not be allowed to test if you arrive less than 1½ hours before your test time.

If you have registered for Session 1 (Morning session), you should be at the test centre by 8am. You must not arrive later than 8:30am. Testing will begin at 10am and end at 12:30pm.

If you have registered for Session 2 (Afternoon session), you should be at the test centre by 1:30pm. You must not arrive later than 2pm. Testing will begin at 3:30pm and end at 6pm.

Please make sure you have your most updated Admit Card and check your date, time and test location carefully.

Getting to your test centre

Directions to each test centre will be made available on www.catiim.in, closer to the testing window. Please ensure you allow for sufficient travel time. It might also be advisable to make a trip to your allocated test centre a day or two earlier to familiarise yourself with the location, travel time and traffic conditions. Look out for signs and staff wearing official CAT 2009 jackets to assist you once you arrive.

Security at the test centre

Identity checks will be made upon arrival at the test centre to ensure that there are no unauthorised candidates and that you are at the right test location on the right day and time. Please be patient, get in line and await your turn.

Only registered CAT 2009 candidates will be allowed into the secured areas. Friends or relatives, who accompany you to the test centre, are not allowed to wait in the test centre or be in contact with you while you take the test.

Once your identity has been verified, you will be led to your designated testing seat. You will then be called to a biometric check-in station for fingerprinting.  At an adjacent station, your photograph will be taken and ID checked again before being led back to your seat.

During the test, a proctor will patrol the room and all testing sessions will be audio and video recorded.

Test centre facilities

All CAT 2009 test centres have been specifically selected as they meet Prometric’s standards for computer hardware and software, generators and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), internet connectivity and security.

Contingency plans

Contingency plans have been put in place in the event of power outage, technical issues, medical outbreaks, natural calamities and terrorist attacks.

In the event of a power outage, or any other disruptions such as a computer crash, the candidates’ responses are safely housed on the server’s hard drive which is backed up by an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). When power is restored, or the candidate is transferred from the defective testing station to another computer, the test can be resumed exactly where the candidate left off, with no loss of time on the test.If, under any circumstances, testing cannot take place on a particular day, candidates will be contacted by Candidate Care and rescheduled.

Getting assistance: If you require any assistance during the test, please raise your hand and a test centre administrator will come to you.

CAT 2009 Help Desk

The CAT Examination Help Desk number is 1800 103 9293. The Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) and phone support will be available 9am- 6pm, Mondays to Saturdays, until the end of the CAT 2009 testing window (December 7, 2009).

Results

CAT 2009 scores will be available on the CAT website at www.catiim.in from January 22, 2010. Candidates must retain a print-out of their score card. Candidates short-listed by the IIMs for interviews for PGP will also be listed on the CAT website. Each IIM will send interview letters to short-listed candidates. Please refer to the individual IIM websites for their selection criteria.