Feel of CAT-2010 (First Slot)

The CAT is out of the bag – the first day of CAT-2010 passed without any major technical glitch unlike they were ubiquitous last year. The test was taken by close to 5000 students in the first slot on Day – 1.

The test consisted of three sections with 20 questions each, as earlier declared by IIMs. While sections were not demarcated, questions from same section were clubbed together. In an innovation, RC passages had the facility to highlight the text – giving a feel of paper based test – as one could underline text in paper based test.

While DI & LR section was the easiest, Verbal section seems to have been trickiest.

The test largely confirmed to the expectations of the author of this post –

• ·        Easy to moderate,
• ·         With greater emphasis on DI, and less on DC
• ·         With presence of Para-Jumble & Para Completion, absence of Para Summary questions
• ·         With average length of RC passages
• ·         With less stress on algebraic math and more on number system

In verbal section, questions were on normal pattern with Jumbled Paragraph, Paragraph Completion, RC of average length, two questions on word usage, and one on grammar. Para-Jumble & Para Completion would surely have made the test trickier, while RCs gave some respite with certain direct questions. Ideally, an IIM call aspirants should have attempted 18+ questions.

Quantitative section was moderate with good stress on TWIT type questions, though a few were based on theorems and postulates. Most questions required common sense, and just a thought to solve. A good student should have attempted 15+ questions comfortably.

DI & LR section was easiest with stress on Data Interpretation, Data Sufficiency & Analytical Reasoning. As was often suggested in various classes and during various discussions in FuturiSM, Data Construction was conspicuous by its absence. Given the conventional question types appearing in the test, idealattempts would be 17+.

Disclaimer: The author of this post has not taken CAT in this slot. The attempts are based on judicious compilation and assessment of various students’ opinion and information available on internet.