It is turning out to be an agonising wait for aspirants to the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), as the date for the announcement of the results of the Common Admission Test (CAT) is yet to be finalised. The test, which determines admissions to IIMs as well as several other management institutes, was held on November 16 and 22.
According to the IIMs’ CAT 2014 schedule, the results were to be released in the third week of December. With the week nearing an end, candidates awaiting the results have been getting restless.
A candidate who is in her final year B.Com. said, “I haven’t sat for placements as I was keen on gauging my chances of getting into an IIM. But, to be on the safer side, I have now registered for more entrance exams because of the delay.”
Asked the reason for the delay, CAT Convenor Rohit Kapoor maintained that they are “in the process of finalising the results.” However, he refused to commit to a date. “We want everything to be perfect before the results are announced,” he said.
Performance in CAT is an important component in the admission process to the IIMs. Once the results are out, the list of candidates shortlisted for the next round would then be made available on the individual IIM websites. After that, each IIM will send interview letters to the shortlisted candidates.
CAT 2014 was held in 354 centres across 99 cities. This year’s exams saw some major changes, including an increase in the duration of the examination from 140 minutes to 170 minutes, and an increase in questions in each section from 30 to 50.