With duration reduced, CAT poses a challenge this year

The Common Admission Test (CAT) was a bit difficult this year as the duration was reduced from three hours to two hours on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indian Institute of Management-Indore conducted the test this year, for which over 2.27 lakh candidates had registered themselves.

The test comprises three sections — verbal ability and reading comprehension, data interpretation and logical reasoning and quantitative ability.

For each section, candidates got 40 minutes to answer questions. They had to attempt fewer questions this time owing to the change in the duration. Instead of 100 questions, they had to attempt 76. In general, the test was of moderate difficulty, according to coaching centres.

In the first slot, candidates found the verbal ability and reading comprehension section slightly more difficult than last year because the questions were of a higher level of difficulty and the time to answer them was reduced, said Arvind Mantry of Triumphant Institute of Management Education, a coaching centre.

A candidate who took the test in the second slot from a centre at Avadi said he found the test difficult. “My computer crashed, and this only led to a loss in continuity. They gave me extra time, but the flow was lost,” said the B. Tech graduate.

Mr. Mantry said that in the second slot, the verbal ability and reading comprehension section was difficult; so was data interpretation and logical reasoning.

The level of quantitative ability was moderate.