CAT 2012 Exam: More CAT takers: Opinions divided on tougher competition

The CAT 2012 voucher sale indicates that the number of test takers will increase by nearly 5 per cent as compared to the total numbers last year. Will this pose a tougher competition in terms of cracking CAT? MBAUniverse.com tries to find out the ans

Noida, India (prHWY.com) September 21, 2012 - The CAT 2012 voucher sale, which ended on September 17, indicates that the number of test takers will increase by nearly five per cent as compared to the total numbers last year. Will this pose a tougher competition in terms of cracking CAT? MBAUniverse.com tries to find out the answer.

According to Prometric, the agency which conducts the computer-based CAT, the number of vouchers sold is around 2.15 lakh. Though the number of registration is yet to be derived, in all probabilities, the number of CAT takers will rise this year after a dip in 2009 and 2010, and a sluggish growth last year.

If you are seriously setting sights on CAT 2012, you must be aware that the score is given in percentile, which is calculated on the basis of the performance of fellow CAT takers. Hence, more candidates mean tougher competition.
Though the rising demand is good news for MBA educators, for aspirants, the competition is going to be fiercer. MBAUniverse.com talked to some of the aspirants to know what they feel.

While some of them are apprehensive about the rise in number, there are others who feel that a mere increase of five per cent won't have much of an impact. Mahim Vijay of Hyderabad says, "Yes, it is going to be more competitive if the number of CAT takers rises. Moreover, if the difficulty level of the exam is moderate, the cut off is going to be on the higher side. So, it would be difficult to get the required percentile."

Sharing similar thoughts, Ajay from Delhi says, "Of course, the competition is going to be tougher if there are more test takers. If the standard performance of fellow CAT takers is high, it will be difficult to get the percentile I am hoping for."

However, some candidates are confident about their preparation and are not bothered about the number of test takers. "I am focussing on my preparation and am not bothered about the number of test takers. In any case, a lot of them will not appear for the test, bringing down the intensity of competition," says Vandana from Pune.

MBA experts are of the view that serious aspirants need not be worried about the competition as the rise in number of the CAT 2012 voucher sale is not that steep.

Vinayak Kudva, product head, IMS Learning, says, "The increase in the number denotes that it is a positive development for the MBA community as a whole, but as far as competition is concerned, I don't think is it going to have that big of an impact. It is just a matter of five per cent. For a test taker aspiring for top B-schools, it should not be a matter of concern. The number of seats in the IIMs has also been hiked to cater to more students. There are 13 IIMs now, increasing your chance to get yourself an IIM tag."

Arks Srinivas, CEO, VistaMind Education, said, "It is a marginal increase and CAT takers need not be bothered about the competition. They should rather focus on the preparation during the last 20 days."

Citing the increase in the number of seats at IIMs, Soumitra Roy, MD, Prometric India, said, "When computer-based CAT was first introduced in 2009, there were only 7 IIMs offering over 2,000 seats. Three years down the line, this has grown to 13 IIMs and over 3,000 seats. Emergence of new IIMs has not only resulted in new programs and opportunities for aspirants; it has driven each of the institutes to improve their curriculum and relevance in the global academic world as well."

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more on CAT 2012.

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