CAT 2009 Test Duration & Pattern

Test Duration and Pattern

The duration of the test is 2 hours and 30 minutes including initial 15 minute tutorial. No breaks will be given during the test. The test consists of questions that evaluate a candidates quantitative, verbal, and logical & data interpretive abilities. Therefore, there are a total of three sections in the test. There will be about 60 to 70 questions in the test.

At the test venue, each candidate will be seated at a desk with a computer terminal and he/she will be provided with a scratch paper for calculations. After the test, candidate must leave the scratch paper at the desk. Rough work cannot be done on any other paper/sheet, as nothing will be allowed inside the testing room.

Reporting for the Test

If you have registered for Session 1 (morning session), candidate check-in will commence from 8 AM. Candidates are required to arrive at the test centre no later than 8:30 AM. Testing will begin at 10 AM and end at 12:30 PM. If you have registered for Session 2 (afternoon session), candidate check-in will commence from 1:30 PM. Candidates are required to arrive at the test centre no later than 2:00 PM. Testing will begin at 3:30 PM and end at 6 PM.

Candidates will need to bring their CAT 2009 Admit Card, voucher, a valid document as proof of SC/ST eligibility (if applicable) and one photo-identification to the test centre. Acceptable forms of photo identification are Driver’s license, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID, College ID, Employee identification card, or a notarized Affidavit with Photo, Signature, Date of Birth and Residential Address. Candidates will not be permitted to take the test if photo identification and Admit Card is not presented. If the name has been changed due to events such as marriage, you must show the documents such as Marriage Certificate, Divorce Decree, Legal Name Change etc. and submit a photocopy at the time of the test, interview and at the time of joining a programme.

Candidate will not be permitted to carry any personal items to the test centre, including but not limited to wrist-watch, pen, cellphones, calculators etc.

SHRI NARAYANA MURTHY AT IIM INDORE

SHRI NARAYANA MURTHY AT IIM INDORE

Shri N R Narayana Murthy, Co-Founder, Chairman and the Chief Mentor at Infosys Technologies Ltd visited the Indian Institute of Management, Indore on February 23, 2009 as the first speaker of the “Distinguished Leadership Series”. He addressed the IIM I academic community. After a warm welcome, Dr. N Ravichandran, Director, IIM Indore requested Mr. Murthy to speak about “The joy of creating Infosys”.

Mr Murthy spoke about how the seeds of Infosys were sown because he believed that creating employment opportunity was the only way to solve the problem of poverty in India. The vision that he had when he started Infosys was “To be the most respected company in India”. This he believed would lead to the highest standards of corporate governance, fairness, transparency and accountability and that financial results will follow.

The Infosys journey in an unfriendly business environment was a difficult one. Mr Murthy explained how they started working with some simple principles – spend less than what you earn, dividends from day one and re-investing earnings,
choosing one leader who will sacrifice the most and look out for the others and deciding every issue based on data and facts. Mr. Murthy also explained that family had no role to play in the business and this belief has always been upheld.
The address was followed by an interaction with the participants. A range of issues related to his experience in creating Infosys were discussed.

• Mr. Murthy pointed out that the purpose of creating Infosys was to leverage entrepreneurship to create jobs, to show that a legal and ethical business in India is possible and to confirm his belief in democratization of wealth.
• On entrepreneurship and recruiting for Infosys, he spoke about focusing on ‘learnability’ as a key factor. He believes in recruiting people who are smart and have a similar value system.
• On the state of Indian IT Industry, Mr. Murthy said that even though it has done exceptionally well, the synchronised downturn is bound to sap the enthusiasm. His view was that the situation should turn around in about 18-36 months.

“It was a pleasure to interact with a person who I hold in such high regard. His belief in his value system and the foundation on which Infosys is built, make me proud of having been a part of it. “ – Prerna Raman, PGP Student, IIM Indore.

“An awe inspiring speaker, his talk showed us what a man is capable of achieving if his principles are sound and his mind is sharp. A truly exhilarating experience” – Pratik Mittal, PGP Student, IIM Indore.

“Its heartening to see a man remain true to his values and succeed as a business man” – Amit Prasad, PGP Student, IIM Indore.

He concluded the interaction by saying that India has no lack of talent and that the measure of one’s value system is the price that one is willing to incur in an attempt to stick to that.

CAT Dates and Other Exam Dates

Important Dates for CAT, XAT, MAT, IIFT, SNAP and JMET Management Exams:

Common Admission Test (CAT 2009) Dates

CAT Advertisement : Sunday, 30 August 2009

Sale of CAT Vouchers : Wednesday, 9 September 2009 – Thursday, 1 October 2009

Registration for CAT 2009 : Online CAT form Wednesday, 9 September 2009 – Thursday, 1 October 2009

CAT Test Dates : Saturday, 28 November 2009 – Monday, 7 December 2009

CAT Result : Friday, 22 January 2010 onwards

Rescheduling Window : Wednesday, 9 September 2009 – Thursday, 1 October 2009

XAT Dates

XAT Test Dates: 3rd January, 2010

XAT 2010 Prospectus: 1st September, 2009 to 30th November, 2009

Online Registration for XAT and XLRI: September 1, 2009

MAT Exam Dates

Date of MAT(Paper Based test): 6th September, 2009

Date of MAT(Online test): 7th September, 2009 onwords

Last date of availability of forms: 10th August, 2009

Last Date for receipt of complete application form: 13th August, 2009

Availability of Admit Cards: Seven days before the date of test

Online Filling of Management Institute Codes (MI Codes) of five chosen institutes where your MAT score to be sent: Up to the date of test.

SNAP Dates

Last Date for Registration: November 24, 2009 Tuesday

Payment Closes on: November 27, 2009 Friday

SNAP 2009 Test Date: 20th December 2009

SNAP 2009 Result: January 12, 2010 Monday

IIFT Dates

Last date for sale of prospectus by post: 20th August 2009

Last date for sale of prospectus across the IIFT counter: 3rd September 2009

Last date for receipt of completed application: 3rd September

Written test: 22nd November 2009 (10 am – 12 noon)

JMET Dates

Commencement of submission of data for ONLINE Application: Monday, September 7, 2009

Last date for submission of data for Online Application (website closure): Friday, 9th October (6.00 p.m.)

Last date for Receipt of completed Offline and Online Application Form at IISc Bangalore Office: Friday, October 16, 2009

JMET Exam Date: Sunday, December 13, 2009

JMET 2010 Results: Monday, January 4, 2010

Editing possible in CAT

Dear CAT Aspirants,

CAT is coming closer and you must be preparing hard to bell the CAT. This is a reminder from FireUp regarding important dates and facts regarding CAT which you cannot afford to miss. Have a look.

Important Dates

• Sale of CAT Vouchers : Wednesday, 9 September 2009 – Thursday, 1 October 2009. Vouchers will be sold through major Axis Bank branches. To locate your nearest branch, click here

• Registration for CAT 2009 : Wednesday, 9 September 2009 – Thursday, 1 October 2009. Register on www.catiim.in

• CAT Test Dates : Saturday, 28 November 2009 – Monday, 7 December 2009

• CAT Result : Friday, 22 January 2010 onwards

• Rescheduling Window : Wednesday, 9 September 2009 – Thursday, 1 October 2009

Check out your nearest testing center here

Editing Possible!!

From the evening of 18 September 2009, candidates can log on to https://iim.prometric.com/ to

* reschedule their CAT date
* update their Candidate Profile including
o personal details (e.g. address)
o application data (e.g. educational information)
o interview location.
* request for their Admit Card to be re-sent

Candidates who have made an error will be able to access this facility until 8 October 2009 to make any amendments to their Candidate Profile. Rescheduling, however, will still end on 1 October 2009. For security reasons, editing of candidate’s full name and user ID will not be allowed.

If you have purchased a second voucher in panic, IIMs have decided to refund your money. Fill the form given at http://www.prometric.com/IIM-CAT/contactus to get back your money.

FireUp Advantage

If you are preparing for CAT 2009, you ought to be preparing online. You cannot afford to miss the competitive advantage that FireUp gives you when others are using it to their benefit.

Get access to FireUp’s Online Courseware (named “Course Content”) today for the online CAT preparation. Click here to purchase.

Feel free to contact us in case of any queries.

Online CAT : will it be tougher ?

Cracking one of the toughest entrance tests — the Common Admission Test (CAT) — for entry to seven Indian Institute of Management(IIMs) was never easy.

For the first time, CAT will go online and with just 100 days for CAT 2009, aspirants are preparing hard at coaching centres, trying out various types of question paper patterns.

But how are students preparing to face CAT? What are the difficulties they are encountering?

According to coaching centres that TOI spoke to, students are finding it a tad tough with the online version, as opposed to the paper-based one.

“Many candidates told us that they were finding it difficult to stare continuously at the monitor for over two hours,” pointed out Arindam Lahiri, director (academics) with Career Launcher.

TIME regional director Ajay Arora revealed that candidates could face `computer fatigue’. “According to IIMs, the online test will be user-friendly and the pattern will remain the same, which will be advantageous for students,” Arora said.

With paper-based test, candidates could give the entire paper a once-over and then decide which section to tackle first. But a preliminary scan of the paper before solving it may be difficult with the online version, at least during the mock tests.

Anchana C, a working professional, said she has no problems making the transition from paper to computer. “During mock tests, we were given models — one section after the other and tabbed, where all sections are presented on different windows. You can alternate from one window to the next. Questions are hyperlinked, so you can go directly to the question you want to attempt,” she explained.

Coaching centres are providing question papers with different patterns. “We are giving papers with all types of patterns so that whatever pattern appears, students are ready,” said Ajay of TIME.

Another observation the trainers made is that reading graphs and passages in the Reading Comprehension (RC) section is difficult in the online mode. Unlike with paper, candidates can’t put any marking on the graph. Earlier, students could also mark difficult sentences in RC, which is now not possible.

“The RC section may pose a problem. Grasping power is higher on paper and reading long passages online will be tough. Plus, in DI and Quant and geometry sections, transferring calculations to drawings will be an issue,” said Anchana.

An IIM-B official said details of the exam pattern will be posted on the website. “Information on the nature of the online test and how it will be conducted will be posted in September first week,” said IIM-B professor Eshwar Murthy.

Source: The Times of India

CAT 2009 Updates – Very Important

Given below are very important updates posted by IIM Ahmedabad as FAQs. CAT will be held during the period Saturday, 28 November 2009 to Monday, 7 December 2009. Sale of vouchers starts on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 at designated bank branches and their associate outlets. The sale ends on Thursday, 1 October 2009. Online registration for CAT 2009 will also begin on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 and end on Thursday, 1 October 2009.

Q1: When is the advertisement for CAT 2009 going to appear?

A1: CAT Advertisement will appear in leading newspapers on Sunday, 30 August 2009.

Q2: Once the advertisement appears, is one expected to buy CAT bulletin from designated banks?

A2: No. One does not have to buy a bulky CAT bulletin. We want to go paperless. A prospective candidate buys a scratch-voucher from the designated bank branches, and, later registers online for CAT 2009.

Q3: When does the sale of voucher start and end?

A3: Sale of vouchers starts on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 at designated bank branches and their associate outlets. The sale ends on Thursday, 1 October 2009.

Q4: When and how do I register for CAT 2009 after buying the voucher?

A4: Online registration for CAT 2009 will also begin on Wednesday, 9 September 2009 and end on Thursday, 1 October 2009. Instructions on access to online registration will be given in the voucher, and, detailed registration instructions will be on the CAT website.

Q5: When will CAT be held and can I choose a test date?

A5: CAT will be held during the period Saturday, 28 November 2009 – Monday, 7 December 2009. Yes, you can choose a test date, session (morning/afternoon), and venue across thirty centres (cities) all over India, subject to availability.

Q6: Can you give more details on taking test in a CBT format?

A6: Starting Sunday, 30 August 2009, CAT website (www.catiim.in) will provide all the details.

Source : http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/download/FAQ_6_August_2009.pdf

This information is also sent by FireUp to it’s SMS channel. To subscribe SMS “ON FIREUPCAT” to 09870807070.

For any further information feel free to mail us at info@fireup.co.in

CAT 2009 will not be a Computer Adaptive Test

FireUp prepares you for the exact test format of CAT as clarified by IIM Ahmadabad.

CAT 2009: Frequently Asked Questions (1 July 2009)

Q1: I hear that CAT will be held online. Is that correct?

A1: CAT is going to be a computer based test (CBT) and not internet based test (IBT). I.e. Candidate does not take the test on an internet site. Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on the answer-sheet, a candidate will read the questions on a computer terminal and choose an answer by clicking on the correct option.

Q2: I hear that CAT will be a computer adaptive test. Is that correct?

A2: No, CAT is not going to be a computer adaptive test.

Q3: Will the format of the test change?

A3: The format of the test will remain more or less the same except that a candidate reads question on a computer terminal and clicks on the correct answer.

Q4: Can I take the test from any computer?

A4: No. A candidate will take the test only at designated test venues in about 25 cities across India. Detailed information will be provided in the CAT 2009 advertisement.

Q5: But how do I do rough-work and calculations while arriving at the answers?

A5: At the test venue, each candidate will be seated at a desk with a computer terminal and he/she will be provided with a writing pad with numbered pages for calculations. After the test, candidate must leave the pad including all the pages in it at the desk. Rough-work cannot be done on any other paper/sheet as nothing will be allowed to be taken inside the test hall.

Q6: Can you give more details on taking test in a CBT format?

A6: We will be giving more details at a later stage.

Q7: But when is the CAT 2009 advertisement going to appear in newspapers?

A7: Advertisement for CAT 2009 will appear during the later part of August 2009.

Q8: How much is the test fee for CAT 2009 and how do I pay?

A8: Candidate Testing Fee is Rs. 1400 (Rs. 700 for SC/ST candidates). A prospective candidate buys a CAT 2009 Voucher from designated locations/bank branches after advertisement appears in newspapers. Sufficient time will be given for purchasing the voucher. More details will be available on our websites after the advertisement appears in newspapers.

Q9: How do I register for CAT 2009?

A9. The Voucher bought by the candidate gives instructions on how to register for CAT 2009. At this time, it would suffice to say that candidates are expected visit CAT website to register for CAT 2009. Sufficient amount of time will be given to register online. More details will be given in the advertisement and the voucher.

Q10: How do I get my admit card for the test?

A10: After you fill-in, review, and submit the registration information during online registration, you will receive an email containing your Admit Card.

Q11. Does that mean I need to have an E-mail account?

A11. Yes, you must have a valid E-mail account throughout the selection process.

Q12: What do I need to bring at the time of test?

A12: You must bring the printed copy of the admit card, one picture ID, and any other ID not necessarily with a picture. Do not bring any other material and personal belongings with you, for no personal belongings and materials will be allowed in test-hall. More details will be provided later.

Q13: Can you please tell me when will the CAT 2009 be conducted?

A13: CAT 2009 will be conducted during a ten-day window starting at the end of November 2009. Exact dates will be mentioned in the advertisement.

Q14: Can I take CAT more than once during the testing window?

A14: No, a candidate can register to take test only once during the CAT 2009 testing window. Admit cards and picture ids of the candidates will be checked, and candidate pictures and biometric information will also be captured at the test venue.

Q15: When are CAT 2009 result expected to be declared?

A15: CAT 2009 results are expected to be declared by the end of January 2010. Exact date of result declaration will be informed at a later stage.

Q16: When will we get more updates?

A16: Any important developments may be posted on IIM sites and CAT website about a month later.

Click here for the source

MAT SYLLABUS 2009 and 2010

Management Aptitude Test (MAT 2010)

What is MAT?

MAT is the MBA entrance test conducted country-wide by Centre for Management Services (CMS) of All India Management Association (AIMA). It is usually conducted four times in a year in February, May, September and December. MAT is conducted in all major cities in the country and in leading cities abroad.

Eligibility Criteria

The minimum qualification for appearing in MAT is graduation in any discipline from any recognized University or equivalent recognized degree. A final year student in any undergraduate (i.e., B.A., B.Sc., B.Com., B.Tech., etc.,) can also appear provisionally. Usually, there is a minimum percentage requirement in graduation, which is different for different MIs / University.

MAT 2010 Syllabus and Pattern
The Management Aptitude Test or MAT is the test conducted by All India Management Testing Service for entering into MBA or equivalent post graduate programmes.

There are five papers in MAT:
1. Language Comprehension
2. Mathematical Skills
3. Data Analysis
4. Intelligence & Critical Reasoning
5. Indian & Global Environment Section

Paper Pattern:
Total Questions: 200
Time: 150 minutes

Marks allocation:
Correct attempt: 1 mark
Incorrect attempt: Negative marking not specified

Section  Questions
Reading Comprehension  40
Data Interpretation/Data sufficiency 40
Quantitative Aptitude   40
Logical and Critical reasoning 40
General Awareness**  40
**Scores are based on the first four sections only, the decision to consider scores of the General Awareness section are left to the institutes.

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Online CAT 2009 – Decoded

The nationwide admission examination for management institutes and the most coveted IIMs, Common Admission Test (CAT) is undergoing a major change in its format. The Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) have decided to change their 33 year old saga of pen – paper examination format with a computer based examination. This has resulted in a kind of phobia in the mind of the aspirants. It is expected that about 3 lakh candidates will appear for CAT 2009. The change in the format has left the candidates wondering what CAT 2009 will be like.

The management experts have a different say. They believe that the aspirants should stop worrying and start studying. It has been confirmed by IIM Calcutta director, Mr. Sekhar Chaudhuri that this time in CAT 2009 the candidates will have to reach their respective CAT center and take the test by looking at the questions on a computer screen and then key the answers into the terminal. Sources also reveal that the test will not be computer adaptive. In a computer adaptive test the computer adapts to the examinee’s performance and changes difficulty level of the next question. In CAT 2009 the candidate can look into the entire question paper on the computer screen and then begin answering any question they like. The examinees will not have to be connected to the internet for appearing the test.

There are many hidden advantages of this format. The candidates can select a day from the ten day frame. This has an added advantage in the suburbs where the CAT was difficult to conduct earlier. The foremost advantage of using this format is to reduce the human intervention in the examination. This would minimize errors and would make the system fast and accurate. It would reduce the participation of faculties of IIMs into the mechanical process of paper checking which facilitates their involvement in research work.

The disadvantage lies in the fact that people who are unfamiliar to computer terminal may find the test difficult.

The aspirants are advised to get used to computer interface. Reading a lot on computer terminal will help. Taking computer based examination provided by coaching centers like www.fireup.co.in, which provides online facilities, will help. Students must note down that with the change in technologies occurring worldwide there will changes in the examination also but the fundamentals always remain the same. So before anything get your basics reviewed and then take as many online tests as possible.

How to Improve your Reading Speed?

Increase Your Reading Speed

How Fast You Can Be?

Reading speed or Speed Reading has no known theoretical limit. A speed of between 800 and 1200 words per minute (wpm) can comfortably be reached by permanent speed readers, without any constant practice and drilling. Reading speed varies according to the complexity of the reading material, type, face, print quality, grammar, style etc.

We live in the age of information, and we must read extensively if we intend to be successful in our studies, or careers. Schools and colleges have discovered that courses in reading skills give enormous aid to students struggling under the heavier loads of today’s scholastic programs. Young men and women trained in speed reading show distinct advantages over those who lack this kind of skill.

How Much Time It Will Take?

When you participate in a speed reading courses online, or read the book, you will find your reading skills increasing from the very start. With serious application, you will soon be speed reading with ease, and astonished at how much you comprehend in such little time.

Obstacles to Speed Reading

• Reading phrases more than once.
• Wondering mind and straying thoughts
• Anxiety about missing a critical not or other conjunctive structure
• Outside anxiety or stress like job, home, family, etc.

www.fireup.co.in provides you a solution to overcome all these problems and helps you to enhance your speed in reading comprehensions.

General Speed Reading Gyan

Concentration: You can learn anything if you pay attention!

Enjoy Reading: No matter whether you are reading technical material fun is the most important ingredient in a successful reading experience.

Preview the chapter: you will organize your mind before you begin to read, build a structure for the thoughts and details to come, you will be able to sort, understand and remember the information better.

Question: Read each section of the chapter with your questions in mind. Look for the answers, and take note of questions you didn’t think of that were answered in that section

Eye Stops: Read in phrases of three or four words – meaning is easier to pull from groups of words rather than from individual words.

Varying Reading Rates: Vary your reading rate to suit the difficulty and type of writing of the text. An efficient reader speeds up for easier material and slows down for the hard.

You can buy FireUp’s complete course on Speed Reading and Reading Comprehension just at Rs. 390. Visit FireUp’s Purchase page to buy now.

Skimming – Important Speed Reading Techinique

Skimming is a high speed reading process and involves visually searching the sentences of a page for clues to meaning.

There are many strategies that can be used when skimming. Some of them are

1. Read the first and last paragraphs

2. Read the title, subtitles, subheading, and illustrations.

3. Read the first sentence of each paragraph. This technique is useful when you’re seeking specific information rather than reading for comprehension.

Skimming on computer is slower

The reading speed and comprehension is the same for the computer screen and paper. However, according to a research skimming on a computer is 41% slower than on paper.

Reading Comprehension section in CAT is one where large chunk of students face problems due to low reading speed. So prepare online to get a better edge for Common Admission Test. You can buy FireUp’s complete course on Speed Reading and Reading Comprehension just at Rs. 390. Visit FireUp’s Purchase page to buy now.