CAT 2021: Convener Ram Mohan answers questions on paper pattern, exam amid COVID-19

NEW DELHI - Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad will be conducting the Common Admission Test (CAT) this year. CAT exam date 2021 is November 28. IIMA is conducting CAT after six years and has appointed MP Ram Mohan, Associate Professor at the said institute, as CAT convener. CAT registration 2021 is ongoing at iimcat.ac.in. The last date to fill CAT form 2021 is September 15. In the meanwhile, Careers360 reached out to the convener and asked a few questions on the exam pattern, conduct of CAT exam 2021 amid COVID-19 and more.

CAT 2021 Convener Interview

Careers360 - Will there be any changes in the CAT 2021 pattern?

MP Ram Mohan - If there are any changes in the CAT exam pattern, we will update the website. At this point, no comments.

CAT Exam Pattern 2021

The CAT 2021 pattern is likely to see no changes and will be on the same lines as last year. It is expected that there will be a total of 76 questions (54 MCQs + 22 Non-MCQ) in the CAT exam 2021 question paper. Candidates will get a total of 120 minutes to solve the CAT exam paper. For every correct answer, candidates will get 3 marks, and 1 mark will be deducted, for every incorrect answer.

Check out the sectional division of the questions below.

Careers360 - When can we expect the official CAT mock test to be released?

MP Ram Mohan - IIM Ahmedabad will release the CAT mock test in October 2021.

Before the CAT 2021 exam, IIM Ahmedabad will release the official CAT mock test. Solving the mock will help the candidate get familiar with the CAT exam structure and boost their CAT preparation .

• CAT 2021 mock test will give clarity to the candidates on the exam format and the types of questions asked.

• Apart from solving the official CAT mock test, candidates can also resort to CAT sample papers and previous year question papers for acing preparation.

Careers360 - What are the mandatory guidelines that candidates will have to follow at the test centres? Will there be an increase in the total number of CAT test centres to avoid overcrowding. If yes, then what is the total number of test centres where the CAT exam would be conducted.

MP Ram Mohan - It is too early to comment on the mandatory guidelines. CAT Centre would frame the guidelines closer to the exam date, depending upon the situation and after reviewing the government's guidelines on the conduct of Entrance Examinations. CAT test centres will be increased to avoid crowding in test centres. The total no. of test centres will be known towards the end of October.

Careers360 - What measures are being taken by IIM Ahmedabad at the test centres of CAT to ensure that the government guidelines related to COVID 19 are followed?

MP Ram Mohan - CAT Centre would frame the guidelines closer to the exam date, depending upon the situation and after reviewing the government's guidelines on the conduct of Entrance Examinations.

IIM Ahmedabad will conduct CAT 2021 exam at over 400 centres across 158 cities of the country. While filling the CAT application form 2021, candidates can select a total of 6 cities as per their preference. Check out the name of some major CAT exam cities.

Click here to check the full list of CAT exam cities.

Careers360 - Last year, several IIMs brought about a change in the selection process as they conducted online interviews. Do you think that going forward, this will be the new norm?

MP Ram Mohan - IIM's follow-on method of interview and final selection. CAT Centre has no role in it. In terms of IIMA, we conducted online interviews with the help of a partner across 10 cities.

IIM CAT Registration 2021

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad opened the CAT 2021 registration portal on August 4. CAT exam application form 2021 can be filled online only at the official website- iimcat.ac.in. Candidates can refer to the following steps while registering for CAT 2021.

Step 1 - Visit the official website of CAT 2021 or click here to fill CAT exam 2021 application form

Step 2 - Fill all the details to generate CAT 2021 login credentials

Step 3 - Re-login and fill the application form by entering the required details

Step 4 - Upload requisite documents and pay the application fee for CAT 2021

Step 5 - Submit CAT application form and take a print out of it for future reference

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