CMAT

CMAT route to B-School

              By Rahul Sharma

In order to reduce the rigors of multiple examination process for admission in management institutions, the All India Council of Technical Education(AICTE), the statutory body and a national-level council for technical and management education in

India, will be holding first national level Common Management Admission Test(CMAT) 2012  for facilitating institutions to select suitable students for admission in all management programmes approved by AICTE for 2012-13.

 CMAT is another exam along with CAT,MAT, XAT, ATMA and JMET for students aspiring to take admission in more than 4,000 management colleges across India. The examination is being widely speculated as the only exam other than CAT for getting admission in management institutions in future.

Advantage CMAT

           

            CMAT will facilitate institutions to select suitable students for admission in all management programmes approved by AICTE for 2012-1. The list includes government colleges or institutions running management courses approved by AICET.

           In the given situation, CMAT will have an edge over the examination like MAT, XAT, SNAP, ATMA etc. in terms of wider acceptance.

      

           While MAT and ATMA are accepted largely by private institutions which have higher fees; SNAP, XAT and other individual examinations cater to only one institution or a group of institutions.

           CMAT examination will make students eligible for admission to any government –run MBA programmes across the country that have a comparatively lower fee structure and better faculty-student ratio.

           CMAT will also enable students to compete for larger number of seats available for admission process (4 lakh seats) and thus an opportunity for better self-assessment.

         Test Pattern

     

        The computer-based CMAT test will comprise four sections:

a)      Quantitative Techniques and data interpretation.

b)      Logical reasoning

c)      Language Comprehension

d)      General Awareness.

        Each section will have 25 questions with maximum attainable score of 100. One can move back and forth between the four sections. The duration of the test will be 180 minutes. There will be negative marking  in CMAT and 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer.

          Acceptance of the Score

       There is much talk about the acceptance of CMAT scores by the top B-Schools for the 2012-13 session. Many colleges have their compulsions in terms of their pre-released admission notification.

        They are not against unified testing system or the CMAT. However, the timing of CMAT notification and delay in its announcement made the situation difficult for the colleges. To be on safer side, students should take CMAT along with other entrance examination. This way they will be eligible for admission to the colleges that will accept CMAT score this year if they score well in this exam.

SOURCE: The Tribune, January 4, 2012