Do graduate management admission tests in India give you the option to take them in a language of your choice? How many times a year can you take the tests? How long are the scores valid? Are the tests in India – the CAT, XAT, SNAP, or TISS different from global admission tests like the GMAT or GRE?
Most admission tests in India are available once a year, and you can use the score for just that admission cycle. The NMAT allows three attempts. But you can use the score for just one admission cycle. The only exception is the MAT. You can take the MAT four times a year. The score is valid for five years.
IIM Rohtak opens up
IIM Rohtak Director, Dheeraj Sharma has appealed to the IIM admission committee to:
- make the CAT multi-lingual – both Indian and non- Indian languages
- conduct the CAT several times a year
- make the CAT global
- create a CAT corporation and house it in one of the IIMs, with each IIM taking turns to chair the corporation
The CAT, at present, is:
- held once a year
- available to take in one language – English
Why introduce more languages?
The IIM Rohtak director has suggested conducting the CAT in both regional languages of India and a few foreign languages like Arabic, Persian, Sinhalese, Nepalese, Burmese, and Thai. Mr. Sharma opined that making the test multilingual with the option of taking it many times in a year can give the CAT its global reach.
The CAT score would attract international schools in the vicinity of the country. This change might entice students across the globe to pursue Management education in India.
How do other IIMs view IIM Rohtak’s proposal?
Among the many IIMs across India, a few had commented that IIM Rohtak Director’s suggestions have not come up for discussion yet.
The CAT is a cumulative body
Prof M P Ram Mohan, the chairperson of admissions at IIM-Ahmedabad, said that CAT is a consolidated body of a group of six IIMs. The CAT is conducted in rotation by:
Revising the CAT to add languages or making it available more times than the present must involve the participation of all the concerned parties.
The Professor was not in favor of rushing into a process without due thought. He said that the committee would consider factors like capacity and competence, availability of faculty and staff at IIMs, and how students of other states cope up.
We can envisage an improved economy
Mr. Sharma believes that conducting the CAT in regional languages has the potential to enhance the country’s economy, particularly in semi-urban and rural areas. The Director felt that eventually, the rural and semi-urban situations would drive the nation’s economy.
Management graduates would gain immensely in comprehending the context with the advantage of a regional language. English language competency should not be a limiting criterion at the entry-level. The IIM system can provide the expertise necessary in grasping English as a language.
The IIM Rohtak Director recommended introducing multilingual tests in phases. He proposed making the test available in a few regional languages to start with, and adding more languages based on the response from applicants.
IIM Nagpur in consensus
Mr. Bhimaraya Metri, Director, IIM-Nagpur, said he was in favor of IIM Rohtak Director’s suggestions. He cited the NEP’s (National Education Policy) recent drive to enable access to quality education and lowering entry barriers for all.
Mr. Metri agreed that the system should focus on eliminating language barriers to the delivery of higher education. Taking down language-related barriers in education will give India a progressive direction, he concluded.
Stay connected with fellow students on PaGaLGuY for CAT Exam 2020 Discussion
Stay connected with fellow students on PaGaLGuY for [OFFICIAL] 2020-2022 IIM Rohtak Admission Queries and Discussion