CAT exam: Students line up outside exam centre in Ludhiana, many flout Covid safety norms

As many as 600 candidates appeared for the Common Admission Test.

As many as 600 candidates appeared for the Common Admission Test (CAT) in the district on Sunday. Students lined up outside Satnam Infosol on Threeke Road, which is the only exam centre, accompanied by their parents, and many were found disregarding Covid safety norms.

Even as candidates were wearing masks, they were not maintaining adequate distance while lining up outside the exam centre at Satnam Infosol, Threeke Road, on Sunday. (Harsimar Pal Singh/HT)

The exam was held in three sessions — the first session started at 8.30 am, the second at 12.30 pm and the last session began at 4.30 pm.

Candidates appearing for the examination in the first slot reached the examination centre at 7.30 am. The staff was seen directing candidates to maintain social distancing; however, long queues were witnessed outside the centre.

Candidates were told to stand at a distance of 2 feet from each other at the entrance, but many were found disregarding the safety norms. Parents had also made a beeline outside the examination centre but were later asked to go home to avoid crowding.

Staff was deployed to check the admit card and conduct thermal screening at the entry gate. Foot-operated sanitisers were kept at different points so that candidates could frequently sanitise their hands.

The majority of the aspirants who appeared in the CAT exam found the data interpretation and logical reasoning (DILR) tricky. The paper comprised 72 questions (26 questions each in quantitative aptitude (QA), verbal ability and reading comprehension (VARC) and 24 questions in DILR. Candidates were given 40 minutes for answering questions under each section.

Last year, three hours’ time was allotted to candidates to attempt 100 questions but this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities reduced the timing and number of questions.

Teachers of coaching institutes said all three sections were tougher than last year’s paper.

An aspirant Ritvik Dhawan, said, “I appeared in 12.30 pm slot and found the data interpretation and logical reasoning section tough. It was a task to complete the paper in two hours, but I expect to score well.”

Another aspirant, Sunita Sharma, said, “In the allotted two hours’ time, I was not able to complete the paper. It was a difficult paper overall, but the second section DILR was tricky and time consuming.”