CAT results delayed, students fret

Aspirants hoping to secure admission at the IIMs and other B-schools are likely to be in for a long wait, as the results for the Common Admission Test (CAT) has been delayed.

Aspirants hoping to secure admission at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other B-schools are likely to be in for a long wait, as the results for the Common Admission Test (CAT) has been delayed.

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The exams, which were held on November 16 and 22, saw close to 1.90 lakh appear for the test, out of the registered 1.96 lakh across 350 centres.

According to IIM Indore, the convening institute for CAT 2014, the results were to be announced in the third week of December.

However, with the week coming to an end, even the tentative date has not been declared, making students uneasy.

For some, cracking the CAT is vital, having given up on placements and other similar exams.

Ashwin Kalra, 22, a final-year engineering student did not appear for campus interviews as he is confident of doing well in the test. However, the delay in results is making him anxious.

“Let alone the results, the tentative dates are also not out. I did not sit for campus interviews because of the test. But now, I am regretting the decision, as I don’t have back up plan,” said Kalra.

Convener of CAT 2014, Rohit Kapoor, has said final checks before announcing the date and results are underway.

“We want to ensure everything is in order before the results are announced,” he said. Kapoor, however, refused to divulge the date.

Experts speculate the delay in results is owing to the changes made in the exam this year and the normalisation process, a formula used to adjust differences in difficulty levels of questions.

“The normalisation process is tedious and the CAT authorities have had a harrowing experience with it last year. So, in order to cover all bases, they are taking more time to ensure a smooth result,” said an official from IIM Indore, the convening institute.