CAT 2011: 10% candidates did not take test

Around 10% of the candidates who registered for the Common Admission Test (CAT) this year did not take the test, compared to around 9% who dropped out last year, according to the latest data.

Around 10% of the candidates who registered for the Common Admission Test (CAT) this year did not take the test, compared to around 9% who dropped out last year, according to the latest data.

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While 2.06 lakh students from across the country registered for the test this year, 1.85 lakh appeared for it. Last year, however, fewer candidates had registered (2.04 lakh) but a higher number took the test (1.86 lakh).

CAT is the entry criterion to the Indian Institutes of Management and 155 other business schools in the country and was held this year between October 22 and November 18.

"Sometimes students drop out from taking the test because they decide to opt for foreign universities or decide against doing an MBA," said Janakiraman Moorthy, convener for CAT 2011 adding that a drop out rate of around 10% is not very unusual.

Of this year's test takers, 1,34,500 lakh candidates were male and 50,600 were female.

Of the total, 1.5 lakh were general category candidates, 21,700 were other backward class candidates, 10,600 were scheduled caste candidates and 2,800 were from the scheduled tribes.