Most MBA aspirants know that the IIMs and several Indian MBA institutes compulsorily, ask for a CAT score. However, for pursuing MBA abroad, the GMAT score is necessary. The GMAT score may be considered by some MBA colleges in India but the best international business schools would never accept the CAT score. Thus, there are various gmat institutes in bangalore that can help you prepare for the same.
Anyhow, a majority of students are usually confused between the two and here are the facts needed for coming to a decision.
CAT or Common Admission Test, an all-India entrance exam conducted on the computer can be taken just once a year.
Students can appear for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) up to five times in a year. This one is a computer-adaptive test. The GMAT test dates can be picked as per convenience.
Moreover, candidates can also reschedule the GMAT. While postponing the exam is also an option for the CAT takers, the date has to be within the test window and is subject to availability. So there’s lesser flexibility on this front.
The results for the CAT are declared much later at a fixed date. In contrast to the CAT, The GMAT score for some sections such as Verbal and Quantitative can be known immediately after the test is taken although, the official scores are notified to you later.
The validity of the CAT score is a year while on the other hand, the GMAT score counts as valid for a period of five years. In case you have attempted the GMAT more than once then the score which is highest of all is used to judge you. While for CAT, only the current year score is considered as valid.
Coming to the composition and syllabus breakdown of the exams, the CAT has two sections (a) GMAT Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation (b) Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning. Each of these sections lasts for 1 hour 10 minutes with a fifteen-minute introductory tutorial before the examination begins. So the full duration sums up to two hours thirty-five minutes. In the GMAT, the ‘Analytical writing assessment’ (AWA) segment comprises a half-an-hour long ‘analysis of an argument’. The ‘Integrated Reasoning’ segment persists another 30 minutes. The ‘Quantitative’ and the ‘Verbal’ section have 75 minutes each. The total time this adds up to three and a half hours.
Each section in the CAT comprises of thirty questions. Candidates cannot have access to a section that they have completed. Also, the marking scheme includes negative marking where +3 marks are given for a correct response and a -1 mark for an incorrect answer. For unanswered questions, there will be no marks. The GMAT format reflects a computer-adaptive format. If you give a correct answer, the next question that is displayed would be slightly tougher than the previous one. Thus, the difficulty level of the test increases with each correct answer provided. GMAT doesn’t mark you negatively. Once you answer a question and go ahead, you cannot go back and edit your answer.
To know more about the GMAT, search best gmat classes in bangalore and get all the information you need at these centers.
