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GMAT has been doing it for quite some time. MAT too had a go at it. But what made news (some of it negative!) was the Common Admission Test (CAT), which has moved from a print and paper format to a Computer Based Test (CBT) version this year.

Some news articles attribute the 8 percent reduction in the number of applicants to the shift. 

The test conducted by Prometric, a  US-based testing agency, will be conducted in 20 slots, starting from November 28, 2009 and spanning 10 days. But the implications of a successful CAT-CBT is manifold. For the IIMs, it could mean going ahead with further changes in the admission process in the future. A successful CAT-CBT would definitely serve as a catalyst for many other tests moving onto the online mode. 

For the students this change in format has meant a big shift akin to the difference between Wimbledon and the French Open! So test-taking strategies and the resources needed to practise have changed significantly. If you have had adequate practice with computerised mock test, here are some tips worth keeping in mind while taking the test.

Five test strategies

1. Spend time on the tutorial: This is the first year. So, we are yet to see the final test interface. The demo version that has been put up on the CAT site is not the final version of the test experience. So spend the 15 minutes on the tutorial diligently. Do not skip it. It is possible that you may find features in the interface that you have not experienced till now. Moreover, it is the best way to calm your nerves, before the actual test.

2. Two-round approach: So, how do you find the easy questions? Those who have taken sufficient online tests would easily relate to this question. In fact, this would be the key to cracking this year's CAT. Since questions are served one at a time, it's impossible to identify all the easy questions unless one has seen all the questions.

It would make sense to attempt the paper in two rounds. Round 1 for all the &quotYes" types. Round 2 for all the &quotMaybes&quot. Use &quotReview" tabs to mark all the &quotMaybes&quot. How fast you identify the &quotYes", &quotNo" and &quotMaybes" will decide your percentiles.

3. Data Interpretation and Reading Comprehension - the speed-breakers: In the CBT, these two sections are most likely to derail the test-taker, most. The inconvenience of transferring data from the screen to the rough sheets in DI and the reduced speeds while reading RC are two hurdles that test-takers have found very troublesome. Use the highlighter to underline portions of RC (most coaching institutes have not built the tool in their tests). Avoid copying all the data from the DI to the rough sheet. Only transfer what is relevant.

4. Stick to your own success strategies: Though you need to make small shifts in strategy while taking CAT, keep them as close as possible to the strategies that worked in the Mock CATs. Don't violate time limits that you set for each section at the beginning of the test. This is the source of most troubles in CAT.

5. Play hard till the last ball: Stay in fifth gear till the last minute. Keep track of your attempts every 15 minutes. Keep your eyes on the timer all the way till the end of the test.

Macro suggestions

For someone, who is looking at appearing for CAT in the future, apart from micro suggestions, there are a host of macro suggestions to work on. I would like to categorise them into two parts:

a. Impact of the medium: Taking a test on the computer is very different from taking it in paper format. It would be foolish to assume that if one was comfortable sending e-mail or casual web surfing it would suffice to ensure a good performance in the test. You need sufficient practice on CBTs to realise one's potential. There are three important reasons - reduced reading speed, slower data processing, and fatigue due to continuous exposure to the computer. You need sufficient practice to improve on each of these counts.

b. Impact of the format of the test: There are broadly two formats: Computer Based Test and Computer Adaptive Test.

In a CBT the test-taker gets the same test in a pre-determined sequence. For such tests the impact is only of the impact of the medium.

Computer Adaptive Tests on the other hand adapt to the test-takers' attempts. The questions are dynamically served based on the trend of the attempts. So the possibility of skipping a question does not arise. This would then mean that while preparing for the test you cannot skip any section. Thus if CAT becomes a Computer Adaptive Test in the future (which I think it will) there would be a big difference on how students learn and take the test.
But the most important factor would be the level of questions and subsequently percentile calculations. On an average, CAT right now pitches itself on to a single level. So absolute scores might be low, still percentile scores would be high. In its adaptive format, the average level of questions is likely to go down when compared to a Print and Paper format.

Why the need for this shift?
Some &quotstandard" arguments are that it takes care of test logistics, helps result processing and saves a lot of time for the faculty. But I can see a definite trend of IIMs getting closer to the GMAT admission process. With adaptive tests one can better control intake of students with specific skill sets (tests designed with statistical validity can take care of this), provide standardised scores (whose invariance with time reflects the skill levels pretty accurately).

All these need specialised skills in test development, which the IIMs don't have. So there was a need to bring in testing partners and at the same time let them handle some responsibilities of conducting the test.

The biggest challenge before an online test administrator is the ability to give out percentiles of different papers (20 in the case of CAT 2009), that are foolproof. If the IIMs can cross this hurdle smoothly they would not only pave the way towards a innovative future for CAT but also for many other institutions that are waiting to go online with their admission tests. 
 
R Shiva Kumar is Director - Academics and R&ampD at Careerlauncher.