The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a prominent national-level entrance test in the country. It is primarily conducted for students seeking MBA/PGDM/PGP admission to IIMs and reputed business schools in India. The CAT exam pattern has seen several changes and modifications over the years.. However, the sectional limit in the CAT exam has remained consistent in recent years. The CAT sectional limit implies a fixed time duration for every section of the exam. Many students wonder, “Should Sectional Limit in CAT be removed?” The answer depends on various factors, including the MBA college you are seeking admission to. If the objective is to shortlist aspirants based only on the highest scores, then removing the CAT sectional time limit is acceptable. If the goal is to select aspirants with proper knowledge across verbal, logical, and quant sections, then sectional limits are a crucial prerequisite. In this article, we have discussed both the pros and cons of the sectional limit in the CAT exam for candidates’ reference.
Join this free whatsapp group to get the latest information about CAT exam along with the strategies by CAT experts
Should Sectional Limit in CAT be Removed?
Aspirants must first understand the CAT sectional time limit across all three sections, i.e. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Typically, the CAT test duration shall be 120 minutes. The time limit for every section will be 40 minutes. Test-takers cannot navigate between the sections in the admission test. Once the time limit of one section is over, the screen moves forward to the next section. Removing the sectional limit in CAT comes has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Eliminating the CAT sectional limit allows candidates to focus more on their strengths, which may also increase the risk of ignoring other sections. This can negatively affect the performance and lead to imbalanced scores.
Why Sectional Limit in CAT Should be Removed?
There are various benefits of the elimination of the sectional limit in the CAT exam. If the candidate makes the most of it, they can perform exceptionally well in the exam. Here is the list of reasons why the sectional limit in CAT should be removed:
| Flexible Usage of Time | Test-takers will be able to allocate their time to sections based on their strengths and subject knowledge. If a candidate is strong in VARC but weaker in QA, they will be able to focus more on solving VARC questions. This approach can boost their overall scores and enhance their chances of admission to the best colleges. |
| Improve Decision-Making Skills | Removal of the CAT sectional limit enables CAT aspirants to divide their time efficiently across all sections. This approach allows them to attempt more questions with accuracy. It also enhances their ability to make quick decisions under exam pressure. |
| Reduce Exam Day Anxiety | Many aspirants consider the sectional limit in CAT as a burden. It is scary to stay stuck in a particular section and not be able to utilise that particular time for other sections. Removing the time limit will ultimately reduce their anxiety and boost their confidence. It can also help them maximise their overall scores and enhance their performance. |
| Quality Over Speed | Many aspirants rush to complete the section in the stipulated period, which leads to blind guesswork and wrong attempts. Removal of the CAT sectional limit allows them to approach challenging questions with a strategy and a calm mind. This approach can improve the quality and accuracy of their answers. |
Join the Largest CAT Preparation Community in India
Why Sectional Limit in CAT Must Not be Removed?
Eliminating the sectional limit in the CAT exam also has various cons. It can lead to an unorganised question selection strategy, which can result in imbalanced scores and poor performance. Here is the list of reasons why the sectional limit in CAT should not be removed:
| Proper Evaluation | The primary reason to maintain the sectional limit in CAT is to ensure proficiency across all sections. Securing admission to MBA programs requires you to be competent in all the sections evaluated in the CAT exam. If there is no CAT sectional time limit, candidate will solely focus on their strong sections and ace the exam. Neglecting other sections diminishes the overall objective of the purpose of evaluation. |
| Improves Adaptability | If the sectional limit in CAT is removed, candidate will attempt more questions only from their strongest areas and leave other questions unattempted. This may help them score high marks in the exam. However, it reduces their ability to handle complex situations/questions under pressure. Showcasing your ability to handle different challenges is one of the important skills to secure admission into top business schools. |
| Enhance Fairness | More than 2 lakh aspirants participate in the CAT exam every year. The sectional time limit in CAT contributes to maintaining fairness in the exam. Removal of sectional limits may lead to variation in time management strategies among test-takers. This can negatively affect the fairness and standardisation of the exam. |
| More Balanced Preparation | Sectional time limit in CAT encourages aspirants to give equal importance to all the sections during the preparation. This approach not only helps them maximise their CAT scores and perform well but also benefits them during the further selection stages. To secure admission to top B-schools in India, proficiency in each section is a must. |
Should Sectional Limit in CAT be Removed? FAQs
The overall exam duration for the CAT exam is 120 minutes. The time limit for every CAT exam section will be 40 minutes.
Some pros of the CAT sectional limit are proper evaluation, enhanced adaptability, balanced preparation approach, and several other benefits.
The benefits of removal of the CAT sectional time limit are flexible usage of time, improved decision-making skills, reduced exam-day anxiety and many other benefits.