CAT eludes BMS students again

Students of the third year bachelor of management studies (BMS) are up in arms against the Mumbai University. For the past two years, the varsity has scheduled the fifth semester exams on dates that clash with the CAT.

Students said they were missing out on a chance to apply to good institutes for further studies. “It is known that nearly 70% of TYBMS students attempt the CAT to enter into the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs). The exam is always held on the third Sunday of November. But thanks to the university’s poor planning, BMS students do not have time to prepare for their CAT,” said Parag Chitale, visiting faculty in various colleges.

While CAT is scheduled on November 16, TYBMS students have their fifth semester exams from November 10 to 15. “This hardly gives us time to prepare for the most important entrance exam. Moreover, this is not the first time the university has been conducting exams simultaneously with CAT,” said Anurag Korti, a student of Lala Lajpat Rai College.

Another student said, “Since the university doesn’t give us time to prepare for CAT, we have no option but to waste a year and appear for it after finishing graduation. Several students in my class haven’t even bothered to fill up the CAT forms.”

In 2007, while the CAT was held on November 18, the TYBMS exam ended on November 19. “The university never schedules the TYBCom and CA exams together. Then why are BMS students treated inconsiderately? The ideal time for the exams would be the first week of November,” added Chitale.

When contacted Vilas Shinde, controller, examination department, said, “We were unaware of the CAT exam dates. The students should have notified us and we would have looked into the schedule.”