Mica lets CAT stay out this year

Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), has decided not to consider CAT scores for admissions to its flagship programme, PGDM (C), this year. However, it is still mandatory for aspirants to have appeared at CAT or GMAT to apply for the MICA course.

This had become necessary as CAT-2009, which is being held online for the first time, is yet to be completed. CAT-2009 results, which were to be announced on January 22, are now likely to be declared in the third week of February 2010.

Earlier, admissions to MICA’s flagship program was based on CAT scores and the marks scored by a candidate in an internal test called MICAT, group exercise (GE) and personal interview (PI).

This year, however, admission to the PGDM (C), 2010-12 batch, will be based only on MICAT, GE and PI. But, to apply, aspirants are still required to have appeared in CAT or GMAT.

Explaining why MICA has decided to ignore CAT scores for admissions this year, faculty member and admissions coordinator, Deval Kartik, said they would have to reschedule their academic calendar if they were to consider CAT scores.

“We have fixed January 27 as the last date for applying for the MICA course and March 7 as the date for MICAT,” he said. “We have booked test centres too. If we wait for CAT scores to be declared, we will have to reschedule the entire academic calendar. We don’t want to do that.”

MICA director Ashok Ranchhod said MICAT, too, was capable of assessing students’ abilities. “It tests applicants’ managerial ability, creativity, and their analytical skills,” he said.