Entrance exams chaos: Varsity must learn time management

The Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) exams will run right up to the Common Admission Test (CAT). Students and professors are trying desperately to get the University to change the exam dates. Apart from this, even the procedure of admission to the course is allegedly chaotic.

Bachelors of mismanagement

Parag Chitale

The University of Mumbai launched the Bachelor of Management Studies course (BMS) in 1999 to create alternate career options for students after Std XII. Despite the fact that the course was announced late, the response was fairly decent and the course was introduced in approximately 30 colleges with a maximum of 45 students per college.

The University subsequently increased the number of seats in each college to 60. In the third year, the number of colleges was increased maintaining the number of seats at 60 per college. Over a period of time, the number of colleges offering BMS has crossed 100 and the maximum permissible number of seats in each college is now 120.

The admission procedure for the BMS course has also changed during this period. Initially, it was based on an entrance exam (CCEE) conducted by the Mumbai University followed by a centralised admission process conducted at JBIMS. It was then changed to a decentralised admission process (each student had to apply individually to colleges of his/her choice) but still based on the CCEE scores. In 2006, the number of students appearing for this entrance exam (CCEE) was 8523, with only 3381 students getting a score of 45 and above. If the total number of seats available is more than 10,000, are all admissions based on the CCEE scores or is some other criteria is being used?

The date for the CCEE is always a  matter of suspense. It changed from June 1 in a particular year to April 18 in another year and then to June 11 the next time. In fact, each year the process starts with a discussion on whether to have an entrance exam or not.

The ordeal doesn't end with the entrance exam. Most BMS students opt for a post graduation after they complete the BMS course and they have to appear for various entrance exams when they are in their final year of graduation. CAT is the first exam for management and is held on the third Sunday of November.

BMS students have to write their fifth semester exam conducted by Mumbai University after the term ends in October. In 2003, the exams were scheduled towards the end of October leaving a little less than one month before CAT. In 2004, this gap came down to about 20 days. In 2005, this was down to one week and now in 2006, CAT is scheduled on November 19 and the fifth semester University exams are scheduled to start from November 13.

Entrance procedure for BMS is flawed

Is any premier B-school in our country willing to take the responsibility of training our University officials in planning and management? — Chitale was a co-ordinator of BMS at NM college and is currently a visiting faculty member

BMS exams are in November while the BMM examinations are in October. These could've been swapped, as BMM students usually don't appear for CAT. I understand the concerns of the students, but it's the first time that the exams have been scheduled this close to the CAT.

The entrance procedure for BMS is also flawed. The University doesn’t allow us to consider aspects such as communication skills, which are critical for a management course. The CCEE scores are important, but cannot be the sole criterion for evaluating students. The system needs to be a little more flexible.” — BMS co-ordinator from a
south Mumbai college

The V-C hasn’t responded

I agree that you don't always have to study on the last day for the CAT, but you do need to get into the right frame of mind.

The BMS exam is largely theoretical, whereas the CAT is concept-based. It is very important for your mind to be in the right mode for the exam. You can't afford to break the rhythm. I usually score between 96 to 97 percentile in the mock-CAT. But once, I didn't study for a week and my scores in the next test dropped to 74 percentile. One needs at least 15 days to prepare for the University exams. Thus effectively, we are going to be out of touch for 21 days.

All we are asking for is three to four days to prepare for the CAT. We wrote to the VC in the last week of August, immediately after the University exam dates were announced, but we are yet to receive any response. —Saurabh Goenka. TYBMS, Jai Hind College

We are all demotivated

Our board examinations are from the November 13 to November 18. The CAT is on the November 19, i.e. the third Sunday of November, but despite this the University declared these impractical dates of our exams last month. Every BMS student is running from pillar to post trying to pu everything together. I have also sent a letter requesting a change in the examination dates to the Vice Chancellor with the signatures of at least 90 students three weeks ago, but there has been no response yet. The moment the dates were announced we all were demotivated. The CAT is something that requires constant practice, but now we have to shift our focus to the university exams as we only get one chance to do them. We have reconciled ourselves to the fact that we just might have to try the CAT again next year. —Arjun Keswani. TYBMS, NM College

Advance exams by a week

We have been preparing for the CAT for months now. To ace the CAT, you need to have a certain mindset. You need 10 days of mock tests so that your accuracy and speed improve. The syllabus for the university exams and CAT is very different. While the varsity exams are theoretical, the CAT is objective and consists of Maths, Logic and English. Preparing for the boards will take at least a month and to write the CAT immediately after the boards is impractical. The boards have to be advanced by at least a week so that we can score well in the CAT. To an extent, I have already given up on the CAT. Several students haven't even bothered to fill up their CAT forms as they realise how hopeless the situation is. We have no choice but to waste another year waiting for the CAT. —Divesh Rohra. TY BMS, Jai Hind College

University has its constraints

I understand that the CAT too is important, but the university has its constraints. If the exam for one course is changed, the entire schedule is upset. Dates are set keeping every course in mind. If these are changed, there might be a delay in results and again students will protest. —Dilip Karnade. Senate member of the University of Mumbai