General FAQs

1. Do you provide any classroom based coaching?
2. Do you have any centers where I can take Mock CAT tests?
3. How is CATIndiaOnline different from other online mock CAT test providers?
4. Who creates the questions for mock tests?

Technical FAQs

1. How do you compute percentile in real time?
2. I want some more explanation and discussion on the questions, is there any way you can help me here?
3. I find it difficulty to understand most of the analysis graphs, can you help me interpreting them?
4. What is the life cycle of a mock test?
5. How do you prevent biased/malicious users from mis-using the system and affecting the percentiles of others?

General FAQs Answers:

1. No, we neither provide nor endorse any classroom coaching programs. We have no affiliations with any such classroom coaching providers either.
2. Our Mock CATs are not required to be taken at any center. The way they are structured they are meant to need nothing other than a PC and internet connection (a dial-up at the minimum). Therefore, we have no designated centers where one can go and write our tests.
3. We are different from other online mock CAT test providers in the following manners:
   
   1. We provide an analysis of one's performance which is far more insightful than any of the other test providers. Our analysis algorithms help one in clearly identifying one's learning needs, his/her intrinsic strengths and weaknesses and lets an aspirant fine tune his/her preparation based on this solid awareness. This kind of analysis and conclusive recommendations is usually beyond the scope of conventional didactic preparatory classes and testing frameworks.
      
   2. We offer flexibility in taking tests which is unmatched by others. Apart from the weekly Mock CATs and practice tests, we offer the option of customizing the duration, difficulty levels, topics and host of other aspects of tests that one can take. All this flexibility can be exercised from the comfort of one's desk PC with an internet connection. No more hectic trips to test centers, no more unfocussed, impersonal test papers, no more inflexibility of taking tests for designated long hours!
      
   3. Most other online mock CAT test providers have testing services as an offshoot of their classroom and other preparatory programs. We believe that such tests are oriented towards their corresponding teaching materials and classroom sessions. This brings in bias in these tests which can negatively impact one’s preparation and may give false impressions about one’s level of preparation for the actual CAT. Our lack of affiliation, endorsement and association with any such coaching classes, makes our tests completely free of any bias. Our high-quality and dedicated experts are totally focused on developing tests that are in tune with the changing patterns of CAT and thereby helping every student reach her/his goals.
      
4. We have a high-quality and dedicated team of experts totally focused on developing tests that are in tune with the changing patterns of CAT and thereby, helping every student to reach her/his goals. Our team of experts has extensive experience in the field of developing test materials for CAT. Most of them have themselves taken IIM CAT examinations and aced them and graduated from IIMs. In all, our experts have 90 man years of experience in developing test materials for CAT.

Technical FAQs Answers:

1. For the first user of a test the percentile is calculated as per our intelligent and patent-pending algorithm. This algorithm takes into account the predicted scores corresponding to various percentiles as per our high-quality and dedicated team of test development experts based on their experience. This continues until sufficient number of users has taken the tests. Once sufficient number of users has taken the tests, real percentiles are calculated based on the actual users. Once the window period for a mock test closes, the final statistics are generated based on the actual users’ data. This should be regarded as the most authorative percentiles for an individual. During our system testing, our artificially intelligent and patent-pending algorithm has been accurate to the tune of within 3% of the final authorotative statistics for 98% of the users. That is to say, final percentiles for 98% of users does not vary by more than 3%.
2. If the explanations on analysis tab are not enough or not clear, then mail us at help@catindiaonline.com. Your mail subject should start with "[DOUBT]" and remember to quote the test number, the question number in the mail body.
3. We have a demo on the homepage of our website. Please view this demo if you have not already done so. Apart from this, on each of the pages containing analysis graphs have small symbols **, which when hovered over by the mouse pointer, expand and show explanatory notes related to the particular page. We believe these together should be sufficient to clarify and help you correctly interpret the analysis graphs. If you have any doubts or issues beyond this, then feel free to contact us at help@catindiaonline.com.
4. A mock test becomes alive as per a pre-specified schedule announced on our website. It remains alive for another pre-specified period, usually around a week. Test takers can take this mock test at any point of time within this window. Percentiles and other statistics are generated as per our intelligent and patent-pending algorithms in real time. Once the life/window of a mock test expires, final authoritative statistics are calculated.
5. We have algorithms to identify malicious users. In our test runs, the algorithm has been able to identify more than 99% of malicious users with less than 2% of false positives. All these users who are expected to be a small percentage of the total number of real serious test takers are excluded from the percentile calculations. In other words, if the percentage of malicious users is 1%, then only 0.01% filter through and participate in the statistics generation. However, percentiles for all these users are calculated and sent to them as we believe that this is not equivalent to fooling of the system, but fooling of themselves. We hope all malicious users are getting the point!