This thread caught my attention as quite peculiar. Here are my views on it.
I agree that it is not a really simple task to score a 100%ile in any section or an overall 100% but the issue has been blown out of proportion.
CAT scores are merely indicative of an aptitude in time, knowledge & data management. Coz if it was merely based on intelligence, you'd expect the same fellows to top the IIMs. This is not always the case.
Also, I believe that the CAT, notwithstanding the 'surprises' (not really, coz you have half an hour to read the instructions) is a system. And wherever there is a system, there is a means to crack it. That does not mean that it would be easy, but there is a technique to crack any rule-based system, which is what the CAT is.
The person who'd optimize his technique to match that of the system would get a 100%. This does not ensure that the person would be the best manager at so-and-so place from so-and-so IIM. It just means that he knows how to crack it.
Regarding whether it is based on intelligence... Partially. Partially, it is a function of luck (very small part though) and partially on your upbringing. 1/3 of the paper is based on the english language and solving other sections too requires a reasonably good knowledge of english. those of us who are comfortable with it dont mind it, but those of us who are not have trouble even trying to figure out what's given. That doesn't mean they are not intelligent.
A true test of intelligence shud be non-language based, something like a chess tournament, a set of rules and a goal. Stick to the rules and achieve the goal. Or some picture based stuff. That determines intelligence, not picking out the grammatically incorrect sentence, that's just a test of your linguistic ability. But linguistic ability is necessary (u need to be glib, if nothing else) for management, and hence the section is appropriate, but let's not mistake it as a test of intelligence only.
Just an ending remark, I know a chap with 1600/1600 in GRE. One of the most brilliant fellows i have ever known. He is barely scraping through his engineering examinations.
the Moral: Excellence at cracking a particular system is no promise of similar performance in the ensuing education that uses that system for evaluation. You get a 100%, Salaam, but in case you don't, take it easy, you might be great at the stuff which really matters