JBIMS, Mumbai (File Photo)

Update: According to a notification issued by the All India Council for Technical Education today i.e. March 10, 2013, the extra Common Management Admission Test will be held between May 19-22, 2013. The registration window is open from March 10, 2013 to April 10, 2013. In addition, the hall tickets will be available from May 3, 2015. The notification also states that the final results will be declared on June 1, 2013.

The May 2013 CMAT has become a cause for confusion amongst b-schools as it may delay the admission process for the academic year 2013-15. While some schools have decided to accept the scores, others have not.

KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research, Mumbai, and Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Goa will not accept the May 2013 CMAT test scores for admission to the next academic year. Meera Ramanathan, Manager (Admin, Info) at KJ Somaiya said that, "For us, the admission process will be over by March end. It is not practically possible to consider May CMAT scores."

The statement was echoed by Dr N Sambandam, Admission in-charge at GIM. He added that he did not believe too many candidates will apply to GIM through the May 2013 CMAT. Hence, there should not be any problem if the institute does not accept the test scores for May 2013.

While GIM is adamant about not accepting the test scores for May 2013 CMAT, KJ Somaiya said that once the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) issues directives in the matter, they will take a final call.

According to the admission team at Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai, the institute will follow the directives issued by the DTE, Maharashtra. If the DTE asks the institute to accept the May CMAT scores for this academic year, the entire process may shift by around a month, a member from the admission team speculated.

Till last year, admission to the institute had been done on the basis of Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHCET). While the list of percentile scores had been released on April 16, the GD/PI had been conducted between May 10-31. Consequently, the final merit list of candidates eligible to JBIMS had been released on June 25. However, since the May CMAT will be held during the latter half of the month, this will affect the dates for the admission process.

When contacted, Dr SK Mahajan, Director, DTE (Maharashtra) said that the DTE will follow the instructions issued by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in the matter. "If AICTE has said that institutes will accept the May CMAT test scores, then it will happen," he said.

Interestingly, postponing dates seems to be a tradition with CMAT since its very first chapter in February 2011. As different states fall in line with the wishes of AICTE and scrap their state entrance tests in favor of CMAT, AICTE pushes the registration deadline to accommodate students from the respective states.

Despite this, some private b-schools still refuse to accept the CMAT scores in favor of other tests including Xaviers Aptitude Test (XAT), and Common Admission Test (CAT).

The news of a third CMAT for admission to the next academic session has created two distinct groups amongst the MBA aspirants - one that is in favor and the other which ridicules yet is resigned to the existence of CMAT. Many others are only concerned about whether JBIMS will accept these test scores or not.

"I did not even know the pattern for CMAT. I am glad that we have been provided the time to prepare for the test," an MBA aspirant from Bangalore who did not wish to be named said.

On the other hand, one of our readers summed up his feelings towards the news of May 2013 CMAT by saying

datta123: CMAT - Common MONTHLY Assessment TEST!!