Posted by PRACHI...... in ,

The CAT-astrophic Fever….




"Picture This"


Scene 1- A night before the D day- jittery

I should be nervous, anxious.. anticipate... look forward to successfully complete the exam.. atleast attempt to hope to clear it.. achieve or atleast try to

But i am not.. i don’t have an answer for it..
What is it ???
Its seems like its a last bus to heaven.. everyone is keen to catch up..
sheer overhyped blunder..

Grapes are sour.. sure might be.. but what if I don’t want grapes.. what if I don’t like them at all.. What if I want something else...
why should I be wasting my time and energy.. in seeking something I don’t look forward to.. sure I want a great career.. but I cant be pursuing something that would make me unhappy.. and my zeal and enthusiasm in pursuing the same is lost in process.

After giving a thought about what is…. getting an entry into this institution going to give me.. great career.. good money...
Happiness.. umm I don’t know yet..

Why should I let my life be ruled by an entrance exam???

Its competitive.. its tougher.. people are smarter.. people work hard..
Is it what defines.. success.. is it what defines.. NOT being a failure...
Its coveted seat.. a treasure of knowledge seeks the right candidate..

Is it the only place???

Lot of emotions, literally gushing through mind....yeah “emotions from mind” … not just me.. But I guess every CAT taker


Scene 2: Pre exam

As an apparent result of me paying my application fees at the last moment, I get my test centre at Kharghar.. If your everyday life revolves around suburbs then Kharghar is like a distant village. Anyhow.. it was the closest compared to the next destination nashik… phew!!!


The D-day: Eventful.. 2nd Dec 2009

In the hopes of reaching the test centre at 1:30 pm, 2 hrs prior to the examination time as thoroughly advised by the Prometric (online exam software developers) and also by their videos posted on youtube.
I had to leave home by 10:30 ( yess good 5 hrs prior to exam)
Guided by a friend on all means of transportation and routes to reach Kharghar.
I choose the most frequented!!!
[Robert Frost poem doesn’t apply to traveling in Mumbai, here if you choose the route less traveled by… you are bound to get lost].

So this was my route.. ummm errrrr routes..


The journey was made possible without me loosing my patience by reading Paulo Coelho ”Like Flowing River”
[Yeah I preferred not to carry any mathematical formula books and stuff..last minute studies screws up brain]

On reaching the station I was delighted not to find any rickshaw, or bus.. as matter of fact any other means of transport to reach test centre.
So the trusted means of transportation is to walk. The apparent 10 min walk as local suggested is infact good 25 min walk..


Scene 3: At the Venue

There… finally I reach the centre, have a glance at it and heaved momentary sigh of relief having reached like dot on time…
No sooner that sigh ended…with phew!!! I saw a huge queue of students getting to check in.

After the person matched my identity with card which took him good 2-3 mins..
Another check point greets me …frisking I have to keep my belongings including my wrist watch I mean cuh..mon how the hell am I supposed to know the time.. ( isn’t it critical factor), then I was taken to fingerprint analysis [yes for first time in history of any exam held in India.. I think.] Fingerprinting...followed by photo-op…
The anxiety on everyone’s face was apparent. It was CAT after all, the
photo-op person asked me smile twice, but I could be least bothered
[I think my smile might have resembled similar to Chandelr’s :-S ]
In my mind: dude.. CAT isn’t funny!!!

After the stringent procedural checks I am allotted a computer desk with a chair.. and a thin sheet of “cardboard” separates two computers..
[The irony of it all.. fingerprinting and cardboard paper separators, voila!!!]

Highlights of situation:
Oh yeah !! 10 mins after reading the instruction note stapled on my desk I realized, my computer doesn’t have a CPU…
okay now I was nervous.. I checked around ,others did have CPU in place..
[Since the pre exam drama was so techie.. thought they must have a centralized unit with just monitor on desk.. but yeah that wasn’t the case]
After bringing it to the notice, I was told I’ll be shifted elsewhere

In my mind:.. You better.. I don’t want to return without giving the exam

Well to my surprise, I was taken to another lab,where I was allotted an LCD monitor, a brand new desktop set..[ my apparent love for computers made this happen I guess .. :P]

CRUCH Time :

15 mins to go for the exam- screen greets me, antivirus scanner also greets me.. my worst fear.. not a virus.. please not a virus.. I don’t want to come back all the way to give this exam..

My PC is rebooted 3 times, my nervousness reached its highest crest.. and so did my anger..

Finally, the screen changes to “start exam”..
[ Yeah mayn.. I have been waiting for this forever]

5 hours of anticipating this moment.. goes.. PUFF

2 hrs 15 mins.. seemed only 15 mins..

I hit “End the Test” that’s it I am done..


Results :
Good they don’t give results immediately after the test..
But yeah what the hell..
A month after the exams….results out..
I successfully managed to screw it up once again..



Conclusion: I never really liked Grapes !!!!