INDORE: The countdown for MBA aspirants has begun as the Common Admission Test (CAT) conducting body – Indian Institute of Management, Indore (IIM-I) – on Saturday announced the dates for the test with some major changes in the examination pattern this year. IIM-Indore will be conducting the test for the second consecutive time.Apparently, making the CAT 2014 much more aspirant friendly this year, the IIM-Indore has increased the examination duration from existing 140 minutes to 170 minutes, discontinued purchase of offline vouchers, the questions in quantitative ability and data interpretation, verbal ability and logical reasoning has been increased to 50 in each section from existing 30 questions.The tutorial which was made available before start of examination will not be available this time. The CAT conducting body has advised candidates to do the tutorials from the website well in advance. Candidates will have to make the payment for registration fee through online modes only including credit card, debit card or through net banking.Another significant change that CAT aspirants will see this year will be flexibility for devoting more or less time to each section according to their ability. Candidates will be able to switch from one section to another during the examination timing.Unlike previous years, the IIM-Indore has cut short the window period for holding examination. The CAT 2014 will be conducted only for two days this year i.e. on November 16 and November 22 only in forenoon and afternoon sessions. The examination will be conducted in 99 cities comprising 354 test sites. Last year, there were 45 test sites only. The CAT 2014 will give an option to prefer three test cities in the order of preference. “The candidates need not rush in the initial registration days for blocking their slots and sites. Candidates will be given their first preferred city across the four sessions on random basis as far as possible. Candidates will have no option to prefer the dates as it will be allotted by the CAT Centre randomly,” states the CAT notification.The registration for the CAT 2014 will remain open for 56 days beginning from August 6 and closing on September 30. Students will be able to download admit card from October 16 to till examination date. The results will be declared in the third week of December 2014.Due to ongoing results related discrepancies and controversies that landed IIMs in the court. The contract of Prometric to conduct CAT has been abolished and has been to the Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS), which has conducted examination like GATE, JEE, AIPMT, JIPMER etc.