New Delhi, Nov 28 - Nearly 250,000 students across the country appeared for the Common Admission Test (CAT) Saturday. The scores of this test will determine a student's admission to a management institute, including the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

There has been a major change in the CAT this year as it has become a computer based test from an optical marker reading test.

Around 50,000 students appeared for the exam in Delhi.

The test is being held between Nov 28 and Dec 7 in 32 cities at 105 testing centres connected to a main server.

IIMs have also issued a notice to all the students appearing for the exam to refrain from discussing the new format till Dec 7 when the exam schedule ends.

Last year, nearly 276,000 students across the country appeared for the test.

CAT scores determine entry to the IIMs in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Lucknow, Kozhikode and Shillong as well as the Management Development Institute in Gurgaon, Institute of Management Training in Ghaziabad, Mudra Institute of Communications in
Ahmedabad and Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research in Mumbai. (IANS)