The Union ministry of human resource development (HRD) is likely to ask the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) to scrap the computerised format of CAT and conduct a retest through the old paper-and-pencil method, a source at IIM Ahmedabad told DNA.
IIM directors will meet higher education secretary Vibha Puri Das on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
An IIM official said: “In a meeting held in Mumbai, four of seven IIM directors supported the idea of scrapping the computerised format. The outcome of Wednesday’s meeting is likely to be in their favour.”
Harried students are resting their hopes on the meeting. “CAT this year was unfair to us. A retest is the only solution. I hope the authorities understand the students’ plight,” said Ayesha Sarin, an IIM aspirant.
“I just hope they set a very tough paper (for fair competition),” said Rajesh Nair, another aspirant.
Meanwhile, American firm Prometric, which conducted the computerised CAT, on Tuesday admitted that conducting the exam was “far from perfect” even as the development of the test adhered to a “process-driven science”.
“While the administration was far from perfect, tests were successfully given to more than 2.15 lakh candidates over the course of 11 days,” Soumitra Roy, managing director, Prometric, India, said.
The test was conducted on 17,000 computers in 361 temporary testing labs at 104 centres in 32 cities. Supposed to be taken by 2.41 lakh candidates, the test was marred by virus attack and other technical glitches from the beginning.
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