Despite CAT fiasco, online exams are here to stay, say academicians

The first online common admission test (CAT) last year may have had a bad run, but senior academicians have given a thumps-up to this new version of exam.

A research report on ‘Examinations and the Role of Technology: Emerging Directions’ by EDGE-ValueNotes said that online exams are here to stay.  However, reservations on infrastructure, suitability of the test format and equating between multiple batches of exams emerged as the top challenges holding them back.

After a comprehensive survey covering over 75 university vice-chancellors, registrars, controllers of examination (CoE) and over 400 students across the country, 77% respondents indicated that they are considering introducing online examinations, and 68% revealed that they would conduct online exams in the next 6-36 months. And that is not all, 69% of all students, particularly those from Tier III cities, felt that universities that conduct online exams were more technically advanced.

Even though the online CAT 2009 exam made headlines for all the wrong reasons, more than 2.15 lakh candidates successfully completed the test. The conclusion of 2009 CAT was a significant milestone for the Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

“It ushered in the new era that will serve the IIMs, candidates and the Indian business community. The IIMs have taken a giant step and their initiative to convert a prestigious exam like CAT, which has been a paper and pencil exam for the last 31 years, is path-breaking. The entire nation stands to benefit and this step will open the doors for other prestigious paper and pencil exams of national interest in the future,” said Soumitra Roy, MD, Prometric India, the American firm that organised the online test.

The research report reinforces the fact that soon paper-pencil exams will be a thing of the past. “It was heartening to note that decision makers are not only aware of the benefits of using technology for assessments, but they have also indicated positive intent with regards to implementation of online assessment,” aid Dr Arun Nigavekar, former chairman, UGC, and member MeritTrac Education Advisory Panel.

Another successful transition from paper-based to online exam was done by the Narsee Monjee’s computer-based NMAT for admission to its management programmes. “The NMAT-2010 was a landmark event for NMIMS. Transition of the paper-based NMAT to a computer-based test had its risks. However, we were reassured by Pearson VUE’s depth of planning and contingency framework,” said Rajan Saxena, vice chancellor, NMIMS. Over 15,000 candidates took the NMAT at various centres across the country.

According to the study, the penetration of online exams will increase by 5-10% in the next two years. “Despite the recent issues in online testing,  universities still believe in the positive impact of technology, though they are more concerned about the implementation. The survey has also indicated that students were happy about the online examinations, despite concerns being raised by many,” said Arun Jethmalani, MD, ValueNotes.