You will get another chance to bell the CAT in January

Despite glitches and complaints against the online Common Admission Test, the Indian Institutes of Management have decided to continue with the computer based tests (CBTs), dumping the earlier concept of tests through pen and paper for good.

After a meeting with Vibha Puri Das, higher education secretary in the human resource development ministry, IIM directors said they have decided not to go back to the pen and paper system and that the CBTs would continue. Of the 2.16 lakh candidates who took the CAT, only 8,000 faced technical problems in computers and software, according to the IIMs.

“We regret that a number of candidates faced difficulties,” Satish Deodhar, IIM-Ahmedabad professor and convenor of IIM-CAT, said.

“Though the execution of the exam has not been flawless, a large majority of the candidates, over 2 lakh, took the exam successfully and satisfactorily. For the rest 8,000 we have been able to categorise the problems. These candidates will be given another opportunity in mid-January.”

Pankaj Chandra, director of IIM-Bangalore, said, “Initially, we thought of dropping the idea of CBT; but later as majority of the candidates completed the exam successfully, we decided to continue with it.” Chandra said this was the only way forward. “IIMs have decided to continue with the online test system.”

The CAT committee, comprising IIM-Ahmedabad director Samir Baruah, examination convenor Satish Deodhar, IIM-Bangalore director Pankaj Chandra, IIM-Indore’s Chandrashekhar, and IIM-Kolkata’s Uttam Sarkar , will identify the genuine students who failed to take the test from November 27 to December 8 because of technical problems.

“We are relying on video footage of computer labs and analysing computer data to identify candidates who faced any disruption/rebooting,” Chandra said. “This will help us identify candidates who were genuinely affected.”

Though the CAT committee is reviewing the methodology of the examination and has a promised an improved system next year, the contract with American firm Prometric would not be scrapped.

The human resource development ministry has sought daily updates on the CAT and steps taken by the IIMs to ensure future exams are smooth.