CAT

After long lost, the results for the Common Entrance Test (CAT) have been made public by the Indian institutes of management (IIMs) on February 28.  Candidates can log on to the official website of the IIMs to access their result. The scores obtained in the CAT will determind their admission to the IIMs, besides other management schools.

The CAT treaded the online path for the first time this year and there were glitches galore to mark its start. However, the flip side does not seem that gloomy on second thoughts, especially for those who braved the odds and dared to attempt the CAT. With fewer than ever aspirants going for the CAT this year, the probability of landing a seat in the nation’s best colleges automatically has increased for the attempters.

Seeing mass-scale technical glitches and several other problems in online CAT debut this year, IIM officials are heading with the idea of using free and open source software (Foss) to avert online common admission test debacle in future. The IIMs are yet to get to terms with the recent disaster over the online CAT debut, and not in a mood to repeat the mistakes again. 

The technical glitches that crept its way into the smooth conduct of the first online CAT has, no doubt, made the prestigious Common Admission Test look like a sham. That no word of apology came from the IIM coordination committee nor from the Prometric crew to ward off the unwarranted anxiety of the candidates made matters even more worse.
 

 With Prometric falling out with IIMs over online CAT fiasco, various education companies of the domain are lining up to bag the coveted deal to replace the US. Some big names like Pearson VUE, Eduquity Career Technologies, MeritTrac and Aptech have shown interest in this high-profile $40-million contract. Some of the companies have unofficially contacted IIM, while others are keeping their finger crossed waiting for the review of Prometric’s contract with the IIMs.

Another opportunity would be given to those candidates who could not take their Common Admission Test (CAT 2009) on the scheduled dates due to technical glitches. The announcement in this regard has been made by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). A new test date has been assured which would be announced in about a fortnight.

Faced with the hue and cry over online CAT debacle, the IIMs have decided to take drastic steps to improve the level of CAT examination. The IIMs are considering various options to avoid repetition of the current situation in the future.

Belling the CAT does not seem to be that easy. The technical glitches that has made this year’s Common Admission Test an e-debacle, is likely to pose yet another dilemma to the foxed candidates.

Undeterred by the technical faux paux that eclipsed the success of the online Common Admission Test (CAT), the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) Committee has affirmed that the CAT will surely be walking the online path again next year.

It might be true that good management is all about minimizing vagueness and rectifying methodical inaccuracies. But the country’s top management teaching institutes, the IIMs, seem to be clueless when it comes to handling the weekend CAT fiasco. The manner in which the coordination committee of the IIMs responded to the dismal failure added to the woes of the students.