CAT not to be scrapped say CAT committee

December 17, 2009

In the wake of issues that occurred in administering the computer based CAT this year the air was rife with speculations about the validity and fairness of the test. The seven IIMs had decided earlier to have a review of the complaints and issues with the test and submit a report of the same on a day to day basis to the HRD ministry. At meeting convened by the HRD ministry at Delhi the CAT committee came to the consensus that the test would not be scrapped and a fresh test would be held around mid-January for those students who were unable to give the CAT due to genuine reasons. This is what was quoted of the decision on the Press Trust of India news website.

“This year's computerized Common Admission Test (CAT), which was marred by technical glitches, will not be scrapped, the exam committee announced today.
The CAT committee, which comprised IIM Ahmedabad director Prof Samir Barua, IIM Bangalore director Prof Pankaj Chandra and a few other professors, made this announcement after meeting with senior Human Resource Development Ministry officials here.

"IIMs have decided to continue with computer-based test for 2009. We also look forward to continue the CAT through computer-based testing in future," Baruah told reporters.
The computer-based test has drawn flak from many quarters as a few thousand students failed to appear in the test owing to the disruptions caused by virus attack and other technical glitches.
A fresh test would be held around mid-January for those genuine students who could not appear in the test, which is conducted by American firm Prometric.”