Does CAT hold the same value

Updated on: Thursday, December 03, 2009

Chennai: With the recent constant confusion and uncertainties prevailing in the CAT, the significance of the exams seems to be on the decline, says educationists.

Common admission test (CAT) marks are essential towards the admission of students into institutions like IIM, IIIM and several leading education institutions initiated by the Central Government and as well as in several leading private educational institutions.

The total number of candidates appearing for this examination had reduced drastically this year, which usually always had an augment in the number of candidates in the earlier years. Last year there were 2.70 lakh applicants, but this year only 2.40 lakh had applied for the exams. The exam was conducted in the written format until these years, but from this year it was decided to conduct through online mode and the global economic slowdown could be considered as the important reasons for the decline in number.

However, as the exam was supposed to be conducted online for the first time lot of apprehensions prevailed. It was earlier told that a 'demo' would be conducted to ease the fear among students about the online exams. However, even after instructing the students to come two hour before scheduled start of the exams, no sufficient instruction was provided, complained students. Apart from that, the 'demo' through internet was not updated with facilities like 'highlighting', told the students.

With these problems on one side, the ten day long exam that started on the Nov 28 encountered a major computer related problem right from the first day onwards. As a result, students from centers like Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow and Chandigarh were highly disappointed. Starting from the first day, the problem slowly started to creep into few more centers yesterday, the fourth day. The problems faced by the student are difficult to explain.

Likewise preparing for civil services, there are students who had incessantly worked for four years for this year CAT exams. Some centers finished few minutes outside the schedule due to the problem in the server. The crucial point here is that the speed of the computer varies in the different center. Some centers did not face any problems on the computer front, but some disparity prevails in time provided to the students due to technical problem in several centers.

In this situation, 'our responsibility is only to prepare the questions, conduct of the exam is the responsibility of the American firm, 'Prometric'' says officials from IIM. They also told that the existing virus affected problem would be rectified. In the first three days over 40 centers across the country faced with technical problem, the problem continued to prevail even yesterday, the fourth day. Hence, enthusiastic students with good preparation were highly disappointed psychologically.

While speaking concerning this to the Assistant General Manger, IMS Educational Institution, Sarith Nair said, 'Due to this incessant problem, all the students were not tested on equal basis. Probably some lucky students and inept students are likely to get good marks. In all probability, this year may witness few inefficient students getting into IIM, rather than the best getting into it. This incident can bring down the reputation and trust that CAT exams held among public. Therefore, the students should be tested on equal ground with same technology and infrastructures. This is the right way to evaluate the students. The exam should be conducted after rectifying all these uncertainties and chaos for this reason. If not, a written exam must be conducted like the previous years', he said

Uncertainties and confusions are inevitable and natural while implementing any new system. For these reasons, a student's earnest effort, hard work and dream should not be affected; the concern authorities should understand this. An appropriate solution needs to found.

Does CAT hold the same value

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