45-day lab quarantine for error-free CAT

Updated on: Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Prometric, the organiser of the Common Entrance Test (CAT), which is the entrance exam to the prestigious IIMs, is launching a major sanitization drive to make the exam error-free this year.

Last year’s experience was not too happy, with the exam going bust on the first couple of days, causing a major furore nationwide. It was suggested to the IIMs that both Prometric and its idea of holding an online exam be scrapped and pen-and-paper be reintroduced. So, Prometric is not taking any chances.

This year, a computer laboratory will be accepted as a CAT exam centre only after it “passes” a stringent test. “It will be a tough test,” said Prometric MD, Soumitro Roy.

Last year, the sites were first identified and then their infrastructure was checked. A virus attack in one centre spread within seconds to almost every centre nationwide, crashing computers and affecting the test, say Prometric sources. The virus was identified and corrective measures taken.

This year, once a computer laboratory is selected as a site, Prometric will quarantine it. “It is very important to stop other people from using these computers after we declare a laboratory as a site, hence we will quarantine them. Though the matter hasn’t been finalised yet, it is likely that a site might be thus quarantined for 45 days. This is applicable for both the computer hardware and the software that is loaded in the computers for CAT 2010,” said Roy.

There will be a sea change in the design of the application forms and the registration process as well this time. Last year, a large number of candidates faced problems at the registration stage because they were unable to edit their profiles. “We have realised that the system was not conducive to Indian test conditions and hence this year we are getting a completely new website designed for application and registration that will eliminate the possibilities of such errors,” revealed Roy

A new software is also being designed as the test delivery platform, which is more advanced and user-friendly compared to the software that was used last time. Again, not just any invigilator or lab assistant will be allowed to be present at the exam centre.

“We will train and then certify each such assistant ahead of the exam so that only those identified by us can be present at a testing centre at the time of the exam,” Roy explained. Prometric has investigated the reasons behind the failure last time and has found that though there were many assistants at the labs, they were not adept at handling the situation.

45-day lab quarantine for error-free CAT

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