Computer-based CAT to continue despite glitches

Amid allegations of mismanagement, 'CAT-2009' convenor Satish Deodhar today said barring initial glitches the first computer-based test was successful and indicated that it would be held in same format in future.

"With the successful conduct of computer-based 'CAT-2009', IIM's have been able to protect their intellectual property, in which pencil and paper format was not possible at all," Deodhar told reporters here.

"In the pencil and paper format the question used to get public and IIM's were losing on their intellectual property, but with the computer-based test we can maintain our intellectual property. The future of CAT is computer-based test."

The computer-based 'CAT-2009' in the first phase was marred by technical glitches from the very first day as students faced problems in logging in at centres in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Bhopal.

Deodhar said IIM's have begun to shortlist the candidates and faculty may have to squeeze out extra time to make up for the delay in conduction of test this year.

To a query on RTI's filed challenging the CAT results, Deodhar said, "Around six RTI's have been filed so far and IIM's shall reply back to the applicants."

When asked about PILs challenging conduction of CAT, Deodhar said, "To my knowledge one PIL was filed in Ahmedabad which has been quashed."

"We offered the opportunity of re-test to close to 11,000 candidates but 40 per cent of them did not turn up, showing they were satisfied with their previous scores," Deodhar said.

With regards to procedure adopted for declaration of CAT score, he said, "The scores declared are absolutely correct, and IIM's have uploaded the scoring methodology on the CAT website and even given references of few journals."

Four scales scores are presented for each candidate, an overall scaled score and three separate scaled scores for each section, he added.

We are offering the facility for revaluation of scores and the link to this is available on CAT portal, Deodhar said.

When asked about allegations that candidates appearing in various set of examinations scored differently, Deodhar said, "There have been many candidates last year who did well in Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section as compared to verbal section."

In fact a comparative study of two year reveals that performance on the said criteria was better in CAT-2009, he said.

Every year there are some candidates who do well in two sections but may not do that in third section, Deodhar said.

Directors of all the IIM's are expected to meet by April end to review conduction of CAT, and how to improvise from the lessons learn in the past, he said.