IIMs to review contract of Prometric

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) would review the contract of US firm Prometric, after large scale glitches in the first computer-based Common Admission Test (CAT) across the country.

The US firm was hired by the IIMs to conduct the first computer-based CAT.

"IIMs would certainly review contract of Prometric how it has performed whether it was poor or satisfactory, in view of the technical glitches that the students had to face during CAT," IIMA Director Samir K Barua said in reply to a question on whether it would continue with Prometric to conduct CAT for next year.

Barua's remarks comes after glitches in conducting first computer-based CAT where test for a number of students had to be rescheduled due to 'virus attack' on computers in the initial days of the test which started on November 28.

"But, for this we need time. Once tests are over we shall have all the data from the computers which would be analysed and then the incidents would be reviewed," he added.

Barua said initial contract of Prometric with IIMs was for five years.

The IIMs have also decided to give an extra opportunity to students who could not take the test due to genuine reasons even after extending the test window period by a day on December 8, Barua said.

"There are still some candidates who could not take the test due to genuine reasons and test has not been rescheduled for them. A new test date will be announced in about a fortnight to provide an opportunity to all such candidates," Barua said.

"Prometric would inform all such candidates about the date and the venues for the test."

Explaining the reason for this extra test day after a fortnight, Barua said some of the students had problems like some pressed the wrong button during the test because of which they could not complete it.

"Also, there are some students whose tests could not be rescheduled. We need to identify those students and give them opportunity to appear for the test."

He said during the two-week period, they would analyse the data from computers and identify the students for whom test would be conducted later.

Nearly 30,000 students appeared for CAT today while 2.15 lakh students have appeared for CAT till date.

"The remaining would be taking the test tomorrow and on the extra day that would be announced after a fortnight," the IIM-A director added.

A total of 2.41 lakh students had applied for CAT.