Oxford terminates deal with TCS after technical glitch in admission test

The Oxford University has terminated its deal with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) after students experienced technical glitches while taking online admission test for the institution.

"Following the technical problems experienced by some candidates during the delivery of this year's online admissions tests by a new provider, TCS will not be involved in the delivery of Oxford admissions tests going forward," a spokesperson for the university said.

Thousands of students from across the world appear for test to get admitted to Oxford every year. The university offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through 30 colleges across the UK. Prominent Indians who studied at Oxford include former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.

In April 2023, the UK-based institution selected TCS iON, the learning and assessments-focused unit of TCS, for conducting the admission tests, replacing Cambridge Admissions Assessment Testing.

The university attributed complaints by candidates about technical issues faced while taking online tests for calling off the handover.

"This decision has been made following careful consideration of the issues, as well as feedback from candidates, teachers, and test centers. Our priority is to ensure a high-quality experience for all candidates and those involved in supporting them, and we are grateful to the students and their teachers for their patience during this process. Details of the new arrangements will be communicated in the Spring, at the start of the next admissions round," Oxford said.