(a) whether IIMs have proposed to conduct online CAT examination from
this academic year;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the reasons for abandoning the old pattern of exam; and
(d) the name of the agency assigned the work for conducting the exam
and the expenditure incurred/ likely to be incurred thereon?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT(SMT. D. PURANDESWARI)
(a)&(b) Yes sir, this academic year is the very first year that IIMs
are conducting computerized Common Admission Test (CAT).
(c) According to the Convener, CAT 2009, the traditional format of
conducting CAT in paper-&-pencil format was becoming untenable for a
number of reasons.Conducting the test on a single day all over India
for about 2,50,000 candidates was putting severe strain on the faculty,
staff,and the infrastructure of IIMs. Maintaining security of the
test,carrying out logistics, and coordination with local schools and
colleges was becoming quite challenging.In the long run,with
increasing candidate numbers,cost per candidate for paper pencil test
would become higher than the per candidate cost of a computerized test.
Besides,computerized test has become the preferred form of
administering entrance test globally.
(d) Prometric, a firm specializing in conducting computerized test
all over the world including GRE and TOEFL has been assigned the task of
conducting the test. The actual infrastructure in all the 361 test labs
is managed by the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT),
India.Prometric will get Rs.870/- per candidate from CAT committee
after adjusting the expenses incurred on test development, research
chairship, and project management of CAT, 2009. However, no payment has
been made to Prometric so far.