CRPCC Team
30 Nov 2009
The Common Admission Test (CAT) examination, administrated for admission to seven prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and 150 more management institute has been affected by virus attack, as per the contractor and IIMB director, which continued for the third day today.
This year for the first time, CAT is being conducted online throughout India at 104 centers for about 2,41,000 aspirants for about 2500 seats at seven IIMs. The exam was spread over 10 day from 28 November to 07 December 2009. The trouble started at the start of exam on day 1 and continued for the third day today.
First it was stated as server crash, but later the blame was put on a virus. But the details of virus are not disclosed. This give rise to speculation that the virus may be only an excuse.
The so-called virus has affected only at 24 centers distressing about 15% of candidates. Neither IIM directors nor CAT committee nor the contractor Prometric, an US based company and it’s Indian associate NIIT are disclosing any further details.
“This shows the total unprofessional approach by all concerned, where there is either no or not adequate planning, execution, dry run, mock test, stress testing, back-up plan existed”, said Rakesh Goyal, Director General of CRPCC and MD of Sysman Computers Private Limited, a leading IT Security firm.
The launch of the online CAT meant delivery of exams at more than 360 testing laboratories in 104 centres. “It is an ambitious project, but well within the means and experience of Prometric,” Prometric said.
The laboratories closed on Sunday include 11 in Bangalore, eight in Bhopal, six each in Lucknow and Mumbai, five in Delhi, four in Ghaziabad, two each in Varanasi and Hyderabad and one each in Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Kolkata and Coimbatore.
Agitated students and their parents are concerned about their future and the mental agony bourn by them.
