CAT Exam Incident: CAT organisers more cautious after Delhi doldrums

(prHWY.com) October 26, 2012 - Noida, India -- The organisers of CAT 2012 are taking remedial measures in order to prevent the repetition of untoward incidents occurred on October 20, the eighth day of the examination, that left a good number of aspirants in a real fix and authorities red faced. Though not conceding that the fallouts were because of any technical glitch, the authorities are leaving no stone unturned to provide a trouble-free and smooth exam experience to aspirants.

When asked about the particular problem and whether it is now time to re-think the testing process, Prof SSS Kumar of IIM Kozhikode, the CAT convenor of 2012, informed MBAUniverse.com, "It was not a technical glitch but a switch failure (owing to violent power fluctuations) that cannot be anticipated. The centre is being monitored more closely and we have taken adequate risk-mitigation measures. An experienced team of engineers has been stationed at the venue to take quick remedial actions if anything untoward happens."

Prometric managing director Soumitra Roy told MBAUniverse.com, "Resolving any operational and technical issues that come up during the testing is part of Prometric's standard operating procedure. We have a robust infrastructure in place to identify and resolve issues as they surface. At Prometric, we follow global standards of testing and ensure that all candidates get the best testing experience... Electrical malfunction and power-related issues are beyond our control. However, we have replaced the UPS that was damaged on Saturday."

He assured all the registered candidates of good testing experience during the remaining CAT window 2012. Roy said that the affected candidates were provided with a new appointment within the testing window. "A few agreed to take the test the same day while those requested for another date, were provided with the option," he said.

While it was a tiring and demoralising experience for CAT aspirants on that day, other test takers who are waiting for their turns are keeping fingers crossed. "One such experience may make Prometric really cautious and goad them to take steps to avoid such a situation. However, I do not want to think about it, as it is going to spoil my concentration and affect my performance," said Sabari Harsh, who will be writing the test at the Asia Pacific Institute of Management, Jasola.

Another student, who is taking the test on October 26 at the same venue, said some other agencies should now be given a chance along with Prometric so that there is competition. In fact, CAT takers can be divided into zones as per the regions they belong to (North, South, West and East) and the zones should be divided among agencies. It will make conducting bodies more committed and there won't be any room for such callousness.

October 20 was an eventful day when around 40 aspirants went to write the test in two Delhi centers -- Asia Pacific Institute of Management, Jasola, and Panacea Testing Centre in Mayapuri -- only to know after a long wait that they won't be able to take the test on scheduled time due to some technical issues. To add to their woes, after a few hours of wait, aspirants were shifted to centers of Dwarka and Gurgaon.

A post on the Forum section of MBAUniverse.com will help understand the hapless position of aspirants better. The post, which did not mention the name of the student, goes on like this:

"ADVENTROUS CAT PAPER @MAYAPURI CENTRE 2nd shift"

After half an hour in the exam hall, we were informed that there were some technical faults; so the centre is being shifted to other place. Some people were shifted to Gurgaon and some to Dwarka. "I went to the Dwarka centre by bus, arranged by the centre. The bus driver did not know where the centre was. So we roamed in Dwarka for almost one-and-a-half hours before finally reaching the venue. We had to wait another 30-40 minutes there. Then, finally, I was able to take the test, which ended at 7: 40 pm."

For more news related to CAT 2012, stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com

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