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Divya Trivedi

Ahmedabad, Nov. 18 The Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs) and Prometric, global provider of comprehensive testing and assessment services, are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that students are able to successfully appear and complete the Common Admission Test 2009.

Notwithstanding reports of a drop in the number of applicants this year, the CAT committee is hopeful that it would be able to pull off the first computerised examination with minimum glitches.

“This is the first time we are taking CAT online and not in the paper and pen format and there will be mistakes. But we hope to learn as we go along,” the CAT Convenor, Prof Satish Deodhar, told Business Line.

In a four-page Practical Guide to CAT 2009, Prometric has informed students to “look out for signboards and staff wearing official CAT 2009 jackets to assist” them once they arrive at the test centres.

The CAT examination starting from November 29 to December 7 will be different in more ways than one, with major logistics revamp to suit the new format.

Candidates will have to arrive at the test centres not less than two hours before test time and go through security checks, identity verification and check-in.

“The whole rigmarole sounds like checking into an airport. But I am glad they have issued this guidebook; it helps jittery first timers like me,” said an applicant for CAT 2009.

Candidates will get only 15 minutes to familiarise themselves with the new system on how to answer and review the questions before the actual test lasting two hours and 15 minutes begins. The testing sessions will be audio and video recorded. Contingency plans have been put in place in the event of power outage, technical glitches , medical outbreaks, natural calamities and terrorist attacks, according to the guidebook.

An estimated 2.41 lakh candidates are said to have registered for CAT this year as compared to 2.46 lakh who took the test in 2008. CAT is a qualifying test for a management programme at the seven Indian Institutes of Management as well as other institutes that accept the CAT scores. It will be held in close to 104 test centres across 32 cities in India. The results will be declared on the CAT website by the end of January.

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