See, it's true that online exams are the next step ahead, but one must realise that you can't make such a drastic change in one go..They could have given people the option of choosing between ppt and cbt... That way the load would have been less....One must realise that some aspirants are serious and have invested a lot of time and money on this exam...For us, it's not just any exam or any argument, it's our future...
Atanu kashyap Adhikari - 14 years ago
As I have given the online CAT, I firmly and embarrassingly conclude :
the worst consequence of the first ever online CAT is ,a large number of students have got unfair advantage to perform well whereas many of the aspirants have suffered setbacks with no fault of their own. it means that candidates selected on the basis of online CAT scores will surely not have the same mettle which is a unique factor among the previous IIM students. the IIMs and the CAT exam have lost their credibility and it is in the best interest of everybody including the IIMs that such a prestigious exam shall be reverted back to the paper based test.
It is a national shame that CAT 2009 will be known for technical drawbacks, undue stress, inability to introduce a new thing etc.
So, the one thing that can save IIM is the paper based test or else, its reputation and the future of india are at stake.
Ankit Pandey - 14 years ago
In $40 million, Paper and pencil tests can be conducted for 10 years without any glitches.
As far as eco-friendliness is needed, electricity production damages more than paper.
CAT SHOULD BE RESCHEDULED AS PAPER AND PENCIL TEST !!!!
swati sehgal - 14 years ago
The manner in which the CAT is being conducted this year is disappointing to say the least. Considering that IIMs are amongst the most respected institutions in the country and the most coveted as well, they should take the moral responsibility for this year's blunder, scrap the exam all together and conduct a fresh paper based test. online test can be conducted in future but continuing with it this year is unfair to all aspirants.
hey its better to be late than never,a prof of iim told that iim has invested a lot of funds on prometric so they would not reschedule it ,according to them it will be a "WASTE OF FUNDS" but i think its a "WASTE OF TALENT".MANY have complaints regarding their computer being slow as compared to other candidates which means loss of time and nervousness.in some centres the test started after 4-5 hrs of the scheduled time, another mental harassment,after waiting for 4-5 noi one can solve the ques with a fresh mind all concentration gone.SO ITS BETTER TO BE LATE THAN NEVER" and cancel the computerised test and conduct a paper pencil test.SHOULD NOT PLAY WITH TALENT
Catty - 14 years ago
I think having a CBT format is better than the Paper based CAT.Although later on utmost care needs to be taken so as to not repeat the 'fiasco' that reigned rule inthe 1st few days of CAT
nimesh - 14 years ago
hi this is my view is the need of time to take cat to the online platform but it should be done in a phased manner and there should be a mock drills as we do in the republic day parade so that students cant suffers.
nikita - 14 years ago
online CAT is big mess..... it is just a waste of time . dis all cud hav been done in a single day offline test, without any problems.... our test was cancelled on 2nd day ... n still we r not informed dat when we'll b able to take d test... come on!!! we just dont have only 1 work.. our semester xams r on head...
dis shows d MISMANAGEMENT of d prestigious INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT...!!!
siddharth - 14 years ago
i agree that cat has gone online and its a step taken by the iim to modernize the examination pattern but still its the question of career of students who are appearing exams and we cant afford any lacuna in the pattern of examination. probs such as server crash, virus in the computer network are quite modern and technical probs and if these probs arise during examination then they are needed to be sorted immediately asap and for doing this skilled IT professionals are needed in each and every examination center which according to me is a extra concern. but if cat was a written exam these probs can be prevented. moreover if it goes online then we hv to adjust according to it still i feel written is bit better than online
parul - 14 years ago
if we ever wish to be world leaders in field of higher education we have to go world class and online examination system is a step of the many that need to be taken.To conduct an exam for the first time at this level is a very difficult task so problems were bound to occur but that does not mean that it will always be so.Of course CAT-2009 was disappointing but for bigger good small baddies need to be neglected.
Hemanth - 14 years ago
I do not vouch for the CAT going back to the Paper-pencil format. The reason I say so is that this transformation to a computer-based avatar had to happen one day day or the other. Moreover, its only an unfortunate co-incidence that it had to start with our batch. In fits of anger over IIMs not being able to conduct the exams as well as planned, we are forgetting the fact that the new format has reduced the hassles to almost 'nil'. None of the applications for CAT were rejected this year compared to 7000 in 2008.
Now said that, I do not give a clean chit to the IIM's either. Yes they have mismanaged it and mismanaged it big time. Seems they have not been able to do the very thing properly they are famous for the world over- Management. Its them and only them to be blamed for the whole fiasco at the centers and many aspirants not being able to appear. They should have planned well and implementation should have been flawless. A mock CAT could have been conducted a few weeks in advance in 2-3 centers just to check whether the systems come across any problems. But the new format is not to be blamed for inefficiency shown by the IIMs and Prometric. Hope the IIMs learn some credible lessons from these mistakes and conduct the tests in a better manner in the coming years.(Of course only if they are not scrapped).
Computer-based tests are the way of the future and only a matter of proper planning and immaculate implementation.
Ankush - 14 years ago
I think, CAT should continue this online exam next year too. It's a new concept and it's good. I have gone throught this exam last year and this year too.. and i personally feel that, online test is good, and time saving too... the option like review and all.. are time saving.
I agree that due to server problems, many students were unable to give exam but IIM's are doing their best.
As they say that " It's not necessary that every start/ first step will be perfect but it can be next time".
Swapnil Dhamal - 14 years ago
its like ind-aus cricket match.. ind bats in mumbai n aus bats in mohali.. how can they even dream of calculating accurate percentiles wid such different difficulty levels?? plus thr shud be real simulation (well in advance) of da kinda load da servers hav to bear on actual exam dates.. nevertheless if taken proper steps, online will be a b8r option.. but dis isnt da time for trials n errors.. we can just giv CAT once in a yr.. n for a serious aspirant, giving it another try is like shortening life by an yr.. hopefully, IIMs will start working out solutions asap n bring da steps into action fr next yr.. all da best to all aspirants :)
Ritu Lakhotia - 14 years ago
This year CAT is facing so much trouble as it has gone online.If online was conducted proper care should be taken to avoid such constrains which happened this year.I think IIMs must have done some more arrangements for online CAT.I think paper based was far better than online.
Changes are not always smooth, but if changes are for better I believe we should not give up. IIMs are not the only one to go online, other test like GMAT, GRE, and other are online. May be this year turn out to be bad, but it is not an impossible task. My vote is for online test
sauvik - 14 years ago
All though 'cat' "should" be paper based.. it "would not" be.. no matter what we say or do, the IIMs have the scepter and they would only do what saves them time and complications...Don't even dream of them reverting back to paper-pencil, atleast for this year...Although that's precisely what they 'should' do..
i jus dont know what the "prestigious " IIMs were thinking departing 4m the robust and without any cliches technique which they had followed from last so many years.Prometric boasted that it had organised GRe..so CAT wil jus add another exam in their vittae..but what dey didnt realise that ground situation was very very different from GRE..or any other examz..i must say more than Prometric has failed it is the IIMs dat hav failed..dey shud realise CHANGE IS NOT ALWAYS for GOOD..and m sure aftr dis :x CAT dey wil introspect wat went wrong and be back to the basics of papers..:) 2009 has jus made a mess out of the reputation of CAT. i m infact majority of d aspirants are disappointed. PLS IIM's GIVE "IT" a SERious THOUGHT!!!!!!!!
See, it's true that online exams are the next step ahead, but one must realise that you can't make such a drastic change in one go..They could have given people the option of choosing between ppt and cbt... That way the load would have been less....One must realise that some aspirants are serious and have invested a lot of time and money on this exam...For us, it's not just any exam or any argument, it's our future...
As I have given the online CAT, I firmly and embarrassingly conclude :
the worst consequence of the first ever online CAT is ,a large number of students have got unfair advantage to perform well whereas many of the aspirants have suffered setbacks with no fault of their own. it means that candidates selected on the basis of online CAT scores will surely not have the same mettle which is a unique factor among the previous IIM students. the IIMs and the CAT exam have lost their credibility and it is in the best interest of everybody including the IIMs that such a prestigious exam shall be reverted back to the paper based test.
It is a national shame that CAT 2009 will be known for technical drawbacks, undue stress, inability to introduce a new thing etc.
So, the one thing that can save IIM is the paper based test or else, its reputation and the future of india are at stake.
In $40 million, Paper and pencil tests can be conducted for 10 years without any glitches.
As far as eco-friendliness is needed, electricity production damages more than paper.
CAT SHOULD BE RESCHEDULED AS PAPER AND PENCIL TEST !!!!
The manner in which the CAT is being conducted this year is disappointing to say the least. Considering that IIMs are amongst the most respected institutions in the country and the most coveted as well, they should take the moral responsibility for this year's blunder, scrap the exam all together and conduct a fresh paper based test. online test can be conducted in future but continuing with it this year is unfair to all aspirants.
can email me on agrwl.varun@gmail.com
hey its better to be late than never,a prof of iim told that iim has invested a lot of funds on prometric so they would not reschedule it ,according to them it will be a "WASTE OF FUNDS" but i think its a "WASTE OF TALENT".MANY have complaints regarding their computer being slow as compared to other candidates which means loss of time and nervousness.in some centres the test started after 4-5 hrs of the scheduled time, another mental harassment,after waiting for 4-5 noi one can solve the ques with a fresh mind all concentration gone.SO ITS BETTER TO BE LATE THAN NEVER" and cancel the computerised test and conduct a paper pencil test.SHOULD NOT PLAY WITH TALENT
I think having a CBT format is better than the Paper based CAT.Although later on utmost care needs to be taken so as to not repeat the 'fiasco' that reigned rule inthe 1st few days of CAT
hi this is my view is the need of time to take cat to the online platform but it should be done in a phased manner and there should be a mock drills as we do in the republic day parade so that students cant suffers.
online CAT is big mess..... it is just a waste of time . dis all cud hav been done in a single day offline test, without any problems.... our test was cancelled on 2nd day ... n still we r not informed dat when we'll b able to take d test... come on!!! we just dont have only 1 work.. our semester xams r on head...
dis shows d MISMANAGEMENT of d prestigious INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT...!!!
i agree that cat has gone online and its a step taken by the iim to modernize the examination pattern but still its the question of career of students who are appearing exams and we cant afford any lacuna in the pattern of examination. probs such as server crash, virus in the computer network are quite modern and technical probs and if these probs arise during examination then they are needed to be sorted immediately asap and for doing this skilled IT professionals are needed in each and every examination center which according to me is a extra concern. but if cat was a written exam these probs can be prevented. moreover if it goes online then we hv to adjust according to it still i feel written is bit better than online
if we ever wish to be world leaders in field of higher education we have to go world class and online examination system is a step of the many that need to be taken.To conduct an exam for the first time at this level is a very difficult task so problems were bound to occur but that does not mean that it will always be so.Of course CAT-2009 was disappointing but for bigger good small baddies need to be neglected.
I do not vouch for the CAT going back to the Paper-pencil format. The reason I say so is that this transformation to a computer-based avatar had to happen one day day or the other. Moreover, its only an unfortunate co-incidence that it had to start with our batch. In fits of anger over IIMs not being able to conduct the exams as well as planned, we are forgetting the fact that the new format has reduced the hassles to almost 'nil'. None of the applications for CAT were rejected this year compared to 7000 in 2008.
Now said that, I do not give a clean chit to the IIM's either. Yes they have mismanaged it and mismanaged it big time. Seems they have not been able to do the very thing properly they are famous for the world over- Management. Its them and only them to be blamed for the whole fiasco at the centers and many aspirants not being able to appear. They should have planned well and implementation should have been flawless. A mock CAT could have been conducted a few weeks in advance in 2-3 centers just to check whether the systems come across any problems. But the new format is not to be blamed for inefficiency shown by the IIMs and Prometric. Hope the IIMs learn some credible lessons from these mistakes and conduct the tests in a better manner in the coming years.(Of course only if they are not scrapped).
Computer-based tests are the way of the future and only a matter of proper planning and immaculate implementation.
I think, CAT should continue this online exam next year too. It's a new concept and it's good. I have gone throught this exam last year and this year too.. and i personally feel that, online test is good, and time saving too... the option like review and all.. are time saving.
I agree that due to server problems, many students were unable to give exam but IIM's are doing their best.
As they say that " It's not necessary that every start/ first step will be perfect but it can be next time".
its like ind-aus cricket match.. ind bats in mumbai n aus bats in mohali.. how can they even dream of calculating accurate percentiles wid such different difficulty levels?? plus thr shud be real simulation (well in advance) of da kinda load da servers hav to bear on actual exam dates.. nevertheless if taken proper steps, online will be a b8r option.. but dis isnt da time for trials n errors.. we can just giv CAT once in a yr.. n for a serious aspirant, giving it another try is like shortening life by an yr.. hopefully, IIMs will start working out solutions asap n bring da steps into action fr next yr.. all da best to all aspirants :)
This year CAT is facing so much trouble as it has gone online.If online was conducted proper care should be taken to avoid such constrains which happened this year.I think IIMs must have done some more arrangements for online CAT.I think paper based was far better than online.
Changes are not always smooth, but if changes are for better I believe we should not give up. IIMs are not the only one to go online, other test like GMAT, GRE, and other are online. May be this year turn out to be bad, but it is not an impossible task. My vote is for online test
All though 'cat' "should" be paper based.. it "would not" be.. no matter what we say or do, the IIMs have the scepter and they would only do what saves them time and complications...Don't even dream of them reverting back to paper-pencil, atleast for this year...Although that's precisely what they 'should' do..
management techy's need refresh training about the system Technology...!!!!!!!!!!:)
i jus dont know what the "prestigious " IIMs were thinking departing 4m the robust and without any cliches technique which they had followed from last so many years.Prometric boasted that it had organised GRe..so CAT wil jus add another exam in their vittae..but what dey didnt realise that ground situation was very very different from GRE..or any other examz..i must say more than Prometric has failed it is the IIMs dat hav failed..dey shud realise CHANGE IS NOT ALWAYS for GOOD..and m sure aftr dis :x CAT dey wil introspect wat went wrong and be back to the basics of papers..:) 2009 has jus made a mess out of the reputation of CAT. i m infact majority of d aspirants are disappointed. PLS IIM's GIVE "IT" a SERious THOUGHT!!!!!!!!