Technical problems mar online CAT

The highly competitive Common Admission Test (CAT), which went online for the first time this year, was once again hit by technical problems and poor management.

The highly competitive Common Admission Test (CAT), which went online for the first time this year, was once again hit by technical problems and poor management affecting students in as many as 49 test centres in 14 cities across the country.

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The exam, which determines admission to country's prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and many other B-schools, is being held in a staggered online format for the first time. Sunday was day two of the 10-day schedule.

From day one Saturday, technical glitches and computers crashing affected the exams from being conducted in many centres across the country. On Sunday, while the organisers posted an update on their official website announcing the rescheduling of the exam in 49 centres across India, there was no direct communication, either through mail or SMS to the students, creating much confusion.

In a number of cases students had reached their test centres and sat for the exam when they were told to go back home.