CAT re-test worsens scores chaos

The first online Common Admission Test (CAT) for IIMs began with glitches and chaos. Now, two weeks after the results are out, students say the re-tests and scores are botched, reports Kiran Wadhwa.

The first online Common Admission Test (CAT) for IIMs began with glitches and chaos. Now, two weeks after the results are out, students say the re-tests and scores are botched.

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On February 28, when Prometric, the agency that conducted the online CAT, released the scores, Vile Parle-based Chintan Gala (21) realised he had no result though he appeared for the test on December 1.

Owing to technical glitches he had been offered a re-test, scheduled on January 30. On January 23, Prometric sent him an e-mail saying his re-test was optional and that his earlier score would be considered. Gala chose not to take the re-test. Now Prometric is telling him the re-test was mandatory.

Only 4,800 aspirants opted to appear for the re-test though more than 10,000 students were given the option. It’s unlikely that Gala is the only student who got no scores. “It is likely that other students who opted out of the re-test are in the same lurch,” said Arks Srinivas of T.I.M.E institute, a CAT coaching class.

Soumitra Roy, managing director of Prometric, said: “Initially, there were glitches in the IIM website which is maybe why the student could not access his result. If he still has not got his result, the candidate care helpline will investigate and get back to him.”

Another aspirant Vikram Mukhi’s computer hung for a few minutes while he was attempting the CAT’s quant section, but he did not get a re-test call. “My scores show the quant section was not fully marked. I scored 76 percentile in quant and above 95 in others,” said the IITian.