I have been observing the whole CAT 2009 drama with supreme interest. The more and more I hear about it, the more I doubt the credibility of CAT (Common Aptitude Test) conducted by the top B-schools of our country. CAT is one of the most sought after examinations and studies have proven that IIMA is the most difficult institute to get through in the world – with the ratio being 1:1000.
With such high stakes, can CAT afford to be slandered?
Listing down some objectionable/flawed instances that marred the most-sought-after Exam in India.
- Most exam centers had technical issues with candidates not having their centers as mentioned in the Admit Card.
- Technical hazards like Server issues/Computers rebooting on their own
- The difficulty levels of the exam on any given day was not comparable – Hence, it is not surprising that most of the candidates receiving IIM calls are from the first 3 days of the exam, when the CAT paper was the easiest of the lot.
- Some candidates who did not appear for the test on the initial slot, gave the re-test! No one to question them…
- Some candidates who had a test of more than 140 mins were asked to report the same to the concerned authorities and give a re-test – barring which, their scores would be considered null and void. Nothing of that sort happened. I personally know a few candidates whose exam was for more than 150 mins – they did not bother with the re-test and duly received their scores. This means that some candidates took more time than allocated, thus having an undue advantage over others!
Gazillion such facts and stories are out there where people have got away with doing just about anything during CAT ’09, thus making it a joke and a major fiasco! Not surprising then that the credibility built over the past 50 years has been lost, with a lot of colleges refusing to accept CAT scores as admission criteria!
Whats your take on this? Did you appear for CAT last year? Or did you know someone dear going through the tortures?
Please share your thoughts.
I know someone who had to give the CAT again as the screen froze up on them. But, I guess these glitches were bound to happen and they are just doing a on field testing.
As long as they are on to rectifying it soon, and coming out with a far more superior platform for next year, it is all part of the game.
Sometimes for some things, there is no scope for glitches – when careers and lives of nearly 2.5L students is at stake! They may do a better job next year, but that doesnt not alleviate the heart-burn and disappointment this year
In addition to this i wonder how they calculated %-iles … due to varying level of difficulties.
I think it is often a gamble … sometimes more so (like in this case)
But till now most of the outsiders to MBA-giri didn’t realize this thing i believe. Reason -
For some 1500 seats or so(+ 1500 or so in other good b-schools) … There might be some 10,000+ or so serious contenders … so to an outsider it appears that is is the “best” who entered … but there is substantial arbitness in selection of 1500 (or 3000) students from this pool.
What say?
Exactly my point. They tried to ape GMAT every way possible, but conveniently ignored the fact that GMAT is a highly standardized test, which can be undertaken any time of the year! The difficulty levels across tests remains the same, making it possible to calculate %iles! How they would accomplish such a thing when difficulty levels are different, is beyond me!
It is a gamble, no doubt! Everything in life is… But I would chose to call it a Gamble wherein you have some means of controlling the odds!
yeah … thats true
(btw … chk out my blog, if u haven’t of late … update on the book is lying there since some time now
Super!!!! Congratulations on such fantastic feedback!
Awesomeeee!!! 
So, when do I get my free copy?
thanks
reminds me of a quote – ghoda agar ghaas se dosti karega to khaayega kya
a free copy is possible only once it gets produced en masse (and might take some time!)
… or if i write another book !!!
ye ek chote mote independent cinema ki tarah hai (with no yash raj or karan johar or someone backing it up as of now!!!)
Ab yeh Sholay ka dialogue maar ke tum ne baazi jeet li dost… Chalo ab to hum tumhari book khareedenge bhi aur padhenge bhi… Next India trip ka agenda decided
Uske baad se I hope you wont mind an honest review…
Cool …
Yeah … I won’t mind an honest review … Actually, I am looking for honest and unbiased reviews (an not just a feedback kind of thing
)
Thats nice… Will surely write a review of your book. But that is gonna have to wait, as I do not have any India schedules planned for a few months…
THis CAT and mouse game is going on for some time. I guess this is a good example of screw up (of something that was going on well).
What example are you referring to?
I gave CAT’09..actually ’10
As it was re-scheduled,I could not appear in my first exam slot due to technical glitches.
But the result is way more shocking.Expected 90+ and i land up way back.Not only me around 500+ students have faced problems.Proof-
http://www.pagalguy.com/2010/02/cat-results-server-down-will-be-back-at-6-45pm/
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/services/education/Students-to-file-RTI-over-CAT-goof-ups-/articleshow/5631691.cms
http://raza000.blogspot.com/2010/03/cat-experience.html
here’s my experience!!
Sorry to hear about your shitty experience… All I can say is I hope authorities buck up and such a thing does not happen again!
Hi Nova,
I appeared for CAT-2009 and had no problems during or after the test. Same was the case with people who took test along with me in the same center.
I personally felt that certain technical glitches are common when trying out a new schema. Though i was skeptic about the online format, i liked the format after giving the test. But i do have a lot of doubts on the evaluation procedure they used as the test was spread across different sessions and was of varying difficulty on every single day. Had the IIMs let out the procedure of evaluation and negative marking, it would have cleared several doubts.
Though I have not made it to the IIMs, I still have no complaints about the new procedure. A little more effort on testing the application before the exam would have avoided the wide spread criticism.
Mystery, I have the same questions as you… With varying levels of difficulties, how did they ever synchronize scoring technique over the days??
Though it may sound too idealistic, but fact remains that ‘CHANGE’ is tough. The CAT has changed and the process will take its own time to be streamlined.
Changes don’t come without their own share of probems.
So, hopefully, next time the lost credibility shall be rgained.
Dev, “Change” is a necessary evil, but it does not mean that you play with people’s lives.. Would we be so forgiving if lets say a hospital shofted its location and people suffered because of it.. Oxygen machine wasnt working.. Generator wasnt working, so operations would have to be stopped mid-ways… Some things cant be messed with
Any person who works in the industry will tell you that no software works properly at first go. It needs repeated user testing, usability testing and needs to be tested to ensure it can handle projected traffic. In the present case, looks like none of the above was done before grandly launching.
I work in pre-sales and I had recently made a presentation to a group of management school directors and one of their points was that our system should NOT blow up like the ones used by the IIMs. These directors are from schools ranked in India’s top 10.
The carelessness and callousness displayed by the governing body of CAT 2009 is appalling. People aren’t taking a free service and neither are the IIMs paying from their own pockets. Students are paying registration fees and government is sponsoring the IIM budgets from tax payers money. And yet, the future of lakhs of students is left to such mismanagement. Who is accountable for this mess? What actions have been taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again?
This is a prime example of “chalta hai” attitude and the scale at which this has blown up should ensure that accountability is ensured in such important processes such as b-school admissions.
On a different note, if the IIMs weren’t so blind to filter people based on purely numbers and instead focussed on identifying the personal qualities and capabilities that define standout people, then such an issue would have only meant that everyone’s test scores could be scrapped and they could be judged based on who they are and not just by their performance on a given day under such unprofessional test conditions. But that’s a systemic flaw in the process and a topic for a totally separate debate
It is this “Chalta hai” attitude which has put me off… totally!!
For those people who say glitches “hota hai”, would you accept glitches when you are flying in an aircraft or in your banking software?
Hahahahha good one Naveen
when will we achieve perfection in at least one of the systems of India?
I wrote CAT in 2002 and got my MBA through a top b-school (but could not get to IIM though). Back then, CAT had its value. But today, it seems more noise. We spent months, sometimes years, preparing for it. It was, arguably, called the toughest exam in the world. If today, colleges are refusing to accept CAT scores, it is a shame. IIMs really have to remedial action. The IIMs have a history of churning out the best talent our country has and loosing it to technical malfunction is sad to see.