Prometric admits CAT 2009 was 'far from perfect'

New Delhi, Dec 15: Prometric, the US firm which handled the first ever online Common Admission Test (CAT) 2009, has admitted that administration of the exam was 'far from perfect'.

"While the administration was far from perfect, tests were successfully given to more than 2.15 lakh candidates over the course of 11 days...," Soumitra Roy, Managing Director, India, Prometric, told a news agency.

The test, conducted for admission into prestigious Indian Institutes of Managements (IIMs), went online in 2009. Stretched over a period of 10-days, the exams were held on 17,000 computers in 361 temporary testing labs at 104 centres in 32 cities.

From the very first day, the tests were plagued by virus attacks and other technical glitches upsetting thousands of students. IIMs as well as Prometric drew major criticism over the failure to conduct the exams smoothly.

"We stand by the test and its ability to serve interests of students and educators. We strongly believe in its credibility," Mr. Roy said, adding that the development of the test adhered to a 'process-driven science' that both the IIMs and Prometric strictly followed.

OneIndia News