Another life for CAT

Bangalore: Are the IIMs mulling over holding another CAT for admissions 2010? Stung by nationwide criticism on bungling the CAT test, the IIMs want to put the mouse away and go in for the paper-pencil format.

Sources said those within the IIMs have suggested to the directors to consider holding another test before the HRD ministry thrusts it on them. The big question: will the 10-day exercise (computerised CAT) that concluded on Tuesday be declared null and void?

At a meeting of the IIMs of Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta last week, there were clear indications that the B-schools may have no choice but to conduct another test in the interest of thousands of IIM aspirants. “Our main interest is in ensuring that we give each candidate a fair chance to write the test and at the end the test is a fair one. We always have an option of holding another one. The CAT committee has already prepared additional tests,’’ sources said.

HRD minister Kapil Sibal too is unhappy with the way the CAT was conducted this year. “He has cited the example of his predecessor Murli Manohar Joshi who cancelled the test five years ago after a question paper leak. The directors may well take a decision before the ministry directs them to do so. That will be embarrassing for the premier IIMs,’’ the sources maintained.

The IIMs have privately admitted that they could not conduct the computerised CAT 2009 in a foolproof manner as desired. The test was organised in 32 cities, 106 centres and 361 labs.