Common Admission Test (CAT) is becoming not so common.Yes,the common exam is now going to be on a computer with many challenges for the uninitiated in computers. Lets look at the issues that are going to be addressed by the IIMs
INFRASTRUCTURE :
In a country like India, this is the biggest challenge the IIMs and the Prometric testing services are going to face. Let’s understand the requirement.Provision is to be made for 3,00,000 students over a period of 10 days.If every day,there are three slots when the test is going to be conducted, then we are talking about 10,000 computers per slot in 25 cities.
Approximately,400 computers per city on an average.Not a big number considering that there are a number of engineering colleges that have as many computers. In cities like Mumbai,Bangalore and Delhi the requirement could be as high as 800 to 1000 computers,which can still be managed. However,the real challenge is to ensure that each of these computers works without hitches for that 150 minutes of the test. There cannot be a single computer that fails during the test or a mouse that conks off or a terminal whose LCD goes phut!
Even one computer not working could mean an entire year lost for a student.It is possible that the IIMs would give a backup for that student.But in a high-pressured exam like CAT,what is of utmost importance is the ability to keep cool under pressure.It is easier said than done.
What is at stake is the career of a student and the IIMs have to ensure that not a single student loses a valuable year due to malfunctioning of a mere equipment (we are not talking about the brain!) for writing the test!
SECURITY:
The IIMs may not do this exam online.In all probability the test will be conducted in an offline mode (LAN mode).A server will be used to load the test and all computers will be connected to this server so that all students writing the test at that slot would be getting the same questions (though there could be different versions of the paper like it is done in paper-pencil mode)
The exam paper would be loaded through a DVD whose security would be much easier to ensure than that of physical papers (as it used to happen).
ADMINISTRATION :
As has been written above, the biggest challenges are not about security but about administration of the test. Ensuring that 10000 computers work without hitches for three slots a day for 10 days is going to be a mammoth task. Even assuming a five per cent redundancy in computers, it is going to be a big task to ensure that the examination is conducted in a smooth manner.
UNIFORMITY:
This is one of the main issues concerning CAT.Since there are going to be 30 different sets of papers to be conducted, preparing so many sets with a uniform difficulty level is going to be well nigh impossible.There will be a hue and cry if the levels of difficulty are going to vary significantly.The IIMs may have definitely thought about it, but then the seriousness of the issue can only be found when the exam is conducted.
FIRST MOVERS DISADVANTAGE:
If,as the IIMs say,there will be uniform difficulty level for all the exams,then if you are an aspirant for this year’s CAT,you should book your slot as late as possible.If you are the first to write the exam then not knowing the pattern or the levels of difficulty would make it more tougher than for an informed student writing the exam in the later half of the ten day period.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THE TEST:
GMAT and GRE ensure,by making it adaptive,that every student’s ability is captured and questions thrown at a student accordingly.Since CAT is not going to be adaptive and is just going to be a linear exam such luxury does not exist. The IIMs are supposed to be the best management institutes in the country.If any can pull off such a gigantic task,it would be them.Yet,there are too many imponderables that exist and the student is well advised to practice on the computer as well as the traditional paper and pencil model (just in case!)