'No widespread server crash in CAT exam'

"There are no wide spread server crash. What is happening is there are delays due to many process that we require to fulfill," Professor Satish Deodhar, convener of this year's CAT, said.

"This is the first day of the first on-line test. Such an attempt to take an on-line test of 2.41 lakh students in the span of 10 days is being carried out for the first time in the world," Deodhar said.

"We must understand that there are bound to be some problems on the first day of such a huge exercise, but the exams are going on and it will go on for the next ten days," he said.

More than 2.41 lakh students are appearing for the first online CAT test across the country for admission in the Indian Institutions of Management and other management institutes.

"There were delays in processing of candidates finger prints and photographs which are required. There is also delay as our test file are taking long to get download due to strict data security provision given to them. Students are also not familiar with the system," Deodhar said.

"But we hope that from tomorrow (on Sunday) it will become more smooth," Deodhar further added.

"What we are doing is we are rescheduling exams for some who faced problems. Every candidate will be able to give the exams," Deodhar said.

Prometric, the American firm to whom the IIMs have given the contract of conducting the on-line test is also working to solve the problem, he said.

"We are in constant touch with them and are working with them to resolve the problems," Deodhar said. This is for the first time that the IIMs are organising the CAT test on-line.

Earlier, the first computer-based Common Admission Test for admission to the IIMS got off to a troubled start with the server crashing in some centres, reportedly, forcing the authorities to reschedule the examination for those affected.

Nearly 2.41 lakh students across the country would take the exam for getting entry into seven IIMs and other B-schools in 105 centres in 32 cities in the next ten days.

"It has certainly not been cancelled in any of the test centres," Soumitra Roy, Managing Director, India, Prometric, the agency conducting the test, said.

"As a result of isolated technical issues some candidates are being rescheduled and provided with a new appointment via email and SMS," Roy had said.

Students complained of glitches in certain centres in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bhopal. However, IIM-Bangalore Director Prof Pankaj Chandra claimed the first session of the examination was a 'smooth affair.'

The IIMs for the first time have entrusted the task of  conducting the CAT to Prometric, an American firm, which is organising the computer-based test over a period of ten days.

There will be two rounds of test each day. The first round will start from 10 am to 12.30 pm while the second round will be from 3.30 pm to 6 pm, Prometric said.

A total of 2,41,582 students have registered for the exam this year, which is a marginal drop as compared to last year when 2,46,000 students appeared for CAT.