Remember Remeber – History making November!!!

After the November of 2007 I had forgotten about the CAT; remember ‘Remember Remember the CAT November’? But this year all of sudden the month of November again reminded me about the CAT madness, primarily due to two reasons; one my brother appeared and this time it was online.

Online test on the lines of GMAT surely sounds fancy and in India if anyone can be accredited to bring the technology then it has to be the ultra modern CAT people and if anyone can be given the responsibility of conducting the exam at such a huge level then they have to be American. So all started preparing for it and the exam unlike earlier days when it used to be on single day was spread over a period of, am not sure but I guess 10 days.

When I get to know about the news, my first thought was wow but the very next moment what! C’mon CAT will not be happening on one single day, what will all the news channels do? They always got so much masala to cover with the interviews of the aspirants, bites by those who are just out of the examination hall; their own expert [who himself has never given CAT in his life] giving preparation tips and analyzing various sections. Or may be they will now show it over a period of 10 days.

Nevertheless, technically speaking I personally felt online CAT will be more difficult, especially the DI and Reading Comprehension. These are the sections in which you make notes on the question itself, so it will be more time consuming now. I wanted to write about this then only, but what the hell CAT was never easy so a little more difficulty doesn’t really matters.

But then all the glitches started to happen. The question was also raised in parliament, but again who gives a damn about a paper being missed by some thousand students when lacs are appearing and only some lucky few hundreds are making through it. My brother missed his first date; his system never started and he came back home without appearing for perhaps one of country’s biggest exam. He was informed about the new date, through an e-mail at night before the due date and to his dismay [and god knows whose delight] he happened to have his college’s final practical exam. The initial solution to this problem as provided by the Prometric [company conducting the CAT exam for IIMs] was ‘either you give this exam or that one’; although later the manger there said he will reschedule him, doesn’t matter the rescheduled date has not arrived yet.

I wanted to write this post then also, but still it appeared to be an incomplete story to me. But now the experts are speculating, as many aspirants missed on their paper this year, the lucky ones who have a call from some of the IIMs are to expect a comparatively tougher GD and PI process, just to compensate. Compensate what, someone please tell me; but in its kind the whole matter might just create a history; as for first time they conducted CAT online.

IIMs are thinking of reviewing their contract with Prometric. Still thinking, what is left to think now? May be another fiasco like this, afterall everyone deserves a second chance. I just thank God no government agency was involved in it, else the media would have very easily blamed the government and the politician for the entire debacle and off course with their stinging abilities they would have unearthed another scam.

What else can I say? Well President Pratibha Patil also made to headlines this November by flying in Sukhoi-30 fighter jet. That’s good! I really appreciate her going for the joy ride on tax payer’s money, but please tell me what was she doing up there? She thinks of herself to be George Bush or what Vladimir Putin? God knows what the point is in the entire stunt; doesn’t she have something better to do with her time? But still she is happy after the ride and so is the country, as we think she made some kind of history. Sure she did and so did the IIMs with online CAT with off course full support and guidance of Prometric.

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