New Delhi, Jun 27: In a notification on the IIM website, it has been revealed that the scores of about 80 candidates who appeared for the CAT exams have been tampered with. The alteration has led to inflation of the scores of the 80 candidates.
The CAT scores are used for admissions in various B-schools apart from Indian Institute of Management.
IIM in its notice has admitted that the scores of 80 examinees have been tampered for which an FIR has also been filed. The notice further said that investigations had already begun.
According to reports, the admission procedure of IIM's institutes was not affected due to the use of the master database in Prometric. “Non-IIM institutes that have a formal relationship for the use of CAT scores are being alerted and scores from the master database are being provided to them. The IIMs are reviewing the process by which data are managed and published externally. The rest of the examinees' scores on the website, www.catiim.in, were found intact and matching with the master database received from Prometric,” IIM Kozhikode said.
However many other MBA schools and institutes would face the problem since they use the online data which has been affected. Schools like FMS, BIMTECH and NITIE-Mumbai are some of the well known institutes that have been affected by the alteration of the scores.
BIMTECH said that it has admitted 10 students with the inflated scores so far and had cancelled the admission of one such candidate.
The Common Admission Test (CAT) took place between October 11, 2012 and November 6, 2012. Candidates had appeared for the computer based tests at designated test centres.
Apart from the 13 IIMs, about 170 management institutes use CAT scores for admitting candidates.
Full text of the IIM notice:
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is an entrance test conducted for selecting candidates to join the IIMs across the country, located at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Kashipur, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Shillong, Tiruchirappalli and Udaipur. The CAT scores are also used by some non-IIM institutes as part of their admission process. The CAT 2012 exams were conducted between October 11, 2012 and November 6, 2012. The tests were computer based tests, taken by the candidates at designated test centres. The actual conduct and evaluation of test was entrusted to M/s. Prometric. As per the practice in the previous years, the test results were published on the web site www.catiim.in which is managed and hosted by M/s. Web Weavers. Acting on the basis of a complaint, a comparison of CAT 2012 scores available on the website www.catiim.in (hosted and managed by M/sWeb Weavers) with master database of the scores (those received from Prometric) shows that scores of eighty examinees have been tampered/altered, resulting in inflation of scores for these examinees. The rest of the examinees' scores on the website www.catiim.in were found to be intact and matching with the master database received from Prometric. An FIR has been filed on 15/6/2013 and the investigation is under progress. The IIMs have used the master database for short-listing. Hence, the admission process has in no way been compromised in any of the IIMs as a result of the tampering. Non-IIMs institutes that have a formal relationship for the use of CAT scores, are being alerted and scores from master database are being provided to them. The IIMs are reviewing the process by which data are managed and published externally.
Convenor, CAT 2012
On behalf of all Indian Institutes of Management.
