Should the CAT 2009 Hiccups Slow Down Adoption of Computer-Based Assessments in India?

Several months ago, the adoption of computer-based assessments for the highly popular CAT examinations in India was welcomed enthusiastically by many. There were also many who were skeptical, apprehensive and even virulently opposed to the move. The CAT 2009 hiccups during the last two weeks only enabled the strengthening the views of the skeptics and the naysayers. I empathize with the candidates who went through a traumatic experience. I also empathize with the IIMs that attracted a huge amount of negative publicity. I am sure that the IIMs will work out a plan deal with the affected candidates.

But would the CAT 2009 hiccups slow down the adoption of computer-based assessments in India? Of course, there will be a number of institutions that would succumb to a knee jerk reaction and place their initiatives for adopting computer-based assessments in the back burner. In my view, this would not seriously slow down the process of adoption in the medium and long run. The more important question is “Should the CAT 2009 hiccups slow down the adoption of computer-based assessments in India?”

There are reports in the newspapers that the IIMs are being urged to implement a paper-based test for CAT 2009. I sincerely hope that the wise persons at IIM would not choose this retrograde step. To do this would be to acknowledge that the CAT 2009 was a major failure. Worse, there would be sufficient numbers who would interpret this incorrectly as an acknowledgement that there are fundamental weaknesses in the computer-based assessments.

Computer-based assessments are not something new. They have been around for a few decades. While the going has been relatively smooth, there have been sufficient hiccups even though none perhaps received this level of coverage in the media as the CAT 2009. There are no fundamental weaknesses in computer-based assessments that warrant slowing down of adoption or even abandoning them. There might be some technical glitches or some process glitches. But I see no fundamental reason to oppose computer-based assessments.

The voice of logic and reason must prevail over the shrill campaign that has already shown up on the newspapers, the electronic media and the Internet. I am not particularly bothered that the proposed adoption of computer-based assessment by the Karnataka CET would not be this year. There may be several other initiatives that would slow down in the short run. But it would be tragic if the adoption were abandoned entirely.

Instead of dwelling on potential technical or process related difficulties, I look forward to the community at large raise the level of the debate to a higher plane – not necessarily restricted to the CAT examinations.

Computer-based assessments are dominated by the use of multiple-choice questions and their variants. Are assessments predominantly based on multiple-choice questions and their variants sufficient to assess specific competencies that the candidates ought to possess and demonstrate? It is time we stopped secretly gloating over the hiccups of the CAT 2009 and discuss what can be done to raise the quality and appropriateness of computer-based assessments.