PC Virus Leads to Postponement of CAT

A large number of candidates in India turning up for the online CAT (Common Admission Test) on second day of the exam (November 29, 2009) could not take the test when officials postponed it for conducting repairs of computers that were attacked by a virus, which had disrupted the exam on the 1st day (November 28, 2009).

The test, which was scheduled for ten days from November 28 to December 7, 2009 through computers, was disrupted when a PC virus hit the systems at 24 exam centers out of the total 104. Consequently, officials on November 29, 2009 decided that the test would be temporarily discontinued at the affected centers.

The US organization 'Prometric', which has been entrusted to carry out the test, said that students who were unable to take the test had been informed and given another exam date. The exam was planned for 2.41 Lakh students seeking admission to IIMs along with some other B-schools, the organization stated.

Describing in detail how the problem occurred, Ramesh Nava, Vice-President and General Manager for Japan, Asia Pacific and Africa, Prometric, stated that the organization had prepared and deployed exhaustive plans ahead of the test, but the antivirus programs on the exam centers' computers failed to detect the malicious programs and viruses, which hit the system designed to deliver the test, as reported by Sifynews on November 29, 2009.

The reports state that Bangalore was the most affected, with a dozen laboratories not conducting CAT on November 29. While Bhopal's total 8 laboratories suffered virus attack, 6 laboratories each in Lucknow and Mumbai, 4 in Ghaziabad, and two each across Varanasi and Hyderabad became inoperable. Candidates reaching the single laboratories in Kolkata, Coimbatore and Chandigarh were also informed of the test's tentative cancellation.

Expressing disappointment, Soumitra Roy, Managing Director for India, Prometric, stated that the organization realized the stress candidates were experiencing in adapting to the newly-started online method of the exam and the added pressure of exam postponements, therefore, it was doing everything possible for making the subsequent arrangements smooth, as reported by The Times of India on November 30, 2009.

Related article: PC-Virus of 2005 Threatening Japanese Bank Accountholders, Warns Symantec

» SPAMfighter News - 12/7/2009