IIMs to rectify error in online application

DO YOU use only your first name in official papers? Are you too careful about what you type in and take your time to complete online forms? If the answer to either of these questions is a ‘ yes’, chances are you may not be able to apply for the Common Admission Test ( CAT) 2009, to be administered online for the first time between November 28 and December 7.

On Wednesday, the much- awaited online registration for CAT 2009, the gateway examination for admission into the prestigious IIMs and other top- notch business schools, started on a note of confusion.

A number of students complained about the process, which makes it impossible for them to edit mistakes after they had submitted the form, leaving them with no option but to register afresh.

Said Suneet Saxena, a CAT aspirant and a student of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University: “ While filling up the registration form, I’d overlooked the option of selecting non- IIM schools, which was at the bottom of the page. But because the form doesn’t have the editing option, I will have to buy another voucher and it will cost me an extra Rs 1,400.” The admissions cell, however, has responded quickly to the complaints saying the ‘ edit’ option will be available soon and those who had to buy the voucher twice will be reimbursed.

Another problem area for most students is the ‘ educational qualifications’ section. The registration process doesn’t show an ‘ error’ message if students forget to enter their HSC ( Class X) and SSC ( Class XII) scores, even though these are a part of the IIM admission criteria.

“ I was not sure what HSC and SSC meant,” said Jatin Arya, a final- year student of College of Vocational Studies, Delhi University, who registered on Wednesday.

“ The process has to be completed within 20 minutes after you log on, so I had no choice but to buy another voucher.” Ulhas Vairagkar, director of a Delhibased coaching centre for CAT aspirants, pointed out another flaw. “ If you don’t fill up your surname, they won’t accept your form. But in India, in many parts of the country, people have a tradition of using only their first name,” he said.

Vairagkar wrote to the IIM admissions cell pointing out these errors.

It does not, for instance, play back a summary of what you’ve filled up and what you’ve missed out, before you click on the ‘ submit’ button. The online registration form must also tell you which fields are mandatory and which are not.