JOIN USThe first online test organised by the Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (ComedK) for undergraduate engineering seats on Sunday was beset with several problems.
Besides going online, this was also the first time that the test was being held on a national scale in numerous cities and test centres. As a result of the sheer scale of the exam, it faced various difficulties. Technical glitches were reported in various exam centres in the city. Servers were down in a few others.
Harrowing time
Also, the last-minute changes in the exam centres allotted to students put them through a harrowing time. Students had to run from one centre to another. For example, as many as 123 students who reached the BMS Institute of Technology at Yelahanka for the test had their names at Acharaya Institute of Technology, Hesaraghatta.
Despite the ComedK sending out details on Friday, many parents said the message reached them only on Saturday night.
A Supreme Court ruling on Friday rendered all private medical and dental entrance tests invalid as a result of which the ComedK cancelled its medical and dental exam.
Following the cancellation, ComedK reduced the number of centres from 739 to 697 throughout the country. In about 250 centres, the engineering test was held for around 20 students, said B N Subramanya, CEO, Era Foundation, that collaborated with the ComedK for the test.
The ComedK hired TCS for conducting its first online exam. TCS has also been conducting the prestigious Common Admission Test (CAT) for entry into the Indian Institutes of Management.
The ComedK considered as many as 5 proposals from various other companies like Aptech before zeroing in on TCS.