Photo Credit: PinkMoose
Common Admission Test (CAT) helplines were abuzz since morning with candidates unable to view their results even hours after they were declared open at 3.00am on the CAT site. While some candidates tried to call on the helpline numbers provided by CAT authorities, others sent emails of protest.
Of course, nothing much changed in the immediate course and candidates were still known to be feverishly attempting to see their results till mid-morning. As the day subsided, though, the situation eased out and almost everybody was able to view his or her score.
However, many complainants were pleasantly surprised to receive emails in their inbox inquiring about the complaint. The response emails that dropped in the evening also tendered an apology for the ‘inconvenience experienced to the test-taker.’
Candidates who are used to getting a cold shoulder to their CAT complaints over the years (about normalisation and wrong questions) were taken aback and pleasantly surprised too.
The funny part, was the fact, that neither CAT officials nor Prometric people knew anything about these mails. CAT Convenor Prof SSS Kumar jokingly asked: “Has it come from my inbox. I have no clue what you are talking about?”
Prometric officials were also unaware. They said it could have arisen out of the statement that CAT Convenor had made two days ago asking candidates to go a little easy on checking their results on the morning of January 9, so that the CAT servers are not overloaded.
Later, Prometric officials said that the mail could have been the standard email sent to all those who register a complaint with the authorities.
Standard email it was, since what it actually only asked the candidates to log in once again and check their results if they were not able to do so earlier in the day. Who in the wide world would have waited till 7.00pm on the CAT result day to view his results?
Asked a candidate who had made a complaint on the Prometic helpline: “Are our queries actually addressed or are these mails sent in bulk to any and every person who makes a complaint.”
Anyway, by the end of January 9, the complaints really did not matter. Those who topped had the top-of-the-world feeling and those who were disappointed and complained, hoped that next year things would be brighter. They also hoped that thenext time they complain, they receive mails that not only show concern to their problems but also help solve them.
And the emails concluded wishing the candidates all the very best for the admission process.