The first trial test for the much awaited Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) was conducted in the second week of December. A handful of candidates took the exam and now preparations are on to conduct the second trial test. According to sources at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), after the first trial test, a series of issues, including technical ones were looked into. The statistical efficacy of the test was also studied, an official told PaGaLGuY. The second trial test slated to be conducted this week will have a fresh bunch of aspirants. There will be two pilot tests before CMAT is finally conducted in February 2012.

The official also said that AICTE had specially kept in mind the fiasco when the Common Admission Test (CAT) was first conducted online in 2009. Technical problems are foremost in our mind. Once they are sorted out, everything else would be easy to tackle, he said. Of course, the exam on the final day is a different issue altogether. “The mechanism for the exam is going to be exactly like the CAT,” he added. Sources, however, say that security mechanisms like biometrics may be used at the exam venue. “In Mumbai alone, at least 15,000-20,000 students are expected to take the CMAT,” he said.

While AICTE is still tight-lipped about the colleges that would accept CMAT scores, PaGaLGuY confirmed one name KJ Somaya Institute of Management and Research (SIMSR). ” We are accepting CMAT scores for our PGDM programmes in financial services, retail management and executive management for this year,” said Suresh Ghai, director-general, SIMSR. “We are considering CMAT scores for only these courses because the deadline for accepting applications for these programmes is in March, by which time CMAT results will be out,” he said. He also added that they would favourably consider CMAT scores for all their courses from next year.

The AICTE website says that ‘scores will be awarded to all the candidates who appear for CMAT and all India and state-level merit will be prepared for admission to MBA and PGDM programmes in AICTE approved institutions’. The AICTE official said that it was only natural that schools affiliated to AICTE would accept CMAT scores. Reportedly, talks are on with b-schools about acceptance of CMAT scores, but there is little clarity on the issue.