Reported by New Delhi. “Have you ever farted loudly in public?” was the question that popped up on his computer screen when Ankit Agarwal was taking CAT 2009 online at the Delhi Business School center here. A shocked and upset Ankit looked around to find equally dumbfounded faces of fellow test takers at the center. A few minutes passed when all of them realized that CAT servers had been hacked.
“I found all the students straining their eyes and looking around with puzzling looks at each other, and I sensed that something was wrong. But I still answered the fart question by choosing the option (b), which was in affirmative, assuming IIMs wanted to test us on some abstruse parameter as MBAs are often accused of creating fart. And to my horror, the next thing on screen was a middle finger, telling me I was a loser. I immediately knew that the servers were hacked.” Ankit recounted his harrowing experience.
Students were shocked to see such images on their computer screen as they took CAT 2009 online
Several centers around the country reported the same problem with the students asked absolutely ridiculous and offensive questions such as “have you ever slept with a potato in your underwear?” and “will you mop up the poop of pet dog of your boss to get promotion?”, all of them ending with a middle finger on the screen when students cared to choose an available option. It was the first day of online CAT (Common Admission Test) for admission to the six (as of today) IIMs and many other well known and lesser known MBA institutes.
“IIMs are known to change the pattern of CAT quite often, therefore many students thought that maybe these questions had some hidden meanings. But we felt like losers once that middle finger appeared on the screen. I talked to many of my friends and all of them feel the same. The questions appeared to have been taken straight out of a show of Sach Ka Saamna.” Chetan Pandit, another CAT test taker shared his experience.
IIMs have called for an emergency meeting this evening to discuss the problem and to nail down the hacker, but the event has already caused huge embarrassment to them. Many students, who otherwise had bunked the online CAT to see movies, were seen demonstrating in front of the centers asking IIMs to go back to paper-and-pen tests. Samajwadi Party activists too joined the protests and broke computers as a symbol of protest.
This unfortunate incident has also caused many test conducting agencies and internet security agencies to pitch for their services to IIMs and ask them to outsource CAT to them. These agencies have also approached Ministry of Human Resource Development with what they termed as ‘lucrative’ proposals.
Meanwhile the students are fuming over the possibility that they will have to take the test again, which is often touted as their ticket to a better life. Most of the students believe, and more importantly want their parents to believe, that they were performing exceptionally well at the test before the hackers struck and denied them an opportunity to change their lives.
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[...] Re: CAT 2009 : 1st Day, 28th Nov Exam discussions – 29-11-2009, 01:09 PM hi friends…. HAVE A LOOK AT THIS FUNNY THING THAT HAPPENED TO CAT TAKERS CAT servers hacked, students asked extremely personal questions CAT servers hacked, students asked extremely personal questions | Faking News [...]
test takers must reconsider the way they r doing it
paper pen wat was d problem my dear? y this prometric farce
I think moving on from pen and paper is a great gesture. Since years GMAT and GRE have successfully adopted the Computer Adaptive Test which is less hassle-free for the management as well as the students(flexible dates). I hope next time IIMs distribute the load more evenly..
My two cents!
It saves money and is ecological too..
Ecological my ass …. my exam got rescheduled 3 times ….. I have to waste my money and time to reach the test center ….hw cum is this money efficient …
fuck u guys…the test was a blunder, my comp stopped 4 times..i completed the 135 min test in 200..
The comments are funnier than the article itself! ha ha ha
[...] Prometrille – The phishing & pharming game on CAT. – 01-12-2009, 05:04 PM CAT servers hacked, students asked extremely personal questions | Faking News What Blog Men! | PaGaLGuY.com B-school Rankings 2009 Twitter me | Fotuus – [...]
Guys, BITS-Pilani has been conducting successful, hassle-free online test for past half-decade now. It just needs proper planning and right implementation . follow this link
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091201/jsp/frontpage/story_11806691.jsp
Vaibhav,
Your link is broken I suppose.
[...] Re: Problems with conduct of CAT 2009 Exam? Help us reach out to right authorities – 04-12-2009, 11:09 AM CAT servers hacked, students asked extremely personal questions | Faking News [...]
This article is retarded. Hypes a bit much. Is it a spoof or is it for real?
I mean, seriously? They answered the question, were dumbfounded and confused, their feelings were hurt by the question?! Okay, fine, it may not have been a pleasant experience for some, but most of them would have f-ing caught on to the fact that it’s a joke, no matter how serious the scenario. I would hope they did. And for God’s sake, if they believed for a second that it was a real question, and that it was unfair, they should simply have protested on the spot. “Testing us on some parameter?!” For God’s sake, stand up for yourself.
And this article’s hype… okay, so there was a problem with the test — I mean, it’s on the same level as a leaked exam being cancelled. Do you have to churn into it for three paragraphs with no new information to add?
The last line is kinda ridiculous — “Most of the students believe, and more importantly want their parents to believe”. Seriously? You think they’re all taking the CAT for their parents? Aren’t these guys usually atleast 21 years old? I’d hope we get a fair number of MBAs who take the CAT because they want to do well in life for themselves, not because their parents told them to. While they were in their twenties. Jeez.
Okay, never mind, I just read the title.
Now that the CAT is almost over… well its MOST DEFINITELY OVER for me.. thought ill just sit back and ponder on the future of the much hyped CAT…
As you all know the CAT went online this year and it has been quite a ride… Below are possible changes that you can expect in 2010 as a result of this years learnings….
1. IIM-Prometric tie up has been terminated. Applications are invited for new test partners. As of now the top contender seems to be PVR Cinemas who claims to handle more traffic in a day than the IIM does during the entire season. PVR CEO Mr Bijili in a statement said that PVR is the right choice for the CAT given their “expertise” in the Online system. The students will now be able to order pop corn as they take their CAT.
2. In case your servers crash.. Dont panic.. The popular “Orkut” message will now be replaced with – “YES – Both Donuts and Pepsi for you”
3. Sharad Pawar has been made Managing Director of the IIMs with immediate effect. Lalit Modi will be his deputy and together they plan to make CAT 2010 a bigger success than the IPL. The CAT will now follow a standard 20-20 pattern with power plays and refreshment breaks…
4. Our very own favourite Dr Vijay Mallya has announced the start of his yet un named MBA Training institute. CATrina Kaif will be the brand ambassidor for this venture and if rumors are to be believed Yana Gupta will take classes on shapes, curves and figures….
5. Mallya Sir also plans to bring back to India, all previous years CAT question papers that Prometric had stolen and planned to auction in various 3rd World countries like Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
6. IIM has come out with a press statement rubbishing reports that the servers crash was due to over load or a virus attack for that matter. IIMs have a strong reason to suspect an ISI involvement in this daring attack on the future of every Indian sudent and there might have even been some funding by the Chinese.
7. Next years CAT might very well be conducted in Kabul under the protection of the Taliban. All those who return home are promised an IIM seat.
8. Director of one of the Symbiosis Institutes (Symbi Inst of Mis Communication SIMC) has come out telling that CAT is all rubbish and that SNAP is the most competitive exam in the country. This has infuriated the director of Lovely Professional University who claims no one can match their selection process.
9. Symbiosis Group of Institues to be very soon renamed Symbiosis Group of Companies. Plan to buy a few more hills lakes villages and slums and turn them into – “Education Destinations”
10. Deadline for SNAP 2009 has been extended for the 8th time this year. A note on the site says (yes you know it) Too many applicants so the servers are busy. At this rate SNAP will possibly have problems of seating suring the exam. The last date is 31 Dec 2009 now. The exam will be conducted on Dec 20th.
—- ….
Samarth.
Awesome Samarth!
.
U should be writing for Faking News.
U really have the talent for news satire in you
I hate u Guys !
well done dude
[...] Credits : Samarth [http://www.fakingnews.com/2009/11/cat-servers-hacked-students-asked-extremely-personal-questions/] [...]