New Delhi: The online entrance exam for the five-year integrated MBA programme offered by Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Rohtak has kicked up a row over allegations of mass cheating.
The Integrated Programme in Management Aptitude Test (IPMAT), which oversees admissions to IIM-Rohtak’s MBA course for Class 12 passouts, was held Monday.
While admissions for the PG MBA course, the most coveted offering of the IIMs, are held through the Common Admission Test (CAT), the IPMAT is organised by the two individual branches that offer the programme — Rohtak and Indore.
Usually held at designated centres, managed by an external agency, IPMAT could be taken from home this year in light of Covid-19-related restrictions.
Parents and teachers of students who took the online entrance test Monday have complained that it was “compromised” as many examinees “cheated”.
They said IIM-Rohtak turned the exam into a “farce” by conducting it in an open-source, open-book format through Google Forms, instead of adopting a proctored approach that disallows cheating.
Proctored exams are timed tests where proctoring software monitors the desktop. The examinee is monitored through webcam video and audio as he/she writes the exam. He/she is asked to download the software on their desktops/laptops by the exam-conducting agency in advance.
Parents and teachers have claimed that students were discussing answers with each other on social media throughout the duration of the exam. They have also alleged that students approached family members for help. It was a 45-minute exam, but parents complained that the deadline was not enforced.
Parents and teachers have so far only discussed their concerns on Facebook and WhatsApp, and are yet to take up the matter officially with IIM-Rohtak.
ThePrint has sent an email to IIM-Rohtak’s media division for a comment on the allegations. This report will be updated once a response is received.
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‘Not expected of IIM’
Sujit Bhattacharya whose daughter wrote the exam this year, said he is disappointed with IIM.
“This was not expected of an institute like IIM, which has such a great reputation in the country. They completely made a joke of the entrance exam… instead of organising a proctored exam, they held the exams over Google Forms, making it very convenient for students to cheat,” he added.
Bhattacharya, who is also associated with entrance exam coaching, said students were discussing answers with each other on social media apps while writing the exam. “I received messages about the answers being discussed on various Telegram groups… Hence, I made sure that it does not happen in the Telegram group of my coaching centre. But students were cheating on other groups, they were also taking help from their family members to cheat.”
Another parent echoed this concern, saying his daughter’s friends had told her they took help from family members.
“I feel very bad for her and the system,” he added. “I don’t understand why the institute wanted to conduct an exam like this when all other institutes have postponed their tests.”
Shutapa Chakraborty, a teacher at a coaching centre, said she hopes IIM takes note of the complaints. “If this is the standard of exam for an institute like IIM, what can we expect from other institutes?” she added.
The IIM-Rohtak IPMAT was held for admission to 100 seats, for which over 12,000 students applied.
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We are writing to raise a serious concern regarding the IPM Admissions to IIM Rohtak this year.
1) The Personal Interview was just a less than 10 minute simple procedure online (with few basic questions only asked to the candidates) based on which IIM Rohtak has finalised the admissions for 2020-2025 IPM batch, out of about 5000 candidates shortlisted for interview.
The interview was for less than 10 minutes with very personal questions to select 75 out of 3750 kids and very normal general questions which anybody could answer. This should not have been the basis for selection to an IIM.
2) The test conducted for selection to the ‘Personal Interview’ stage was also just a test in google form (without any system for monitoring) for the candidates to attempt from home.
3) No rank list was published while shortlisting candidates for the interview and so it appears that it was done for selecting the tail endres
4) The previous method and mock tests that IIM Rohtak tried to conduct online was a mockery as it got shifted many times and the process was full of flaws. After all this the final test was done in a simple google form !
The above procedures make us feel that the admission process to IIM Rohtak is faulty and could be biased. It may be obvious from the final list of candidates who are selected.
It is sad that a premier institute of this country is taking its admissions for an Integrated 5 year program this lightly.
We hope you will do the needful in the best interest of our country’s education system so that appropriate corrective measures will be taken by IIM Rohtak as soon as possible.
Thank you
As a matter of fact they did try the proctored exam approach in a mock test but it was unsuccessful because it required an internet speed of about 5mbps and above. So most of us were unable to submit the test that day. I’m pretty sure that the interview process will be grueling and will ensure that only applicants worthy of admission will be selected.
Every person commenting here that its a great initiative doesn’t even realize how severely mistaken they are. When more people cheat, everyone scores higher marks. This will simply lead to an increase in the cut-offs. And who will be the most affected? Students appearing in the general category without any reservation or lower-cut off requirement. ‘The cheaters do malpractice and cheating every where. It depends on the values’. Is this a joke to you? Please tell me you weren’t serious. ‘They’ll still have to prove themselves in the PI’? How utterly presumptive of student qualities. Entrance examinations are held to test how well prepared students are, not how intelligent they are. When there are over 12,000 students who have applied for the exam, its very easy for atleast a hundred students with the ability to ace the interview even though they weren’t well prepared for the exam, to exist. I humbly request all parents here to reconsider what they have said and truly realize the magnitude of the mistake made by the institute here.
Iim rohtak has mentioned two contradictory statement in their mail to the students. On the last para of the mail send on 18.07.2020 to the students, it is clearly mentioned that using of gadgets, books and study materials would lead to malpractice and not allowed. In the institute website and in the link provided it is mentioned that this is an open book, open study materials exam. So this i exam has become a laughing stock with IIM brand.
IIM rohtak is steadily distorting the image of brand IIM. Admission interview for PGP course at IIM rohtak is also very gender biased and charged 2000₹ for interview from each candidate! , IIM Rohtak adminstration should same on it.
In just a span of 45 min it is highly impossible to go through the books searching for the questions or those models or formulas.. If at all it could have happened also just they can answer a limit of eight to twelve questions. By those questions and marks they cannot expect a rank or seat. Those who are feeling bad abt conductance of the exam have to think one thing that if the candidate appeared for the exam have prepared well have definitely wrote exam well cannot think that other copied or any other nonsense… And finally the one copied and selected for the PI will have to prove himself in the interview and its not a easy task to go in. Dont good at bad that happened but please look the possibilities and wisely judge the future. A cheater will be always a loser. Of course for this tym he cheated but in evry futher steps he have to succed. So,Pls dont blame the college management and examiner. Its a great initiative step in this global pandemic..
connectivity problem and time limit is not automated are also destroy the image of brand iim.
My daughter has also appeared in it. What’s wrong in it? The cheaters do malpractice and cheating every where. It depends on the values. There were time limits in both sections. One cannot solve in consultation with others and submit in time. Similarly WAT section was also there to access. After all the examiners are always experts. They will definitely shortlist the creams. There is waitage of one’s past academic performances. Finally, they will conduct personal Interviews to select the creams.
Worried lots are requested to introspect themselves.
Cheaters are simply supporting and justifying the Cheating done!!!
It was an eye wash and a farce .imgine a competitive exam being conducted as open book and on Google forms. I rang up on their helpline numbers to ask, how would they ensure the sanctity of the exam.all they said was “drop a mail for your query”. no reply to my mail has been given. It was really a joke and not expected of an IIM. They really proved that merit is of no consequence, all they need is a head count who can occupy their seat and pay lakhs in fees. Even our local, government college of arts fare better then them. And remember they charge a hefty amount as application fee, More then any other college in india. HRD ministry needs to look in this mess IIM Rohtak has made. And then they call it a professional course and a world class institution. I don’t understand, what was the urgency. IIM Indore and the whole country is also waiting for the situation to improve.HRD ministry really needs to intervene and quash this exam to upkeep the image and name of IIM’s, few good institutes remaining in country. Pathetic IIM ROHTAK. NOT WORTH BEING CALLED AN IIM.
My daughter has also appeared in it. What’s wrong in it? The cheaters do malpractice and cheating every where. It depends on the values. There were time limits in both sections. One cannot solve in consultation with others and submit in time. Similarly WAT section was also there to access. After all the examiners are always experts. They will definitely shortlist the creams. There is waitage of one’s past academic performances. Finally, they will conduct personal Interviews to select the creams.
Worried lots are requested to introspect themselves.
I too have appeared for this exam and I was taken aback when I learnt that some students have cheated. They sure may get caught during the personal interviews but at least they will be selected for the interviews. What about the rest of the students who gave the exam honestly but lost the selection seat to the ones who cheated? The IIM faculty won’t call those candidates for interviews but instead select the cheaters.
Please do not talk like this.
It will harm hopefuls like me.
I wrote the exam with the help of Books, Calculator, Google, my respected Teachers for Quantitative Aptitude, English and Reasoning. They divided Questions quickly among themselves and with their experience and with the help of Google in some of the questions helped me swiftly in completing answering all the 120 questions. I am sure I must have answered most of the questions correctly. I am really grateful to my respected Teachers. With their help I am sure to clear the IPM AT with flying colours, then even if I score average marks in PI, I will realise my dream of doing my 5-year MBA course from an IIM. This exam is a God sent opportunity for me. Please do not write anything negative regarding the IIM Rohtak AT . Otherwise they may cancel the exam and shatter my dream. Please please please.
So…Did you Google the answers?
But not all the students cheated and why should Everyone suffer because of some people so there is no need of the retest .Why all the students should face the problem ?? Those who all gave test themselves what about them with all the honesty and hardwork.
Bhai agr koi cheating krke cut off clear kr jaaenge na students to may be aapka bhi admission koi or lejaae soo think about this before writing anything and may be aapne bhi cheating krri ho that’s y u r saying but plz think about those students jo 1-2 saal se sirf issi exam ke liye prepare kr rhe the
IPMAT rothak
My exam start 8 min late then i have to fill mandatory things and i have submitted my test 2 min before as i was thinking that my exam stared late so i have to submit early in between i called help desk but as ussual no one picked up my phone. They have changed us 4000 rupee and provided us B grade facilities to give exam . So please raise my voice if you want things in more detail pls dm me in my Gmail id. There are many students more like me and many those who are not able to submit there exam .
It was a horrible experience. I faced many technical issues. Moreover there was not word limit counter in WAT because of which I had to delete half of my essay and submit incomplete ones
5 year MBA program just waste of money . It is for rich who are finding means to spend their over excess funds