India’s second largest MBA entrance exam, MAT goes online amidst COVID-19

The latest news about India’s second largest MBA entrance exam, MAT, amidst the unprecedented onslaught of COVID-19 pandemic is that, Gurgaon-based Mercer | Mettl has partnered with AIMA (All India Management Association) as its assessment technology solution provider for administering the online MAT (Management Aptitude Test) exam!

Accordingly, AIMA has introduced the remote proctored Internet-Based Test (IBT) as a third option apart from the other two options of ‘Paper-based’ and ‘Computer-based’ modes to continue with the examination schedules while following the social distancing norms.

As most are aware, MAT is a national level test for MBA and allied programs for admission to over 600 B-Schools (Business Schools) in India.

Conducted across 60 cities, this test can now be administered virtually with Mercer | Mettl platform, wherein candidates can appear for these exams sitting at home and invigilators can invigilate them from anywhere.

Besides, Mettl is also providing demo or practice tests for candidates in order to acquaint them with the exam system and make them experience the nuances of remotely proctored exams before their taking the actual exams.

Siddhartha Gupta, CEO, Mercer | Mettl, while sharing his thoughts said, “This lockdown has made institutions realize that they can leverage internet-based, remote invigilated tests to conduct their entrance exams and not allow this calamity disrupt their usual schedule.”

Conceptually, remotely proctored exams can be conducted for thousands of students simultaneously and eliminate the logistics costs and dependency on infrastructures such as multiple physical test centres, examination papers, human invigilators, and conveyance to the exam centres.

Here, students and invigilators only need a laptop with a webcam and stable internet connectivity with a modest bandwidth. A human invigilator or proctor, assisted by AI-based auto proctoring, can monitor the live stream of the students taking the exam and red-flag the use of unfair practices during the exam, including questionable activities, eye and body movements, use of mobile devices, noise in the background, distraction, and presence of other people apart from the test-taker.

Also, as the test is conducted on a secure exam browser that locks the browser, students cannot use other tabs for internet searches, ensuring fair conduct of examinations.

In the recent past, Mercer | Mettl has managed examinations for several universities and educational institutions to help them avoid delay in their examination processes. During the last five years, the tech solution provider has been associated with over 150 plus institutions like IIM Bangalore, ISB, Bennett University, UPES, Alliance University, NIIT University, Ashoka University, Amity University, IFIM Business School and other such reputed names.