Chandigarh: The Centre for Management Services (CMS), which conducts the Management Aptitude Test (MAT) across India, is in no mood to completely switch over to the online version and will continue with both paper-pencil and online formats of the exam.

"Keeping various factors in mind, we have decided to continue MAT in both paper-pencil and online formats. We have observed that majority of students prefer to sit for the paper-pencil format," CMS director V.S. Bejoy told reporters here on Tuesday.

"We introduced the online format in September 2009 and since then we have tried it three times (September 2009, December 2009, February 2010). But only 10 percent of the 200,000 students opted for the online test whereas the remaining appeared only through the paper-pencil format," he said.

Bejoy was here to participate in a seminar on 'Management education in India - Challenges and Opportunities' organised by Punjab-based Aryans School of Management (ASM).

The New Delhi-based All India Management Association (AIMA) is the apex body of CMS that conducts the MAT exam four times in a year. Over 500 colleges in India and abroad use the MAT score for admissions in various courses.

Talking about the highly competitive Common Admission Test (CAT), which went online for the first time last year, Bejoy said, "The aftermath of online format was before everyone as the CAT exam was hit by technical problems and poor management across the country."

"It's strange that despite so many glitches they are again firm to continue with the online format. It would certainly affect the prospects of so many genuine students," he added.

Software for the CAT exam was developed by the US firm Prometric whereas AIMA availed the services of the Bangalore-based company Eduquity.

AIMA has also appealed to the Punjab government to consider the MAT score before admitting students in the state management colleges.

"In a recent development, Haryana and Uttrakhand governments have scrapped their state level MBA entrance exam and are considering MAT scores for admissions to their affiliated colleges. We have also appealed to the Punjab government and submitted a memorandum in this regard," stated Bejoy.

"The MAT exam gives more flexibility to the students to appear at any of the four times in a year. We have seen a good surge of students especially from Bihar who appear in MAT exam every year," he pointed out. IANS