New Delhi, Jan 29 : Nearly 8,000 candidates, who could not appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) for entry to the country's top B-schools due to software glitches, would sit for the exam Saturday and Sunday, an official release said. Nine centers, including two in Delhi, have been identified for students to take the online exam. The CAT went online for the first time in 2009 but several students could not appear for the exam due to technical glitches in the exam system. The candidates include those who could not sit for the exam at all, those who got more than their fair share of time and those who had a less-than-satisfactory test experience.

The first-ever online CAT, a qualifying exam for the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), was marred by computer snags and test cancellations in its first phase from 28 November to 8 December. In an emailed reply to Mint, Prometric said 40% of the candidates being offered a retest had not been able to take the test during the 11-day testing window due to cancellation of the test. It said of the 216,000 candidates who successfully completed their test, 6,000 may have received a less than satisfactory testing experience. “The IIMs and Prometric agreed that these candidates be given the opportunity to retest in the interest of fairness,” the firm said. “For these candidates, the phase II retake is strictly optional.”