Those unhappy with the marred Common Admission Test (CAT) are venting their ire on social networking sites Facebook and Orkut. The IIMs and the American firm Prometric, which is conducting the online test, have come in for intense criticism. "Legal cases can be filed against IIM for harassing students in such a way. Many students came to give exams from remote areas.

The institute had enough time to prepare itself for such an emergency. This is playing with the life of several students," said one student on Facebook.The IIMs' "careless attitude" will take a toll on careers. "I am a student at Mumbai University and will have to forgo the CAT exam this year... My final year papers are going to start and I have to concentrate on them also. How I will manage both these exams at the same time," asked a student. Students are also upset at the way IIMs did not notify them of the rescheduled exam.

"My test was originally scheduled for 28th, but we were told at the test centre that the test would be rescheduled. However, I have not received any SMS or mail regarding the cancellation or rescheduling of the test. When I logged into my account..., it told me 'your appointment is currently scheduled for 30 Nov, 2009 at 15:30'.

There is no information as to the venue. What am I supposed to do? Visit the original test centre tomorrow, despite there being no SMS/mail confirmation? Calling up the centre hasn't helped. Till now, all the slots scheduled at this centre have been cancelled," said a member of Bell the Cat group on Orkut.

Many want IIM to return to the pen-and-paper format. "If they want to continue this method, they should do extensive testing before unleashing such softwares. They should realise the importance of a student's future," said another Bell the Cat member on Orkut.

Most even think Prometric has duped the IIMs. "40 million has gone down the drain. IIM should have given the contract to an Indian firm instead of depending on an American firm. They should have checked the credentials of Prometric before giving 40 million dollars," said a student member of CAT group on Facebook.