New Delhi: After its success in 2009, Combined Aptitude Test for English (CATE) is all set to get bigger in 2010.

While Delhi University’s English department conducting the test is expecting an addition of over 1,200 more seats, taking the total number of seats through CATE to over 1,500, around 25 colleges have so far envinced interest in the exam pattern.

In the first stage, 12 colleges, including Hindu, Indraprastha and Kamala Nehru, adopted the exam pattern to admit students in English (H) stream for 350 seats. While 7,000 applications were received, 6,000 students appeared for the test.

Apart from increase in the number of colleges, CATE 2010 may come up with online application and even an online entrance test. However, a section of faculty members have expressed apprehension following the online CAT fiasco. But DU’s Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL) recently made a presentation to the department and the university on the online test delivery, which according to the English department would make the process smoother. According to a senior faculty of the English department, “Only the objective part would be online.’’

After the success of a recent meeting attended by 25 colleges, English department head Professor Sumanyu Satpathy has written to all the college heads for another discussion to finalize the details. According to department sources, colleges like LSR, Miranda House, Daulat Ram and Gargi have expressed interest.

Another issue that needs to be resolved is the filling up of the seats. During the 2009-10 admission, Hindu, IP and Kamla Nehru filled up 90% seats in the first-cutoff itself. But CATE colleges had problem filling up their seats as they were accepting only CATE-qualified students and many did not manage the cut-off.

source: TOI