Mumbai: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been chosen by the University of Oxford to administer a majority of its admission tests beginning in 2023. This is a significant change as it replaces Cambridge Admissions Assessment Testing (CAAT) which will continue to deliver the TSA and BMAT tests for relevant courses for one more year.
The company said in a release that this new agreement with TCS provides opportunities for the future of Oxford’s admissions testing, including the possibility of entirely digital delivery and marking.
The Global Head of TCS iON, Venguswamy Ramaswamy, said, “The development and delivery of digital assessment within the school setting is a particularly interesting project for TCS.”
Ramaswamy also stressed on TCS’ expertise in this area. He said, “This work has the potential to transform the paper-based testing environment typically still found in educational settings. TCS iON is an acknowledged leader in transforming large-scale, high-stakes assessments in India and elsewhere. We are excited to bring our expertise to make digital assessment possible for its admissions tests.”
The University of Oxford’s admissions tests include CAT, HAT, ELAT, MAT, MLAT, PAT, AMELAT, and the Philosophy test. In addition, a new Geography Admissions Test (GAT) will be introduced for 2023.
The University also noted that the Cambridge Admissions Assessment Testing (CAAT) will continue to deliver the TSA and BMAT tests for relevant courses for one more year.
Dr. Samina Khan, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach at Oxford University, expressed confidence in the new partnership with TCS.
She said, “I am confident that our new arrangement with TCS will help in time to modernize how the tests are delivered, and over the coming months we will be consulting with a range of stakeholders, including students and schools and colleges, to ensure their views are considered throughout the development phase. We look forward to taking this project forward with all our partners.”
