Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
OK first of all, the Disclaimer, there is no way I am associated with Merittrac or have any kind of grudge against them, this article expresses my views only
So What is this artile about for those who don't know what is merittrac ? Its difficult to comprehend but in short let's say, nowdays many big IT companies instead of taking there own tests which can become a headache for there HR's have "outsourced" there work to Merittrac. So for companies like CA,Convergys, DELL and many other, Now the company don't take there own exams but Merittrac people comes and you solve their paper rather than of that company.
So,you may ask,what's wrong in that ? Well Nothing, otherwise ofcourse you see what Merittrac ask in there question papers. There papers have absolutely NO relation at all to the corresponding work which company involved in or what they are looking for in you ? Let's take an example of Convergys. They have one of the biggest BPO in India are mainly in outsourcing and testing business. Ofcourse they do provide banking solutions as well as database and middleware solutions. Now if you see Merittrac's paper, which had 6 section including Java and C++ which many of us don't know(actually it's convergys who chose the subjects but I am sure that they were not aware of the kind of questions that were asked in the paper) and the level of paper was so tough like questins from Templates were asked. Helloo..Is this a Google Question paper or Convergys Paper(for testing job of 2 lakh) ? I just wrote down few questions of them here
Result - Everyone made wild gusses since there was no negative marking...EVERYONE... I have given four papers of Merittrac and find there papers laughable. They gives 1 page questiosn on C++ and ask you to tell the output(15 questions - 15 minutes).
Here are some of the salient Features of merittrac Papers -
1. 75 questions - 90 minutes is normal standard. In the Aptitude section you need to solve 20 questions in 20 minutes(excuse me, is this is a CAT test?) and they give 3-4 questions of same type for example, you can get same profit/loss question 3 times with changed values in the paper
2. The level of questions are just not of the standards of the students who take the test neither to the standards and the work of the company. Comeon, let's be honest. NO point in asking JOIN's in database and Templates for DELL.
3. They have fixed sets corresponding to particular companies, so anyone can get hold of some of the questions atleast of that company.
4. Those who take the test have NO idea at all about anything that has been asked in the question papers. So much for doubt clearance if you have any.
5. Here is the BEST one, There is ample scope of WILD GUESSES. Since it's imposssible to solve the paper in given time, people start marking ACB...ACB...ACB...ACB... and than it all comes down to Luck who gets selected.
It's very unfortunate that a engineering student who works hard for four years(really???) just for a job and this is what he is getting in return ? Everything boils down to the option of whether to go for ABC...ABC...ABC... or BCA...BCA...BCA... or something else.
Actually I even won't blaim Merittrac completely as they are just a business model. The biggest responsible party is these HR people who choose Merittrac and Don't even look at the question paper of what they are giving in. I have serious doubts over how much they are really "in" in the company. It looks more like they are just looking to complete the formalities.
I will be more than happy to know other people's views on this. So if you have something to say, feel free to comment here.
Regards
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
Just wanted to know a few simple things
Why are you continously taking these tests? An effort to understand the trend ( i.e the assessment pattern..) so that future aspirants to Dell or Convergys could be guided as to how to crack the tests?
Have you ever taken any of the MeritTrac Tests and cleared? Or you are still unable to crack them?
Do you expect the tests to atleast screen out scum so that the recruiting companies are not burdened with thousands of white elephants being on the bench and taking a fat paycheck back home month after month OR do you expect one and sundry to clear the tests and go home happy? Don't you think the recruiting companies to atleast hire people who are trainable and gives the maximum ROI?
What is the exact problem if the Aptitude tests are close to CAT?
Are you talking about MeritTracs Campus Papers or Lateral Hires? Any clue about what(not who) comes out of 90% of the engineering colleges these days?
It would be intersting to hear from you....:)
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
Why are you continously taking these tests? An effort to understand the trend ( i.e the assessment pattern..) so that future aspirants to Dell or Convergys could be guided as to how to crack the tests?
Believe me, I am not at all interested in taking merittrac test, its just that we all need a job, right ? I have taken merittrac tests as a part of college placements.
Have you ever taken any of the MeritTrac Tests and cleared? Or you are still unable to crack them?
Yes, 3 times. I have cleared 2 of them(CA and Convergys). I find myself technically very strong but the papers were having so much rubbish that I wanted to leave the paper in the middle but than again, the desperation to get a job kept me there. The only reasons why I cleared there tests was because my wild guesses were right.
Do you expect the tests to atleast screen out scum so that the recruiting companies are not burdened with thousands of white elephants being on the bench and taking a fat paycheck back home month after month OR do you expect one and sundry to clear the tests and go home happy?
I have seen people who have done there intern in Google/MS/HP are not able to clear there tests. So the thing of weeding out scum doesn't hold water. I totally agree with you on selecting the best one but MT is surely missing on it. In campus tests, people don't go with any preparation for objectives. Now if you give them 20 questions in 20 minutes(for apti) than most of them will stutter. I had seen people doing only 12 questions in aptitude(the silly and easier once) and guessing the other 8's. I failed to clear one MT test because I tried to solve them all eventually couldn't even read some questions and time was over! I wonders how much self assessment MT goes through. The people who are REALLY good won't be going to CA or convergys anyway. By keeping exams so tough(absurd is better word) they are not able to find real people, just those who get lucky on that day.
Don't you think the recruiting companies to atleast hire people who are trainable and gives the maximum ROI?
Totally agree and no wonders I can see so many middleman's nowdays which I feels is good for the industry. But if MT doesn't changes its paper patterns, very soon they will start loosing there clients and someone else will take over it. I wonders whether these companies who hire MT, even see the paper ? I can bet, the PL's at convergys won't be able to solve the full paper. Good luck to them for finding there future leaders in this way.
What is the exact problem if the Aptitude tests are close to CAT?
Actually they are not close to CAT. It's just that solving 20 questions in 20 minutes doesn't make much sense for a software fresher who is most likely will be doing testing job(and than will leave the company later). My biggest concern is when a person is not even able to solve the complete paper, eventually it all boils down to the 4 guesses which the candidate makes in the end. There is so less difference between the once who gets selected and the once who is not that only 1 question out of 75 can make the difference
Are you talking about MeritTracs Campus Papers or Lateral Hires? Any clue about what(not who) comes out of 90% of the engineering colleges these days?
I am only talking about MT Campus Papers. Sorry, I couldn't get you what do you mean by last statement "any clue...these days" ?
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
I've done atleast 6 merittrac tests.The quetions are very repetitive n i wonder why am n6t able to clear the tests.Ofcourse i've cleared other tests conducted by the companies and even GOT to the final rounds.
The questions like if + = - , - = / ,/ = * , * = +,
then which one is true?
345*78-2+45/12 = something
23*45-234/12+56 =something
etc 4/5 options...THESE Qns r reptd 3 times....Are they serious??Dothey really wantto give a score of 2 points for calculating these while a mere "_ teacher was _ student once" also cary the same points??CRAP!!
Are they really valuing papers??I've done a test of accenture recently and i checked with the answers and 95% (I answered all Qns)of my answers were rite(Did a research on it wid the help of google & possible sample papers ).I was xpectin a call but my name was not in the list.The person who did only 75% is now workin in accenture.He was not right about the answers as wellMay be my ill luck but,i don rememberk breakin a mirror for gettin denied 7 times in a row by merittrac.
The paage questionS ARE ALSO as if they were made to meet Tofel.
Im sikc of this merittrac,but i kno they are doin a hard jobk..
To err is human...
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
Are they really valuing papers
You are NOT the first one who is asking this question :) Just few days back someone from Manipal Engineering College complaining similar thing happened there when Infosys came. There were just too many copies to check and people feels that they had not even checked the copies completely.
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
can you guys believe that recently a construction company had hired Merittrac for recruiting civil engineers.... i believe that in a software company u need a lot of screening....but y the hell for a core civil engineer....??? it totally doesnt make sense! As far as i know, they never correct all the papers....they suck big time....
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
they never correct all the papers
I have yet to meet anyone who can positively say that MeritTrac checks all paper :)
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
Meritrac is a dangerous company which will destroy the s/w companies. Probably they select just the average students. In my campus placement test, the girls who were hardly even average, got
selected among 120 students who appeared for the test. The interview questions were crap.
Most of the best students of my college were left out. Probably, they even didn't correct the
answers of all the students.
Their paper pattern is pretty idiotic. Seemingly high no of questions which are practically unsolvable by even best of the breed. Now as someone pointed out, it is the luck of those who
just randomly guess the answers. They should better introduce negative marking.
Seems the companies will lose in the long run.
Sudha Gowda
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
Those morons have upper cut-offs....I blasted my way through CTS that I was so DAMN Confident of making it!! I didnt!!
Re: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
Wonder how many of the above is backed by facts n' MeritTrac is certainly not a "dangerous" company.. n' da operation system of MT is one of the most authentic system in the country, n for those who feel not all test papers r corrected.. believe me, a single error from our end costs!
I say this coz have worked with MT
RE: Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
Hi to all,
I am totally agree with you.These guys are setting absurd questions.I have appeared for a test.although i have cleared the test but you know
for a person who has 2 years experience and working in java,what he has to do with UNIX.There are 6 sections in total.Aptitude,screen test etc .The aptitude questions are very lenghty.I even not prepared for them.Company can take the test of the core domain in which a person is working to test the knowledge OR can take any specific topic which the company requires.Nobody working in one company sits and prepare everything apti,java,C,etc and then take the test.Do Company wants the experienced candidate to prepare like a placement interview when one wants to switch from one company to another????
Why Merittrac is bad for Everyone ?
hi.. every one..!
I have given test of merittrac.. on 17th.. by microsoft... first of all there arrangement to conduct the paper was very bed. and they are not clear whether there is negative marking or not..someone is saying that there is negative marking or some volunteer saying not. and when questing paper start i thought this is microsoft paper so question was realy good.. but the paper is divided into five part and even in algorithm part they are asking theoritical question.. regarding AVL tree.. and what this algorithm know.. etc. however there aptitude test was good... and i cleared the paper...but overall test paper is not upto the standard of the microsoft.. !!
Reg : Merittrac Tests
Yes I do agree with what u have said. I had been selected by an MNC company at Bangalore. Internally I had been kept on bench and asked by HR to go for clearing Merittrac tests in C++ and Java to get into a project of the company. Yaar I had taken lot of pain to clear the test and never I had qualified. The sort of work at company is service and support oriented and I dont know why HR have taken the decision of putting the candidates to Merrittrac seems they are much of non technical category. One will loose his spirit by this type of cheap tactics. On day one they should conduct technical round of interviews and confirm the candidates to the project for what they are looking for instead of going to Merittrac tests and blocking the candidates unnecessarly.