NASSCOM ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCE-TECHNOLOGY (NAC-Tech) An Initiative by NASSCOM

_________________________________________________________________________ Introduction
NASSCOM, through the NAC-Tech Council, comprising of member companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, Accenture and HCL, is facilitating the refurbishment and launch of NAC-Tech, which has been updated keeping in mind the requirements of the industry. NAC-Tech is a real-time, online, objective evaluation of individual skills and competencies that will facilitate: Employment at entry level The development of quality capacity to scale Impact analysis of skill development programs

for IT / Engineering industry. Through NAC-Tech, NASSCOM is helping converge the various entry level tests that the industry conducts for fresh hires as part of their recruitment process. This is beneficial to both, students and institutions and will go a long way in scaling quality capacity. It will offer students country wide, access and opportunity to showcase their skills and competencies for appropriate hire. It will help the industry reach out to a wider geography, and contact talent from level 2 and 3 cities and institutions. This will help us redefine the entry level recruitment space, by setting standards and exemplifying the same in our role as the Sector Skills Council for IT-ITeS industry. For this year, we aim to use NAC-Tech as the first entry level hiring tool for this industry. Colleges will be urged to facilitate the conduct of the test for all their students before the placement season so that the NAC-Tech scores are available well in time for the campus recruitment process. The assessment scores will be used for the selection process by recruiters. Post this, like in previous years, the TPOs shall facilitate the campus recruitment process for their students.

NAC-Tech Advantages
For Colleges/Universities Enable the college to generate a quantifiable picture of the knowledge and skill level of its students. Approach industry aggressively and in a more organized way for placement opportunities. For Students Detailed feedback on their knowledge and skills help them decide career opportunities in different areas of IT. NAC-Tech score card enables them to leap-frog to the next level of selection to multiple companies endorsing the program. For the Industry Industry gets a pool of pre-assessed candidates mapped against competencies required for entry level professionals. It helps them reach out to a wider geography and access talent from level 2 and 3 cities and institutions.

About the test

NAC-Tech has two components Part A and Part B, of which Part A is compulsory for the student, as stated by the NAC-Tech Council. The student will have the choice of taking Part A of the test as a standalone or attempt Part A & Part B together. Some of the key skills assessed through Part A are verbal ability, eye for detail, analytical ability, attention to detail etc, and Part B will assess the domain capabilities. The test matrix and the test duration have been revised by the NAC-Tech Council. The test fee also stands reduced, which is as follows: NAC-Tech Part A (mandatory): Rs.155/- per student per attempt NAC-Tech Part B (optional): Rs.77/- per student per attempt The infrastructure cost per student for the test will be over and above the test fee mentioned above.

Implementation Model
NAC-Tech will be available at campuses and also through the retail mode at the above mentioned fee. College labs with the appropriate infrastructure will be validated and selected as test centers. Select assessment vendors will also conduct the standardized assessment across the country.

Number of Attempts
As an introductory offer, in 2011, students who want to improve their scores before the 8 semester hiring process, may make a second attempt after a gap of a month, by paying the test fee. However, a third attempt can be made by the student only after a period 6 months. The scores of the candidates will be available in a centralized database, available to companies.
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Test Matrix for NAC-Tech is illustrated below:

Part A (Compulsory component): S. No. 1 2 3 Skill Verbal Ability Reading Comprehension Analytical Ability, Logical Reasoning Attention to Detail Test Duration - Part A: 60 minutes

Part B (Optional component; also the candidate can choose one of the domains) S. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Skill IT Electrical Engineering Electronics Engineering Mechanical Engineering Civil Engineering Chemical Engineering Textile Engineering Bio-Technology Engineering Telecommunications Engineering

Test Duration - Part B: 30 minutes

Test Implementation Plan

The test will be conducted by our assessment partners Edutech and Aptech Assessment and Testing Solutions, who have been selected by the NAC-Tech Council through the RFP process. The large states have been divided between the two vendors in order to ensure operational efficiency. The division of states between Aptech and Edutech is as follows: Aptech 1. Tamil Nadu 2. Maharashtra, Goa 3. NCR Delhi: Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad 4. Haryana 5. Punjab 6. Kerala 7. West Bengal 8. Himachal Pradesh 9. Jammu & Kashmir Edutech 1. Andhra Pradesh 2. Karnataka 3. Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal 4. Madhya Pradesh 5. Rajasthan 6. Gujarat 7. Orissa 8. Bihar, Jharkhand 9. North Eastern States

Test to be conducted at colleges The list of colleges, which are of interest to NAC-Tech Council members have been collated, and shared with Aptech and Edutech. Based on the territorial allocation, one of the two NAC-Tech delivery vendors/partners will reach out to the colleges in their allocated territory in the next few weeks to help plan and execute the assessment for the students. The centers shall be validated against the infrastructure requirements for the conduct of the NAC-Tech. The dates of the test shall be decided by the vendors in consultation with the colleges and the test shall be executed for the students.

Test to be conducted at retail centers Apart from the above, the test shall be made available for candidates who would like to take the test independently i,e, through the identified retail centers. Two retail partners, Reliance and Aptech have been identified. The mode for the retail operations will be as follows: To begin with, the test shall be run in a controlled retail environment the test dates will be announced for a particular center in advance. The candidate will be required to approach the center to pay and get his/her user ID and password for registration. The candidate will then register for the test, and obtain his/her Admission Card The candidate will then come back for the test on a pre-scheduled date / time.

Please log on to www.nac.nasscom.in/nactech for further details.

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