Oxford University has ended its partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for administering admission tests, citing “technical problems” and feedback from candidates and test centers. TCS will no longer be involved in delivering Oxford assessments going forward.
The decision came after just about a year of TCS replacing Cambridge Assessment as Oxford’s test provider. Although financial details remain undisclosed, the alliance offered TCS an opportunity to showcase large-scale digital assessment capabilities.
Reputation Takes a Hit
Industry experts state that while the contract value may not have been large, its termination damages TCS’ reputation in the sensitive education assessment space. Building trust around test efficacy, security and reliability is crucial for providers.
The setback could hinder TCS’ progress in this domain for some time. Institutions are currently very concerned about issues like AI ethics and data privacy when selecting partners.
Oxford University communicated its decision to end ties with TCS to all test centers recently. It aims to announce details regarding the new test arrangements by next admission cycle.
Thousands of Indian students take Oxford’s assessments every year for securing undergraduate admissions. The UK remains a top study abroad choice for Indian learners.
