Oxford University Terminates Contract with TCS iON due to Technical Issues

The University of Oxford has terminated its agreement with Tata Consultancy Services iON, citing “technical problems,” less than a year after appointing the company to oversee a portion of the university’s admission tests.

According to university spokespersons, the decision to discontinue TCS iON’s involvement in delivering Oxford admissions tests was prompted by technical issues experienced by some candidates during this year’s online admission tests provided by the new provider. The university had chosen TCS iON, the learning and assessments-focused unit of TCS, in April 2023 to use its platform for conducting admission tests, replacing the Cambridge Admissions Assessment Testing for specific streams. During the announcement of the deal, the university had expressed its intention to gather feedback from stakeholders on the user-friendliness of the tests throughout the development process.

The university’s decision, made after careful consideration of the issues and feedback from candidates, teachers, and test centers, prioritizes ensuring a high-quality experience for all parties involved. Details regarding new arrangements will be communicated in the Spring, at the outset of the next admissions round.

The cancellation of the contract occurs amid challenges faced by major Indian IT firms with deal ramp-ups and conversions. In TCS’s third-quarter earnings calls, management indicated that there was no alteration in the market environment and demand sentiment compared to the preceding two quarters.

The UK, where the university is located, remains a prominent market for India’s largest IT services company, with 8.1% year-on-year growth reported for TCS in the past quarter. The UK contributes around 16.5% of the company’s revenue.

The TCS iON contract aimed to digitally transform assessments for various Oxford admission tests, including CAT, HAT, ELAT, MAT, MLAT, PAT, AMELAT, and philosophy tests.