Mumbai: More than a hundred M.Com. (part one) students from the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL) — who appeared for the strategic management exam at a designated centre in Bhayandar on June 18 — have claimed that they received a question paper based on the old syllabus.

The three-hour examination carrying 100 marks was held at the Reena Mehta College of Commerce and Management Studies in Bhayandar. The students unsuccessfully raised the issue and had to eventually write the answers as per the old syllabus.

Pankaj Valendra, a student from Bhayandar, who, along with his sister Roma, appeared for the exam, said, “We had prepared for the new syllabus but were shocked and confused to find questions based on the old one. While our pleas went unheard, we came to know from some of our colleagues about a similar gaffe at an examination centre in Vasai, which was rectified by exchanging papers just in time. The university should consider a way out else all our hard work will go down the drain, for no fault of ours.”

Meanwhile, IDOL’s director-in-charge, Dr D. Harichandan, said, “Sets of old as well as the revised syllabus were provided. However, if there has been some error, students need not worry as we are committed to consider the same and ensure a way out.”

The college management has claimed that they had informed the examination controller, IDOL Centre, Kalina,  about the question paper code, tagged with a request to check the answers accordingly.