If things go according to plan, the CAT entrance examination may soon be held globally on the lines of GRE or GMAT.

IIM-Lucknow director Devi Singh said the prospect is being looked into as lot of queries from countries like Sri Lanka and some East Asian nations have come in.

"Some B-schools in France have already started accepting CAT scores," he told reporters.

Singh said the test could be held on the lines of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) with provisions that students can take the exam during any time of the year. GRE and GMAT scores are accepted by b-schools across the globe.

Upbeat over the successful completion of CAT this year under the online format, he said, "CAT could also be made an independent body to hold the exam, which is a largest of its kind in the world.

"We are seriously looking at it (making CAT a separate body) and a committee is also looking at it."

He said the independent body could relieve IIM professors of the whole process of the test.

As many as 2,04,267 candidates had registered for the test this year, held under the aegis of IIM Lucknow and Prometric India.

Faculty of IIM Lucknow Himanshu Rai said the mandatory 90 minute waiting period for CAT candidates before starting the test "will be reduced from next year".

Besides candidates can also fill the CAT vouchers online from next year, he said.

The CAT online test this year were held over 20 days in 78 locations across 33 cities using 246 computer labs.

Prometric which was responsible for conducting the online test said it had taken several tests to ensure that it is held smoothly.

The CAT exam, which went online last year, was marred by technical glitches last year, triggering rescheduling of the test.