Pune : NIIT, leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia’s largest IT trainer, has announced country’s largest IT Aptitude Test- the 7th National I.T. Aptitude Test (NITAT) – to enable students and graduates to calibrate their potential and aptitude for a career in the promising IT industry. ‘NITAT 2011’, will be simultaneously conducted by NIIT, in over 120 cities nationwide, on February 26, 2011.

Students desirous of checking their aptitude for IT can appear for NITAT 2011 by registering online on www.niit.com/NITAT or by visiting the nearest NIIT centre.

As per latest industry figures announced by NASSCOM, the Indian IT and ITes industry is estimated to grow by 19% to reach USD 76 billion in FY2011, thereby adding 240,000 jobs in FY 2011. Further, the outlook for the coming financial year remains positive with software and services export revenues expected to grow by 16-18 per cent and domestic revenues to grow by 15-17 per cent in the FY 2011-12. These figures are a reflection of the growing positive sentiments within the IT and ITeS sector which will make a large pool of job-ready manpower a necessity.

NITAT aims at fulfilling this need by identifying a ready talent pool for immediate absorption by the industry.

NITAT has been designed as an objective type test of reasoning, comprehension, data interpretation skills and behavioral traits. Every student undergoing the test will receive a score-card with their interpretation, along with her/his nationwide and zonal ranking. The assessment is expected to be of particular benefit to graduating students in determining their aptitude for I.T. careers as well as the I.T. domain that they should take up.

Flagging off NITAT 2011 nationally, Mr. G. Raghavan, President- Global Individual Learning Solutions, NIIT said, “With the return of a strong hiring outlook, IT and ITeS industry will be looking for talent aggressively. Being held for the 7th consecutive year, National I.T. Aptitude Test (NITAT) is emerging as an important instrument for not only evaluating but also understanding potential next steps for aspiring IT professionals.”

NIIT’s pioneering initiative -NITAT- was introduced in 2004 to enable graduates and students pursuing their studies in engineering, arts, commerce and science streams to gauge their aptitude for a career in the IT sector, identify skills further required, if any, and thus systematically charter their career into the IT industry. Nearly 4,00,000 candidates have benefitted from the test since it was initiated.

NIIT is also awarding Dewang Mehta Scholarships for graduates and students graduating in 2011 who are keen to be associated with the IT industry.

A list of ‘Promising IT Professionals of the Future’, including names of those with ‘Very High’ or ‘High IT Aptitude’ will be announced by NIIT and made available on www.niit.com/NITAT. This identified resource pool can be accessed by prospective employers including leading technology companies for their talent needs. NIIT will also award special recognition certificates to merit list candidates and encourage their pursuit of a career in IT. Toppers will also be invited to a special ‘Placement Fair’ at key locations, across the country.