Changes to Entrance Examinations

Why in news?

• The government recently announced the setting up of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
• It also announced a change in the structure of JEE and NEET examinations.

What are these exams for?

• The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) (Mains) is for admission to National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology, etc.
• It is also the eligibility to appear for JEE (Advanced) for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology.
• NEET decides admissions to all medical colleges except AIIMS and JIPMER, Puducherry.

What are the proposed changes?

• Exams - The JEE (Mains) and NEET will be conducted twice a year.
• The same student can take these examinations twice a year.
• The two tests would be equated using psychometric methods, standardisation techniques.
• The best of the equated scores would thus be used for the admissions.
• However, the IITs will continue to conduct the JEE (Advanced) and this is likely to be held just once a year.
• NTA - The new National Testing Agency (NTA) would conduct these examinations.
• The NTA will start conducting the JEE (Mains), NEET, UGC NET, CMAT and GPAT examinations from this year itself.
• This would reduce the burden of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• Computer-based - All these examinations will be computer-based, though not online.
• The papers have to be downloaded at the test centres just before the exam.
• After downloading, the Internet would be disconnected.
• The papers would then be distributed to all candidates through a local server.
• After the exam, the papers would be uploaded to central servers.
• There would be encryption, and this ensures foolproof testing.
• Student-friendly - There would be no examiners and the answers would be fed into the system.
• So a candidate would know her raw score immediately.
• The result would come out after some days to address any possible complaints.
• Examinations will be held on a number of days, with multiple question papers with equal level of difficulty.
• A candidate can choose which date to appear for the exam.
• All the examinations would be held in all the existing languages with no change in syllabus.
• Those who did not have a computer or laptop at home could practise at authorised centres.

What are the benefits?

• NTA - There had been concerns of paper leaks, cheating scandals, outdated syllabus, etc with the CBSE.
• The National Testing Agency is thus likely to address these shortfalls.
• A professional agency could make the selection criteria more objective and assess the candidate's suitability.
• Moreover, curbs on commercialisation can help expand higher education.
• Two tests - Taking the better of the two scores and offering more days on which the exam is held would help the students.
• This may lower the pressure that students encounter and address exam related suicides to an extent.
• Process - Computer-based exam process would bring in more flexibility, less stress and a more transparent process.
• It would be on par with international norms, be student- friendly, open, scientific and leak-proof.

What are the concerns, measures and challenges therein?

• Method The real issue with the entrance system is the examination itself.
• The JEE, NEET or NET should be reduced to a score that counts towards the admission process.
• It should not be the single deciding factor.
• Trust - The government could consider allowing the institutions to design their own entrance criteria.
• But the fundamental issue is the lack of trust based on past years' experiences.
• As is often the case, institutions favour students, take money and grant admission based on criteria other than merit.
• Additionally, innovative cheating methods are evidently adopted across states.
• Institutions - IITs, AIIMS and some medical colleges had taken entrance examination result as one of the inputs for final selection.
• The number of these kinds of trusted institutions could be expanded.
• The list of designated institutions of eminence (now six) could be increased.
• There are hundreds of other medical and engineering colleges that charge humongous amounts.
• There has to be at least three firmly defined criteria, including

1. the 10th and 12th board results
2. the entrance test score
3. a third criteria to assess and make a final selection instead of basing it all on the JEE or NEET

• Computer-based - A computer-based test should not turn into a barrier for rural students.
• Good planning and sufficient fund allocation should allay the concerns with online testing.
• Coaching - The coaching institutes form a sector worth about Rs. 24,000 crore a year.
• Regulation of coaching institutes is essential to ensure that the changes do not result in further exploitation of students.
• Way forward - The entrance examinations level reforms would be meaningful only with a revamped school education system.
• Eventually, measures at improving the learning outcomes should be taken.

Source: The Hindu, Business Standard