Only 3 attempts for medical exam

In a move that will affect over 2.3 lakh students taking their AIPMT every year, the CBSE has decided that aspirants for the medical stream will get only three chances to crack the test after passing their 10+2 exam.

It has just got tougher to crack the CBSE's All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT). In a move that will affect over 2.3 lakh students taking their AIPMT every year, the CBSE has decided that aspirants for the medical stream will get only three chances to crack the test after passing their 10+2 exam.

Also, beginning 2008, candidates above the age of 25 will not be able to appear for the pre-medical test. While the move may cause some amount of dismay, the examination body has made a concession for students who are already preparing for the May 2007 medical entrance exam.

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Test case Aspirants for the AIPMT will get only three chances to crack the test after their 10+2 exam From 2008, candidates above the age of 25 years will not be able to appear for the pre-medical test For such candidates, the 2007 test will be their final chance At present, there is neither an age limit nor a restriction on the number of chances a candidate gets The CBSE move follows changes made in the IIT-JEE system which limited the number of attempts to two, apart from adding a marks criteriaon of 60 per cent

They will be allowed to appear for the PMT in 2007, provided they have not appeared for the test thrice already. “Anybody who is 25 years of age on December 31, 2006, will not be able to appear for the examination in 2008. They have, however, been given some relief and are being allowed to appear in 2007,” said Vineet Joshi, secretary, CBSE.

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At present, there is neither an age limit nor a restriction on the number of chances that a candidate gets. The move comes in the wake of changes made in the IIT-JEE system which also limited the number of attempts that a student can make to two, apart from adding a marks criteria of 60 per cent.

CBSE officials initiated the process over a year back. “The issue was discussed extensively in the CBSE advisory committee,” said Joshi. They, however, say that no change has been made on the minimum marks required for appearing in the examinations. “We already have a criterion of 50 per cent marks in 10+2 for a candidate to be able to appear in the exams. We do not intend to revise the same at present,” the CBSE secretary said.

Candidates appearing for the examination will also have to pay Rs 50 more for procuring the application forms. While students in the general category will have to shell out Rs 400, students from the reserved category can pay Rs 200. Forms for the PMT examination will be available from October 9 onwards.