After CUET glitches, NTA plans annual schedule for entrance tests

The debut edition of the CUET (undergraduate), which was conducted between July and August, witnessed various technical glitches, and on multiple occasions, NTA was forced to postpone the exams.

After the debut edition of the Common Entrance University Test (CUET) for undergraduate admissions was marred by technical glitches and delays, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has constituted two expert committees to streamline the process in the future, University Grants Commission (UGC) chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said on Thursday.

A senior official at NTA said that, so far, no decision has been taken in terms of changing the examination pattern or reducing the number of choices given to students in CUET. (Sunjil Ghosh/HT Photo)

One committee will prepare the annual schedule for all entrance exams, including CUET, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), among others, to ensure that their dates do not overlap, Kumar said. The second committee will review the infrastructure of the test centres to ensure that the exams are conducted without glitches.

The committees will consist of experts from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), central universities, and people will experience in conducting exams such as the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).

The debut edition of the CUET (undergraduate), which was conducted between July and August, witnessed various technical glitches, and on multiple occasions, NTA was forced to postpone the exams. The agency also had to reschedule some exams to avoid a clash with other entrance tests.

“It is not just to ensure that the dates of entrance exams do not clash with each other but it is also necessary for the students to know well in advance when their exams will take place. So the yearly schedule will be prepared by the first committee,” Kumar said.

“During CUET, we witnessed technical glitches at some centres. Therefore, this committee will look into the possibility of developing robust examination centres across the country so that examinations can be conducted very efficiently.”

The UGC chairperson added: “Our ultimate aim is to conduct CUET for undergraduate admissions twice from next year. Once we prepare the time schedule depending on the availability of dates, a decision will be taken.”

A senior official at NTA said that, so far, no decision has been taken in terms of changing the examination pattern or reducing the number of choices given to students in CUET. “The NTA is reviewing the process and any decision will be taken after due deliberation and discussions with stakeholders,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Educationist Meeta Sengupta said the NTA must ensure more inclusive and enabling arrangements. “The goal must be to ensure that students are able to perform their best, and while this includes aligning the schedules of examinations, it also is an opportunity to create better access to those with diverse mental and physical requirements, and to build the future of complex, linked hybrid assessment systems,” she said.