200K candidates appear for CUET, some hiccups logged

At the end of the day, officials said the NTA recorded an overall attendance of 76%. This was considerably higher than the overall CUET-UG attendance of 62% in 2022

Nearly 200,000 students appeared for the Common University Entrance Test for undergraduate admissions (CUET-UG) on Sunday, hoping for admission to undergraduate courses in universities across the country. However, some candidates reported facing glitches during the exam — an issue that had marred the first edition of the test last year.

CUET candidates go through a security check before appearing for the exam on Sunday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

According to officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the CUET-UG, 265,248 students were scheduled to appear for the two-hour exam on Sunday, which was held across three time slots — 8.30am, 12pm and 3.30pm.

The first shift of the test was conducted in 271 cities and 447 centres, in which 87,879 candidates were scheduled to appear. The second shift was conducted in 272 cities and 448 centres, with 87,903 candidates scheduled to take the exam. Shift three was held in 271 cities and 458 centres, with 89,466 candidates scheduled to appear.

At the end of the day, officials said the NTA recorded an overall attendance of 76%. This was lower than the 85% attendance recorded on the first day of the test in 2022, but considerably higher than the overall CUET-UG attendance of 62% in 2022.

“In the first two shifts, attendance was 77% and in the third shift it was 76%. In 2% of centrers (approximately 12 out of 450 today), the exam started later than scheduled but was successfully completed. The exam started late due to a couple of reasons, such as power fluctuations in some centres and, in others, students needing to follow staggered entry. Students were informed in the admit cards to enter the centre in a staggered manner. But in a few centres, since they came late, there was crowding and subsequent delay in the start of the exam,” said M Jagadesh Kumar, chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC), who is monitoring the CUET with NTA.

Kumar requested the student to enter in a staggered manner in future exams and added that steps had been taken to avert such situations. “We have now taken administrative measures to prevent such situations in the future. In many cities, we have also taken help from the traffic police to minimize traffic jams around the centres,” he said. “Candidates and their parents were also regularly informed about the steps taken and the exam start status in the centers where there was a delay in starting the test,” added Kumar.

Prachi Gupta, who travelled to her centre in Delhi’s Sarita Vihar alone, said students went through a number of security checks before being allowed to appear for the exam.

“We were asked to remove our shoes for checking during frisking. Our biometrics were also checked. Some students were also asked to remove earrings… It would have been convenient if they allowed us to keep our phone somewhere,” she said.

However, officials noted that as per the CUET-UG 2023 bulletin, candidates are not allowed to carry any metal items to the examination hall.

Saloni, who only shared her first name, said she appeared for the exam in five subjects and appeared for the exam in two different slots — the first and the third. A resident of West Delhi’s Nangloi, she had to leave her house at 5am to reach her test centre at Sarita Vihar on time.

Meanwhile, many parents complained that arrangements outside the centre were not sufficient for the sweltering weather. “There is no place for parents to sit. Children had to queue up outside the centre in this scorching heat,” said Baldev Singh, who accompanied his daughter to an examination centre.