Forget essays, more ‘objective’ questions likely in UP exams to simplify evaluation work

A mix of objective and lengthy questions might be asked in university and college exams in Uttar Pradesh to simplify evaluation of answer sheets

A number of interesting decisions were taken at the vice-chancellors’ conference held today in Lucknow, including increasing teaching days from 180 to 220 and use of technology in classes. However, the decision to introduce a “mix of objective and descriptive type of questions,” in examinations from next year, to simplify the work evaluators, was somewhat surprising.

Can objective type questions in examinations make an evaluator’s work easy? (Hemant Mishra/Mint/For representation only)

In a media briefing after the conference of VCs of universities from all over Uttar Pradesh, the deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma said that from next year the university will introduce objective type questions in examinations to ‘simplify’ evaluation work.

Sharma said evaluation of answers to descriptive type questions took time.Question papers would now have a mix of objective and descriptive type of questions.

Would the education system benefit from a system where answers in university and college-level examinations are required to be short just to make an evaluator’s work easy?

This is a question that demands a lengthy response.