Six candidates scored 100% as the results for the first-ever CUET for postgraduation were released on September 26. The Common University Entrance Test was conducted in six phases, in which a total number of 14,90,293 candidates registered, out of which 9,68,201, appeared for the exams.
What is CUET?
The CUET is a nationwide examination used to determine undergraduate admission to 44 core universities and 46 other institutions. The CUET test results are now mandatory for admission to UG degrees at all central institutions. Till 2021, 12 central universities were using the CUET test to admit students to UG, Integrated PG, and PG programmes.
This change was implemented to promote teaching (by teachers), learning (by students), and assessment (by parents and institutions). It was strongly believed that these tests would improve the quality, efficiency, effectiveness, equity, and security of assessments.
Although the decision to switch to Common Entrance Exams is seen as a step in the right direction by some, a number of technical issues have undoubtedly raised doubts about whether the administration was even prepared for this step.
‘Beneficial for students’ or not?
“This decision can function as a leveller for the students who are from Delhi,” a professor, who chose anonymity, says. “Usually CBSE evaluation is harsher than other state boards because of which very few persons from Delhi received admission into Delhi university,” he says.
“It also relieves students’ pressure because previously, if you didn’t get 80 or 90 percent, you couldn’t get into Delhi University. Now that the pressure has been liberated, students can relax. However, one thing to keep in mind is that some students will still be in the mindset of clearing CUET from the beginning of 11th standard, so CUET tests should be based more on the syllabus of 11th and 12th standards,” he adds.
However, students claim that the examination is “too complicated”.
Alina, 23, did not have a pleasant admissions experience. “There was no preparation whatsoever,” she says.
“The authorities have made it much too complicated. It was incredibly hard to even figure out the exam codes let alone giving the exams and not just me, most of my friends were also perplexed about how to proceed with this,” says Alina, a resident of Lucknow, UP.
“I had applied for the Gender and political science paper. The political science paper was fine but the gender examination one contained questions that were completely irrelevant to my choice of study. The exam codes were so difficult that filling out the documents made you nervous. There was also no clear information on the exam dates. The location of my exam centre was changed twice without prior notice. There was so much confusion that I changed my mind and registered for admission at Jamia, where the entire procedure was finished but here even the tests were not conducted,” she rues.
Not just the admission procedure, the delay in the issuing of admit cards also created a fear among students, who were worried about their future.
“There was no clarification on how many phases of examinations were to be taken. We were told that there are going to be two phases of examination, but it wasn’t clarified whether both the two exams will be for Undergraduate courses or Postgraduate courses no clarity at all later we found out that both the exams were going to be held for Undergraduate courses but a lot of our time went in panicking,” says Vasupriya, 22, who also participated in the CUET.
Besides, technical glitches also made the lives difficult for the students. Several students have raised complaints about not being able to access the online portal multiple times, even resulting in the exam being postponed once.
“The question paper for the second shift of the examination could only be uploaded at 5 pm and the download at 489 centres could start at 5:25 pm, while the exam was scheduled to begin from 3 pm,” NTA said.
For the unversed, the second shift of the Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET UG) 2022 phase II was supposed to begin at 3 pm.
Candidates can use the same admit card for the rescheduled exam. Those unable to appear for the exam on the new dates can send an e-mail to datechange@nta.ac.in mentioning their desired date and roll number.
Many students expressed their anger at the reporting of absolute mayhem at CUET centers,” many students wrote on Twitter. After being kept waiting for hours, we were informed that due to a technological fault, the exam will now be held on another day because of poor planning and execution.
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