The ministry of human resource development (MHRD) is planning to introduce a single entrance test from 2014 for students planning to pursue science and engineering at the graduation level.
The test, called National Test Scheme (NTS), will do away with the prevailing multiple competitive examination system for these courses. ?The proposed test is motivated by the principle of inclusion for a collaborative excellence rather than exclusion through competitive excellence,? says a draft paper released by the ministry.
Initially, NTS will be used only for science and engineering admissions. Almost 11.5 lakh students take the All-India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) while another 3 lakh sit for the joint entrance exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Technology.
The present system of multiple competitive examinations has emerged because the demand-supply gap in access to tertiary education is large and the levels of excellence in educational institutions are uneven.
?We want to start with science and engineering because this is the area where almost 90% of the students take entrance exams …Arts and commerce are not a problem today and management education is pursued usually at the postgraduation level,? said an HRD ministry official.
The NTS will evaluate the ability of the learners rather than their preparedness. A committee of vice-chancellors has suggested that for admission to undergraduate courses, marks obtained in Class 12 and the scores obtained in a common national-level aptitude test should get appropriate weightage.
Officials say that the test could be designed in such a way that the first part is common for all students and the second part, which is a specialised one, tests their analytical skills and understanding of their respective subjects.
?We expect the discussion process to end in a year’s time and most probably, the test could be rolled out by 2014,? said AICTE chairman SS Mantha.
Education minister Kapil Sibal has also said that in an effort to reduce examination stress, the MHRD is considering merging the Central Board of Secondary Education ?conducted All-India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) and the All-India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) as both sets of examinations have common subjects ? physics and chemistry. While those opting for medical courses have to appear for an additional biology paper, the students opting for the engineering stream have to appear for a mathematics paper.
Currently, if a student wants to appear for the entrance exams for both the streams, he needs to sit for the physics and chemistry tests twice. ?Merging the two examinations will resolve this problem. If the common entrance exam runs well, we may extend it to other areas and subjects also,? the MHRD official added.
