he decision of the Union human resources development ministry to push for replacing the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) with a common aptitude-cum-advanced knowledge test by 2013 is an innovative move. The two exams are currently the most important for engineering aspirants in the country.
While the JEE determines admission to the 15 premier IITs, the AIEEE secures admission to 30 National Institutes of Technology, four Indian Institutes of Information Technology and five Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research. However, there is a plethora of other exams that one must take to seek admission to those colleges not covered by the JEE or the AIEEE. As a result, an engineering aspirant invariably ends up taking three to five entrance tests during admission season.
It is precisely to mitigate this burden that the new common test has been designed. Divided into two parts - aptitude and an optional advanced section - the test along with class XII board results will determine admissions to all centrally funded engineering institutions. However, if the aim is to institute a system similar to the American SAT examination, individual colleges must have the freedom to determine how much weight each component should be given.
Contrary to this principle, the proposed admission formula mandates 60% weight for common test scores with board marks constituting the rest 40%. This is bound to create discrepancies as state boards across the country have hugely varying standards. If the proposed formula were to be adopted, each state board would try to outdo the others with liberal marking, setting off a race to the bottom.
Having said that, the overall push for a common entrance exam is welcome. The aptitude part of the common test could be used in disciplines other than engineering as well, while the advanced section could be tailored for different disciplines. The existing system of multiple entrance exams has encouraged cram pressure in higher education and created enormous stress for students.
Worse still, it has created a wide gap between school curricula and competitive exam syllabi that has aided the mushrooming of coaching centres throughout the country. This in turn has been one of the factors stymieing innovation in our institutes of higher learning, as evident in the poor quality of research output.
That more than 2,500 students commit suicide every year due to exam-related stress is worrying. By focussing on aptitude and creativity, the common entrance test can alleviate student pressure while allowing colleges enough flexibility to determine their own admission criteria..
While the JEE determines admission to the 15 premier IITs, the AIEEE secures admission to 30 National Institutes of Technology, four Indian Institutes of Information Technology and five Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research. However, there is a plethora of other exams that one must take to seek admission to those colleges not covered by the JEE or the AIEEE. As a result, an engineering aspirant invariably ends up taking three to five entrance tests during admission season.
It is precisely to mitigate this burden that the new common test has been designed. Divided into two parts - aptitude and an optional advanced section - the test along with class XII board results will determine admissions to all centrally funded engineering institutions. However, if the aim is to institute a system similar to the American SAT examination, individual colleges must have the freedom to determine how much weight each component should be given.
Contrary to this principle, the proposed admission formula mandates 60% weight for common test scores with board marks constituting the rest 40%. This is bound to create discrepancies as state boards across the country have hugely varying standards. If the proposed formula were to be adopted, each state board would try to outdo the others with liberal marking, setting off a race to the bottom.
Having said that, the overall push for a common entrance exam is welcome. The aptitude part of the common test could be used in disciplines other than engineering as well, while the advanced section could be tailored for different disciplines. The existing system of multiple entrance exams has encouraged cram pressure in higher education and created enormous stress for students.
Worse still, it has created a wide gap between school curricula and competitive exam syllabi that has aided the mushrooming of coaching centres throughout the country. This in turn has been one of the factors stymieing innovation in our institutes of higher learning, as evident in the poor quality of research output.
That more than 2,500 students commit suicide every year due to exam-related stress is worrying. By focussing on aptitude and creativity, the common entrance test can alleviate student pressure while allowing colleges enough flexibility to determine their own admission criteria..
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ReplyDeletehey......
ReplyDeletewhat will b dere in aptitude & advanced test???
r they supposed to be of sallybi or out of it??????
@siddharth....the aptitude will be the mixed bowl...it means it will contain all types of questions but physics ,chemistry and maths will not be so hard as it is now a days.
ReplyDelete& what about "advanced test"????
ReplyDeleteit's an optional advance test might be the subject specific or may be it's for those who have scored less marks in their boards.
ReplyDeleteAs the exact pattern is still to come so nobody is damn suure of this.
Well are you a jee aspirant??
yeah... i'll give exam in 2013.....
ReplyDelete