Last updated: Mar 02, 2023, 8:29 PM IST
CUET 2023 will be held from May 21 to 31. (Representative Image)
Last year there were reports of computer failures in many centers. In addition, several centers were short of computers. The chaos led to the test being canceled and rescheduled. This disrupted the academic calendar of universities
The Common University Entrance Test for Undergraduate Admissions (CUET-UG) at central universities across the country will be different this year from last year’s debut edition.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has planned measures to mitigate the challenges of the first edition of the test, which had led to chaos and confusion. Applications for the test are open, while the last day for submission is March 12. The test will be conducted from May 21.
According to government officials, students will be notified of their testing centers well in advance to avoid last-minute confusion. Exam centers will also be located within 100 km of the students’ place of residence.
Last year, when CUET was rolled out, without enough time or preparation to get the infrastructure ready, students were assigned centers at the last minute, sometimes even the night before. In addition, in most cases, centers were too far from their place, some even outside the city, which made it difficult for students and parents to arrive on time for the exam.
This year, officials also said infrastructure, both technical and management in centers, will be better so there is no room for breakdowns. “Additional computers and keyboards will be on standby in case there is a system problem. Preparations for the exam including identification of centers have already started. We will make sure there are no problems for students this time,” said a senior official, who declined to be named.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR
Last year, more than nine lakh students appeared for the first-ever edition of CUET-UG while 14 lakh candidates applied. In many centers there were reports of computers malfunctioning or breaking during the test. In addition, several centers ran out of computers and because of the chaos, the test was canceled and had to be rescheduled. The exams had to be extended, disrupting the academic calendar of universities due to successive cancellations.
Also, many students mentioned problems that they scheduled multiple exams on the same day, making it difficult for them to show up.
In addition, many colleges complained that their academic schedule was delayed because their premises were blocked from taking the test.
Last year, the exam was held between July 15 and August 30. “This time, we will ensure that the test is completed by the end of June so that colleges can start their sessions in plenty of time,” the official said.
The test, like last year, will take place in several phases, but the agency plans to run it in three shifts per day instead of two.
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