Synopsis
The education ministry and exam reforms panel are exploring US and UK entrance exam models for potential changes, like computer-based testing. Public feedback favors domain-specific and social aptitude tests. Central government is discussing NTA’s role and accountability, considering a statutory structure.
AgenciesThe education ministry and the high-powered panel on exam reforms chaired by ex-ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan are learnt to be closely looking at entrance examination models in the US and the UK and are mulling options such as computer-based testing for most exams, besides ways to bring in greater accountability at the National Testing Authority (NTA), ET has gathered.
The seven-member panel set up on June 22 in the aftermath of the NEET-UG paper leak has held four full committee meetings until July 4, the Centre informed the Supreme Court in its affidavit.
Meetings have also been held with the home ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and other stakeholder departments, including the health ministry, to devise ways to conduct a fool-proof exam.
Further, the panel is also learnt to have received considerable public feedback and expert suggestions, many of which are learnt to back a domain-specific test as well as a social aptitude test that can be taken by a student multiple times, apart from a higher weightage to cumulative school scores.
The panel is learnt to be closely studying entrance exam models in other countries such as the ACT/SAT models of the US and the UCAT in the UK – standardised tests which also examine student aptitude in a major way.
ET has earlier reported in detail how higher education admissions in the US depend on one of the two standardised tests: One is the American College Testing (ACT), which is administered five to seven times a year and covers English, Math, Reading and Science. The alternative is the well-known Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which tests editing, writing, reading comprehension, quantitative skills and data analysis. In addition to ACT/SAT scores, many top universities seek essays, statements of purpose, and letters of recommendation from students.
Medicine is not an undergraduate option in the US. Graduates must take the computer-based MCAT for medical school admissions in the US, Canada, Australia and the Caribbean Islands. This rigorous test is offered 25 times a year in 21 countries. Candidates can take the test three times a year and seven times in their lifetime.
In the UK, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) handles all bachelor’s degree applications. For medicine, some universities require a student to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) and the LNAT for law degrees in addition to the personal statement and school academic record (A-level results).
It is increasingly felt within the education ministry that a switch will have to be made across all tests to a multiple window, computer-based testing mode, rather than a single day or limited window, pen and paper (Optical Mark Reader) system as used in case of NEET. Discussions have already been started with the Union health ministry on the same, sources indicated.
Apart from that, the central government is closely debating the role and remit of NTA, also a key term of reference for the high-level panel. Besides increasing expert manpower in NTA, the government is looking to build mechanisms to strengthen the testing agency protocols and structure and also bring in greater accountability. While a statutory structure is being debated for NTA, discussions are not in favour of a legislative proposal that will take a longer time and will have to pass in Parliament.
