According to the latest stand of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) UG will be conducted only once a year, this year on August 1. The reason given is that this exam requires more planning as it is held in the offline mode. The NTA also says that online testing is not suited for NEET and that a sudden change will make it difficult for students to cope.
Analysis
While it is true that NEET will require more planning and logistics, it is worth taking the additional trouble. It is difficult to understand the assertion that NEET is not suited for online testing. It may not be possible to hold the exam twice this year, why cannot it be done from next year?
Giving students more than one chance to face this test helps those who missed the exam or did not perform well the first time. They need not wait for a whole year to take the exam again. Interestingly, the NTA also proposes to hold the Central Universities Common Entrance Test twice a year.
With a single agency involved in handling both the JEE (Main) and the NEET, it is also possible to combine the entrance exams. This will not only ease the load on those attempting both also the process of stream-wise distinction between online/offline and the number of exams. A single test with a four-part question paper — Maths, Physics Chemistry, and Biology — can be created. Those opting for Engineering can take the first three and the ones opting for Health Sciences can drop the first and take the next three. Those trying both can answer all four. The admitting authorities can consider the relevant marks. This will also help conduct the exams more than once in a year.
Whether this mode is adopted or note, it is desirable that the NEET candidates also get more than one opportunity in a year to take the exam.
The writer is a former Professor and Head, Entrance Exams and Admission, Anna University, Chennai
