Entrance Exams - What alternative does the government have instead of postponing?

Since the COVID-19 has been declared as Pandemic by World Health Organisation (WHO), there is a sense of fear and panic all around the globe. Government of India imposed lockdown and taking all the possible precautionary steps to curb the spread of the virus which includes shutting down all educational institutes, vacating hostels, postponing entrance examinations, convocation ceremonies, and more.

Student Safety while conducting exams

Entrance exams such as JEE and NEET were postponed multiple times in 2020 to avoid spread of virus in student community but now many voices are coming in support to conduct exams with view of “Life must go on”. Amid the increasing spread of virus in the country post lockdown, close to 16 lakhs students are appearing for NEET - UG and 8.58 lakhs students are appearing for JEE Mains exam. Ensuring safety by taking social distancing with appropriate hygiene measures of total 27 lakhs students plus approximately 1 lakh teacher supervisors across states is a big challenge. How many exam centers are well prepared for such health and safety measures is a question.

How postponing / cancelling entrance exams will affect students?

Aspirants prepare for entrance exams like JEE and NEET at least for a year in order to secure good ranking for admission in good institutions. These students work rigorously to achieve their goal. Postponing or Cancellation of entrance exams will affect these students as their preparation for whole year will go into vain. Cancellation of such entrance exams will have devastating effect on merit entering into institutions hence it should be the last option to be considered.

Recently IIT Delhi Director Mr. V Ramgopal Rao said, “Any further delay in conducting entrance exams JEE and NEET will have ‘serious repercussions’ not only on the academic calendar but also on the career of bright students”. Hence further delay in conducting medical and engineering entrance exams will lead to a 'zero academic year. In this scenario it is inevitable to explore options available with the government instead of postponing the entrance exams further.

Options for conducting entrance exams without postponing them further:

1. Home-based Online Proctored Exam:

Government can leverage online proctoring services to enable students to take exams from home. Such form of online exams relies on the internet and lets students take the exam at their own location. While online assessments looks like viable option to be explored, there is concern that they could increase inequalities due to lack of Internet access and laptop / desktop computers with all students, in addition to their cost.

2. Conducting Exams in staggered manner

Government can consider conducting examinations with more number of exam centers and in higher number of shifts with lesser number of students in each shift with proper crowd control mechanisms to avoid risk of spread of disease.

3. Ensuring safety at Exam centers

It should be mandated that exams to be conducted in sanitized environment with all precautionary measures to be strictly followed at exam centers, including physical distancing protocols, providing hand sanitizers and compulsory wearing of masks.

 4. Open book examination (OBE)

OBE will require students to first download the question paper from the exam portal, write the answers on plain paper, and finally scan and upload them on the portal, all within a stipulated time limit.

Summing it up, internet connectivity conditions will inevitably widen the gap between students with different economic backgrounds and a sudden change in the style of questions (as is required by the “open book” format) without enough time allowed to cope with changed pattern, it will create anxiety in students.

Higher education entrance exams are the highest-stake exams that determine access to higher education premium institutes in India where fairness is the key. Hence, along with health and safety, it is important to ensuring equity and equal opportunity for all students while conducting entrance exams.

UGC Examination Guidelines 2020 - Practical or Inconsiderate

On July 6^th, The University Grants Commission (UGC) released revised guidelines on examinations and academic calendar for the universities.

In the guidelines, UGC has indicated that the university examination may be completed by September in online, offline or blended modes. The revised guidelines have been created based on the recommendations suggested by the expert committee.

What will be the mode of Final Semester / Year Exams 2019-20?

UGC has asked the universities to complete the examinations by the end of September 2020. Exams can be done in offline, or online or blended (online + offline) mode. The exams will be conducted following the prescribed protocols/ guidelines related to COVID-19 pandemic.

What if a student fails to appear for the final year examination?

In case a student of final semester / year is unable to appear in the examination for whatsoever the reason(s) may be, he/she may appear in special examinations for such course(s)/ paper(s). University may conduct such examinations as and when feasible so that such students are not put to any inconvenience/ disadvantage. This is a special provision for the academic session 2019-20 as a one-time measure

Will there be exams for backlog papers?

Yes, the students of final semester / year having backlog should compulsorily be evaluated by conducting examinations in offline, online or blended (online + offline) mode as per feasibility and suitability.

What is the update about intermediate semester/ year examinations?

As per UGC, the guidelines regarding intermediate semester/ year examinations will remain unchanged as notified in the previous guidelines issued on 29th April, 2020.

Will UGC release separate guidelines for admissions and academic calendar?

The UGC mentioned that if need be, it will release details pertaining to the Admissions and Academic Calendar in the colleges and universities separately in place of those mentioned in the earlier guidelines.

The revised guidelines issued by the UGC mandating final examinations have received mixed response from universities, students, parents as well as teachers.

31 students from different universities across India approached the Supreme Court to challenge the UGC revised guidelines for final examination. The students urged that the exams should be canceled and the results of such students should be calculated on the basis of their internal assessment or past performance.

Another petition on the issue, filed in the Supreme Court by final year law student Yash Dubey sought cancellation of UGC mandated final year exams. Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray has also moved the Supreme court on behalf of Yuva Sena against the mandated final year exams in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases.

In response, UGC has stated that its Guidelines dated 6 July, 2020 have been issued to protect the academic future of the students across the country which will be irreparably damaged if their final examinations are not held. It says that it had done so while keeping the health and safety of the students in mind. UGC mentioned that it’s Guidelines taken account of the evolving situation of COVID-19 by not only providing adequate time for the conduct of examinations but also by giving flexibility to the universities on mode of conduct of examination i.e. offline/online/blended.

However, some students, Universities as well as state governments have still not taken the decision positively. In view of the current difficulties that our country is facing, it is quite unrealistic to justify the reasoning of conduction of virtual examination by relying on examples of the premier institutions of the world. We need to understand that premier institutes are largely accommodating of student’s concern and health threats.

These are unprecedented times and every sector is taking decisions in favour of physical and mental health of their citizens. UGC on the other hand is failing to consider that most of the educational institutions/Universities/colleges have been converted into quarantine centre and the conduction of the examination, in this testing time, is a threat to the life and health of thousands of students.

Examinations Amidst A Pandemic - Are online exams an option?

The already struggling schooling industry, has recently been thrown another challenge of conducting safe and secure examinations for their students. Amidst the tussle, the industry opinion is split between parents increasingly leaning towards postponement of examinations and the authorities that are focused on creating a safe environment for their conduct. As a consequence, critical state sponsored examinations stand cancelled for the moment. While student safety is central to both stakeholders, it is also important to investigate the approach to examinations and their conduct as well as adapt to the latest trends and practices being employed in the assessment and examination vertical.

So what options are out there?

With greater amount of industries going digital and embracing the influx of technology, the assessment and examination community has also come of age. Online Examinations have emerged as a credible alternative to traditional pen and paper examinations that schools and educational institutions are adept to. While concepts like these are unheard of in the Indian ecosystem, there are ample examples internationally, of schools and universities leveraging technology and conducting safe and secure examinations using online solution providers. With the efficient use of state-of-the-art technology coupled with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, online examination portals have been able to overcome all malpractices and unethical behavior impacting exam integrity.

Why should schools opt for Online Examinations?

Online examinations are the natural progression for the schooling industry as they increasingly become aware of the benefits and effectiveness of bridging the digital divide. As schools have now become acquainted with the many benefits of online learning, it is only natural to look at other aspects of a child’s education that can be leveraged online. Moreover, schools stand to benefit from both proctored and un-proctored assessments that merge human oversight with AI based indicators that limit the possibilities of cheating, impersonation and other unethical actions.

Schools should see the advantages in opting for online examinations as under:

• Cost Savings – When an online exam is conducted, there are direct implications on the costs of paper and stationery that are required to conduct exams the traditional way. The elimination of paper costs alone is extraordinary.

• Time Management – Online examinations generally employ pre validation of the test taker to ensure that there is no impersonation or compromise of testing environment. This helps to overcome the lengthy formalities of the prevalent testing model and ensures that the test taker is able to maximize the utilization of his time. Moreover, as objective tests can be evaluated instantly it saves on the time of answer sheet evaluation and result declaration to a large extent

• Security & Confidentiality – The traditional testing model requires creation and protection of question papers in a secure environment. In fact, many schools take extra care to ensure that their question papers do not leak into the hands of students. Online exams ensure that the test taker does not have access to the test unless authorized by the proctor. Systems in place can also ensure that the candidate does not have access to the internet or has limited access in order to maintain test integrity. Questions can even be randomized and presented as tests. This is why many schools have already adopted the practice of online examinations.

• Flexibility & Accessibility – Online examinations make it possible for test takers to take an exam from the comfort of their homes. Some online service providers even allow test takers to schedule their examinations as per their availability. Schools can consider similar options for low stakes exams allowing their test takers to conduct examinations 24 x 7.

Administratively as well, online exams are a lot easier to conduct as compared to traditional tests. Schools are undivided on the toil and effort that goes into conducting examinations the present way. Online examinations enable a one stop solution for creating, conducting, evaluating and analyzing exams. Test results can be mapped to test takers along with their progression history to understand the developmental areas of the students and help them precisely.

What kind of examinations can be conducted?

Online examinations can be used to deliver all kinds of tests. Certain service providers also allow examiners to align learning outcomes to the tests that they choose to conduct. Such deep analysis is not possible with the traditional testing set up. Listed below are a few aspects of student development and supporting question types that can be tested via online exams:

It is relatively difficult to refute the many benefits of online examinations. Schools have an opportunity to ensure academic continuity for their students and rise above the ill effects of the pandemic. It is important for schools to recognize their infrastructural challenges and work around them to execute online assessment strategies that can help set the pace for all future assessments. Student’s should also be well prepared to be introduced to an online testing environment that is both safe and secure while being highly effective.