NEW DELHI: Govt indicated it is considering a move towards a more stress-free, multi-session, multiple-times-a-year computer-based test format for future exams, similar to the Joint Entrance Examination-Main (JEE-Main), which was successfully offered four times during the Covid pandemic.
Sources suggested that National Testing Agency (NTA) can consider learning from and collaborating with global bodies like the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administer the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in the US.
The seven-member panel constituted by the Centre for exam reforms too briefly discussed the mode of exams-computer-based and pen-paper on Monday – and will deliberate on it in detail in subsequent meetings.
Earlier on Sunday, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan hinted at a potential overhaul of the exam process, “India needs a flexible and less stressful exam system like the SAT,(Scholastic Aptitude Test), the admission test for colleges in the US.”
When the NTA was established in 2017 and subsequently in 2018, the agency engaged in multiple discussions with ETS. However, according to a senior official at the ministry of education, these talks did not result in concrete collaboration, as they primarily focused on question paper settings and the efficacy of the items.
Govt sources indicated that following the recommendations of the exam reform panel, new discussions with ETS and other global bodies are likely to take place to explore potential collaborations. “To make exams less stressful and more flexible, govt is likely to convert most high-profile exams to a computer-based format, enabling multiple sessions and times, similar to JEE-Main. This approach has proven successful for NTA. Despite some centre availability issues, the second edition of CUET-UG too was a success, with technical glitches faced during the first CUET in 2022 getting resolved,” said the source.
Sources suggested that National Testing Agency (NTA) can consider learning from and collaborating with global bodies like the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administer the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in the US.
The seven-member panel constituted by the Centre for exam reforms too briefly discussed the mode of exams-computer-based and pen-paper on Monday – and will deliberate on it in detail in subsequent meetings.
Earlier on Sunday, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan hinted at a potential overhaul of the exam process, “India needs a flexible and less stressful exam system like the SAT,(Scholastic Aptitude Test), the admission test for colleges in the US.”
When the NTA was established in 2017 and subsequently in 2018, the agency engaged in multiple discussions with ETS. However, according to a senior official at the ministry of education, these talks did not result in concrete collaboration, as they primarily focused on question paper settings and the efficacy of the items.
Govt sources indicated that following the recommendations of the exam reform panel, new discussions with ETS and other global bodies are likely to take place to explore potential collaborations. “To make exams less stressful and more flexible, govt is likely to convert most high-profile exams to a computer-based format, enabling multiple sessions and times, similar to JEE-Main. This approach has proven successful for NTA. Despite some centre availability issues, the second edition of CUET-UG too was a success, with technical glitches faced during the first CUET in 2022 getting resolved,” said the source.
