Government Likely to Adopt JEE-Style Online Test Format for Exams

NEW DELHI: The government is considering a shift towards a more relaxed, multi-session, and multiple-times-a-year computer-based test format for future exams. This new format would be similar to the Joint Entrance Examination-Main (JEE-Main), which was successfully conducted four times during the Covid pandemic.

Sources have suggested that the National Testing Agency (NTA) might learn from and collaborate with global organizations like the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in the United States. A seven-member panel set up by the Centre to discuss exam reforms briefly talked about the computer-based and pen-paper exam modes on Monday. They plan to discuss these options in more detail in future meetings.

On Sunday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hinted at a possible major change in the exam process. He said, “India needs a flexible and less stressful exam system like the SAT, the admission test for colleges in the US.”

When the NTA was established in 2017 and later in 2018, the agency had multiple discussions with ETS. However, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Education, these talks did not lead to a concrete collaboration because they mainly focused on setting question papers and the effectiveness of the test items.

Government sources have indicated that, following the recommendations of the exam reform panel, new discussions with ETS and other global bodies are likely to happen to explore potential collaborations. “To make exams less stressful and more flexible, the government is likely to convert most high-profile exams to a computer-based format, allowing for multiple sessions and times, similar to JEE-Main. This approach has been successful for the NTA. Despite some issues with center availability, the second edition of CUET-UG was also a success, with technical problems faced during the first CUET in 2022 being resolved,” said the source.