Computer-Based Test and Close Supervision: How IITs Conduct JEE Without Issues

On June 22, the Centre formed a high-level committee to explore ways to improve how the National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts exams. This decision came after reports of cheating in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG).

The committee is considering adopting the model used by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for their Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Like NEET for medical colleges, JEE is a highly prestigious exam in India. JEE, which is conducted in two stages, has faced issues in the past. For example, in 2021, there was manipulation at an exam center in Haryana, leading to a CBI investigation. However, the overall integrity of the JEE process has remained intact. The exam has also managed to resist attempts by the coaching industry to exploit it.

The first stage of IIT-JEE, called JEE (Mains), is now conducted by the NTA with some involvement from the IITs. The second stage, JEE (Advanced), is entirely managed by the IITs.

Pros and Cons of Computer-Based Tests

The main difference between NEET and JEE is that JEE is now completely computer-based. Both stages are held at designated computer centers run by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Fewer students take JEE compared to NEET. In recent years, about 10 lakh students have taken JEE (Mains), with around 2 lakh qualifying for JEE (Advanced). In contrast, about 23-24 lakh students have taken NEET.

TCS test centers can accommodate about 2 lakh students at a time, allowing JEE (Advanced) to be conducted in one session. JEE (Mains), however, is held over multiple sessions, each with a different question paper of comparable difficulty.

Other companies also have infrastructure for computer-based tests but with smaller capacities. Except for 2022, JEE has been conducted at TCS centers since online exams started in 2017.

Online tests eliminate several vulnerabilities, such as the risk of question paper leaks during transport and distribution. They also reduce the involvement of external agencies like printing presses or transport companies. The ongoing investigation into NEET irregularities has highlighted these vulnerabilities.

However, online tests introduce new risks, such as technology-based cheating and digital impersonation. For instance, in 2021, an entire center in Sonepat, Haryana, was duplicated, and remote access to the computers was given to ‘solvers.’ As a result, TCS test centers were banned, and other centers were used for the 2022 JEE. TCS centers were only used again in 2023 after security enhancements. The issue was localized and contained, but a CBI investigation is still pending.

Close Supervision by IITs

In 1997, a major embarrassment occurred for the IITs when question papers for all three subjects—physics, chemistry, and mathematics—were leaked a few hours before the entrance test. The exam, which was pen-and-paper at the time, had to be canceled and rescheduled.

Since then, JEE has undergone several changes, including the introduction of a two-stage process. For JEE (Mains), the IITs are mainly involved in setting the questions, while the NTA handles other processes. For JEE (Advanced), the IITs control the entire process, starting almost a year in advance with the nomination of a JEE chairman and vice-chairman at each institute. The seven older IITs take turns being the main organizer.

The IITs ensure that question papers are prepared in complete secrecy. Two groups work in different cities to prepare two sets of questions for each subject. Each group includes one faculty member from each of the seven older IITs. These groups are formed anew every year, and no other faculty members know who is preparing the questions.

The two sets of question papers are handed over to the JEE chairman, who decides which set will be used for the exam.

Test centers receive access to the question papers a couple of hours before the test starts. The IITs send two to three faculty members to each test center to supervise the process. When JEE was a pen-and-paper exam, IIT staff themselves would carry the question papers to the centers.

The active involvement of the IITs in the entrance exam has been a key reason for maintaining its integrity, according to those previously involved with JEE.

“IITs and their faculty members have a lot at stake in this system. It’s not just about the institute’s reputation but also our livelihoods. If admissions are not done properly, our careers are at risk. So, there is a strong sense of ownership,” said a faculty member involved in the process.

Another retired faculty member said that control over the examination was a key difference between JEE and NEET.

“Earlier, AIIMS conducted its own exams without any credibility issues. IIMs also conduct their exams smoothly. One problem with NEET is the large number of students. There is a huge gap between the demand and supply of medical college seats, raising the stakes and making people willing to pay any amount to gain an advantage. This issue needs to be addressed. Meanwhile, creating computer-based testing capacities should be a top priority for the NTA. NEET is too important an exam to have such weaknesses,” he said.