The Common Entrance Test (CET) will not go online this year. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) on Thursday said it is not fully equipped to conduct the test online yet. Higher education minister G T Devegowda, who on Wednesday said that CET 2019 would go online, also accepted the fact that they need time. “We are meeting on January 19 ... after which a clear picture will be available,” he said.  

KEA sources said that although the process is on and the software to implement the online mode is ready, they need time as it needs to go through several mock runs. “We cannot try it straight on students, as a majority of them are from rural areas. We think it could be operational with CET 2020,” said a KEA official.

The official said the test cannot be implemented without giving students time to practice and prepare for the online version. “This year, we have hardly two months left, and it would not be possible to prepare students for the new version. We have communicated this to the government,” he added. The department wanted to take CET online to bring in more transparency, prepare students for other competitive exams and also announce results early.