Kolkata: With the WBJEE yet to announce the schedule for the state engineering entrance test, there is concern among students as the academic calendar has started, and Assembly elections are likely in April-May.
The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board (WBJEE) is usually conducted in April or May after the completion of the class 12 board examinations. Last year, the exam was held on April 27.
However, this year, no date has been announced so far, and even the application process has not begun.
WBJEE chairperson Gautam Pal on Saturday said that conducting the exam on time remains his "biggest challenge" at present.
"The process has started, and we hope to hold the examination and publish the results within a proper timeframe," he said.
The delay has raised apprehensions among college authorities, especially in view of the upcoming Assembly elections, which are expected around the same time.
President of the Association of Professional Academic Institutions (APAI), an organisation consisting of private colleges and universities, Taranjit Singh, said, "We will discuss the matter with the WBJEE chairman."
Last year, WBJEE results were published nearly two months after the scheduled time, leaving many candidates anxious.
Some students reportedly opted for other courses or institutions outside the state based on national-level entrance exam results.
Engineering colleges had then complained that comparatively lower-ranked candidates were enrolling, as many meritorious students moved to institutions outside the state.
Traditionally, the date for the next year's examination is announced on the day of the result publication. However, this did not happen in 2025.
In March, multiple recruitment exams, including WBSSC Group C and Group D staff selection tests, are scheduled.
Several national-level competitive examinations are also lined up.
Results of the national-level Joint Entrance Examination (Main) have already been declared, and the JEE Advanced at the national level is expected to be held soon.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.