The normalisation of scores for the Common University Entrance Test - Undergraduate (CUET-UG) is expected to end this year, with the National Testing Agency (NTA) planning a revamp of the important exam for its third edition, according to top authorities.
The exam, which was initially held over a span of one month, will most likely be administered in a shorter period because the agency is considering a hybrid mode that includes OMR sheets and a computerised test.
The move would also ensure that most students have the opportunity to take the exam at the centre of their choice.
"The NTA is working on the possibility of conducting papers with a large registration in the OMR mode. This will help us choose a large number of schools as test centres,” University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar told PTI.
He added that this would make sure that candidates get a centre in their own cities and towns, and do not have to travel to faraway places.
"Adopting the pen-and-paper mode for subjects with a large registration and a computer-based test (CBT) for papers with a smaller registration will ensure that the CUET-UG can be conducted in a shorter duration unlike in the last two years. The hybrid mode promotes equal opportunities for all, ensuring that geographical constraints do not hinder the students' educational aspirations in rural and remote areas," Kumar said.
Conducting the exam for a subject on a single day will eliminate the need for normalisation of scores, he further said.
He explained that for the last two years, the UGC had to conduct the CUET for the same paper over two or three days in a bid to provide the first-choice centre to the students as much as possible.
However, a large number of centres will be made available at schools and colleges due to OMR, which enables the UGC to conduct the test across the country on the same day.
“If the test is conducted on multiple days for the same paper, normalisation is required and it is a scientific method," the UGC chairman said.
