NEW DELHI: Amid continuing debates over the functioning of national-level entrance examinations, students appearing for the CUET have raised concerns regarding mismanagement, technical glitches and mounting mental pressure linked to the examination process.
Outside several examination centres last week, students were standing in long queues. Traffic congestion, overcrowded roads and last-minute confusion further added to the stress surrounding one of the largest university entrance examinations.
Introduced by the National Testing Agency in 2022 for admissions to central universities, CUET was aimed at creating a standardised and fair admission process. However, many students from Delhi and nearby regions described the experience as exhausting, confusing and emotionally draining.
One of the major concerns raised by candidates was the allotment of examination centres located far from their homes. Several students reported travelling for hours to centres situated on the outskirts of cities or in neighbouring districts, saying fears of traffic delays and late arrival significantly increased their anxiety.
A Delhi-based candidate, requesting anonymity, said she was allotted a centre in Faridabad despite residing in the capital. Another student, Sareena, said she received her admit card barely half an hour before the examination, leaving almost no time to travel nearly two hours to the allotted centre.
She said repeated requests to the NTA eventually led to a fresh examination date being issued, but the uncertainty caused immense stress. Technical glitches during examinations also added to concerns. CUET aspirant Jiya Khanna said her computer system shut down unexpectedly during the mathematics paper, resulting in the loss of all saved responses.
“I had to redo the entire paper again, which wasted a lot of time,” she said. Students also raised concerns over strict frisking procedures and confusion surrounding examination guidelines.
