The Indian education system has recently launched the Central Universities Common Entrance Test or CUCET, an all-India entrance examination to secure admission into various undergraduate/integrated, post-graduate and research programs of Central/State Universities of India.
The announcement regarding this test was made by the Union Grants Commission (UGC) in March 2022. UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar Mamidala said that “CUET will provide a common platform and equal opportunities for students across the country, especially rural and remote areas, and help establish a better connection with universities.”
54 central universities in India will incorporate this test as part of their admission process. It is proposed that this test be conducted as a computer-based test (CBT) by the National Testing Agency (NTA). During the admissions process, students’ class 12 grades as well as the CUCET score will be taken into account. The University of Delhi followed a similar approach for admission in 2021.
The new education policy 2020 suggested a common entrance test for higher education keeping in mind the high-rise threshold colleges had set to admit students. The CUCET was introduced to get rid of the clipping system that was putting a lot of stress on students during their board exams.
CUCET will encourage a multidisciplinary setup instead of forcing students to choose a single stream and will offer the possibility of choosing a foreign language and put more emphasis on critical thinking. This will allow students to acquire a variety of subject knowledge.
While conducting CUCET, students will be tested on their verbal aptitude, logical reasoning, and quantitative aptitude.
This entrance test will benefit students in the following ways:
This will relieve students of the unnecessary stress and pressure that comes with thresholds set by universities.
It will ensure that every student, regardless of the type of discrimination, will benefit from equal opportunities.
The test will also make students realize the importance of skill building and help them develop and refine their skills needed in the real world.
It will ensure the holistic development of students.
The CUCET will be made compulsory for students wishing to be admitted to all universities. The test will force students not only to focus on their academic grades but also to hone their skills and abilities.
You can find the entrance exam syllabus here.
