The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced a series of initiatives aimed at ensuring a smooth and hassle-free Common University Entrance Test for Undergraduate (CUET UG) 2024.
UGC chief M Jagadesh Kumar stated on Wednesday that the National Testing Agency (NTA), responsible for conducting the CUET, will announce the cities where students have to write the test a week before the test date.
“Since this time, NTA is conducting CUET-UG in hybrid mode, we will have more centers in cities, and students will get the centers of their choice. For security reasons, students can download admit cards a few days before the test,” he said.
The CUET-UG 2024 is scheduled from May 15 to May 31, coinciding with the Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier, Jagadesh said, “There will be no change in the schedule of the entrance exam view of the Lok Sabha elections.”
The UGC chief mentioned that the number of papers that students can attempt has also been modified. He stated that instead of ten papers as in previous years, students will now be permitted to write a maximum of six papers. This decision is based on the observation that only a small percentage of students opted for ten papers in the past, leading to difficulty in creating schedules.
Additionally, Kumar said that breaks will be provided between exams held on the same day to alleviate stress and help students switch between subjects easily. He stressed that UGC wants to keep the questions at a ‘moderate’ level of difficulty so students don’t need to depend too much on coaching centers.
Addressing concerns about exam cheating in CUET-UG, Kumar said that rigorous identity verification processes, including photo identification and biometric scans, will be implemented. Seating arrangements will be designed to minimize communication between students, and a sufficient number of invigilators will be present to monitor the examination halls. Random spot checks will also be conducted during the exam, and answers and patterns will be analyzed to detect any unusual trends that may indicate cheating.
