School & Entrance Examinations in 2022 and beyond for India

Everyone hopes that in 2022 students will be able to sit examinations in a normal fashion, though given the nature of the global pandemic this cannot be guaranteed. However, even if students can sit as usual, next year’s exams cannot be assessed in the usual way, for two reasons. First, because those year groups taking exams in 2022 have already missed a considerable amount of schooling and, in many cases, are behind where they would normally be at this point. Second, due to large increases in grades in 2020 and 2021, reverting back to normal grading would heavily penalize the 2022 cohort.

Plan B - CBSE board plans two term end exams for 10, 12; reduced syllabus In a notification issued on Monday, the Board also announced that the syllabus for the year will be rationalized on the lines of what was done in the last academic year, when the syllabus was reduced by 30%. The rationalized syllabus will be split in half across the two terms.

Global Scenario – Boards like General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) - For popular essay-heavy papers – English Literature, History and Geography – it is proposing that exam boards offer a choice of topics in the exams. Finally, Ofqual has proposed that pupils be allowed formula sheets in the exam room for Maths, Physics, and Combined Science. At AS and A-level the plans are more straightforward. It is proposing that for all subjects advanced information about the content of exams should be made available in the spring

Unfolding the dialogues of emergency and contention over conducting the examination in 2021

Are taking exams more important than life despite the high risk of exposure to corona infection? Or should students be passed without exams? The whole dialogue over the controversy of exam emergency on conducting entrance exams for various institutes in these pandemic days took place in regards to these two particular questions, which has led to reveal an emerging serious concern in the current scenario of education pandemic in India.

Entrance exams crisis in this distress situation of uncertainties, the most relevant question that has led the contention into fire amongst the stakeholders is that how the admission process would be conducted in those institutions where entrance test is compulsory and admission is strictly based on the performances made on the test. Over seven million students are expected to appear in various annual entrance exams for admission in many courses among India’s prestigious institutions that include IITs, AIIMs, and other technical and medical institutions along with various reputed central universities, all are lined up to be held in September. As these entrance exams cannot be given from sitting at home and demand students to be presented physically in the allotted exam centres, it throws questions over the legitimacy of conducting exams in these pandemic times. Students have high chances to be exposed to the virus and how would govt. address health risks to such a huge number of students. Surprisingly past experiences have revealed a big question that justifies student’s concern for their health risk. Many important entrance exams have already been conducted in the states of Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh during this peak covid times at the end of July and August. Shocking news reported that students have shown covid-19 positive symptoms just after they wrote their exam papers. In Kerala, 5 students have already shown positive symptoms after they come back home from exam centres.

In India new academic sessions generally start from July-August after all the semester exams end roughly from April to June. This year due to lockdown, the academic session has already been delayed. Final exams are still pending, new admissions yet to start. Since further delay would lead to zero session, the education ministry is convinced to conduct exams. Indian central government is now planning to re-open all the educational institutions once all the examination and evaluation process of enrolled students get over. UGC, a key agency that holds all responsibilities for higher education in India, has already issued a directive on July 8 mentioning final year examinations are compulsory (UGC, 2020). The directive mandates all universities to conduct all pending exams by the end of September, giving them choices for either offline, online, or blended mood whatever they find most suitable to take exams. As per UGC, a degree without exams cannot be given, as this could undermine a student’s “professional credibility” (Kumar, 2020). UGC’s vice chairman Bhushan Pradhan in an interview, reported in the same article in Outlook replied.

No degrees without exam- The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the University Grants Commission’s position that “there will be no degrees without exam" said officials at the education ministry. The SC order is on the petition demanding final year students should be promoted on the basis of internal assessment in view of Covid-19 disrupting

 Will JEE Main 2022 be held 4 times?

Yes, JEE Main 2022 and onwards also JEE main will be conducted 4 times in a year. Conducting 4 sessions of jee mains will provide candidates multiple opportunities to improve their scores in jee mains if they are not able to give their best shot in one attempt.