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Marks count, but entrance tests are still important

Hindustan Times | By, Chandigarh
Jun 12, 2014 03:05 PM IST

Higher percentages in board exams are no longer a guarantee for entry into professional courses. With even 95% marks losing the awe they once inspired, competition is indeed intense for 2,250 seats in engineering and other courses at institutes in Chandigarh.

Higher percentages in board exams are no longer a guarantee for entry into professional courses. With even 95% marks losing the awe they once inspired, competition is indeed intense for 2,250 seats in engineering and other courses at institutes in Chandigarh.

Students-involved-in-an-animated-discussion-after-an-examination-in-Chandigarh
Students-involved-in-an-animated-discussion-after-an-examination-in-Chandigarh

However, even as there have been attempts to ensure that the board exams get their due, most students still continue to prefer to coach themselves for entrance exams.

There are many students f ro m Punjab who report to Chandigarh to enrol in coaching institutes, even as they are admitted in Classes 11 and 12 at their home stations in the state, encouraging dummy admissions. Coaching institutes have thus mushroomed and are a big business. Entrance tests and their preparation remains a vital part of the process to g et admissions in de g ree courses, of varying professional importance.

Hundreds of students have scored above 90% in the boards and it is just as well that in almost all courses, admission is based on an entrance exam combined with the percentage of marks scored in these.

The entrance tests in some institutes of the city and Panjab University have been held and the second round starts later this month.

The University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS) has even declared the entrance test result for two of its courses — BA-LLB (honours) and BCom-LLB (honours) with an intake capacity of 120 seats each. Admission forms will be out in the second week of June.

“The final list on the basis of the counselling will be declared by month-end and admissions start in first week of July,” said an official.

For admission, 50% weight is given to the entrance examination with the score in the board exams making up the second half.

“We received thrice the applications for the 240 seats in UILS this year. Merit will go up, keeping in view the marks of students in higher secondary examination,” Sangeeta Bhalla, director, UILS said.

Joint engineering admission

The admission to four engineering institutes and one architecture college is being done through the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) conducted by the CBSE. The Joint Admission Committee (JAC) of these institutes admits students on the JEE examination score and marks in Class 12. The website for admission will be launched on July 6, as the CBSE will come out with the final ranking on July 7.

“Students will list preferences in the admission forms. On the basis of rankings in the JEE and preferences, a merit list will be prepared, followed by three counseling sessions where students will opt for choices and will be allotted seats,” said Sanjeev Kumar, the PEC University of Technology professor, incharge of admission at the institute.

He added that the process will be completed by mid-August.

“A change in admission policy has allowed more students to take the JEE exam. When more students participate, the merit improves as they are eager to join these colleges due to good placements and reputation. The cut-off will rise this year,” said JAC incharge and chairperson, University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, US Shivhare.

A third - ye a r student of metallurgy engineering at the PEC University of Technology, Karanbeer Singh Dhillon said that with fierce competition, students with good marks in both JEE and Class 12 would get admissions.

“The new system is good. It gives a chance to those who did not go for coaching institutes. Irrespective of where the cut offs end, the quality of students will rise which will be good for all,” Dhillon added.

In some good news for students, the PEC University of Technology has increased the number of seats by 25%.

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