The first day of the first phase of the Common University Entrance Test-Undergraduate (CUET-UG) began relatively smoothly, although significant delays were reported from 12 exam centers in the second and third slots “due to technical reasons including power fluctuations”. Was. Overcrowding for students not following staggered entry”, said officials.
According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the exam, a total of 2,65,248 candidates from across the country appeared for the exam on the first day in three slots. The overall attendance was 76 per cent, which was much higher than last year’s 62 per cent.
University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, while admitting the delay at some centres, said that in 2 per cent centers (around 12 out of 450 today) the exams started after the scheduled time but were successfully completed.
“The exams started late due to some reasons like power fluctuations in some centers and in others, students were required to follow staggered entry. The students were informed in the admit card to enter the center in a sequential manner. But at some centres, due to their late arrival, there was a rush and the commencement of the examination was delayed. We request the students to come staggered to avoid such a situation,” said Prof Kumar.
He said that he has now taken administrative measures to prevent such situations in future. “In many cities, we have also taken help from the traffic police to ease traffic jams around the centre,” he said.
Meanwhile, for the second phase (May 25-28), Professor Kumar said that they are working to provide admit cards by May 22 late night or May 23. on May 23,” he said.
Students and parents started queuing up at exam centers as early as 6 a.m. on a sunny Sunday as the first slot was to begin at 8.30 a.m., requiring students to reach at least two hours in advance. The exam is to be held in three slots from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm.
However, at some centres, the second and third slots, which were to end at 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm respectively, ran till late evening, even till 8 pm.
While there was some confusion regarding locating the exam centers and a delay of about two-three hours in the second and third slot exams at several centres, including Rohini and Shakti Nagar in Greater Noida and North West Delhi, students who had to appear in both Thi slots had to wait longer.
Aditya Kumar, a student from Delhi, raised the issue with the NTA on social media by posting a picture of a notice pasted outside the exam center in Rohini, which read, “Candidate will appear in CUET-UG 3R shift exam at 7 PM. admission will be taken. Shift 2 is delayed due to some technical issue.”
“How can this be tolerated?? Students are in confusion due to this and facing lot of problems and parents are also suffering from this kind of activities..Is this true of Digital India @DG_NTA #CUETUG #CUET2023? (sic),” Kumar said in his tweet.
However, before issuing the statement, the UGC chairman had told News18 that this problem has been observed in only a few centres. “TCS and NTA are resolving the issue. The test will be held even if it is delayed due to technical glitches. They are working on it,” he said.
Delay
“The first slot also started late here, which was to be between 8.30 am and 10.30 am, while students were not allowed to go out till 11.30 am. Moreover, there was a lot of confusion regarding which gate the students would exit from, even as candidates for the second slot started queuing up at the gate. We were asked to move from one place to another to wait for our children, while the whole area is jammed due to the crowd. We came here at 6 in the morning and it is now afternoon. There should have been better arrangements,” said Atul Garg, a parent waiting for his daughter outside the exam center in Shakti Nagar.
While there were a total of 87,879 candidates in the first shift, 87,903 students in the second shift and 89,466 students in the third shift wrote the exam across the country.
Shift 1 of CUET-UG concluded well in all 271 cities and 447 centres. The total number of candidates scheduled in shift 1 was 87879. Shift 2 of CUET-UG concluded well in all 272 cities and 448 centres. The total number of candidates scheduled in shift 2 was 87903. Shift 3 of CUET-UG was conducted well in all 271 cities and 458 centres. The total number of candidates scheduled in shift 3 was around 89466,” said the UGC chief.
The first edition of last year’s test was marred by both technical and administrative glitches, including last-minute change of exam centres, students running from one center to another, lack of adequate computers at the centers and internet connection barrage with the NTA. -Bar closure included. On many occasions cancel the exam on the spot. Last year the exam was held from July 15 to August 10.
exam analysis
Most of the students found the exam relatively easy, except for one part of the general exam, which they said was a bit difficult as it had questions from maths and current affairs. Sunday’s exam was of English and General Test.
Navya Soni, who wants to take admission in one of the top Delhi University colleges, said, “While English was easy and mostly based on what we studied in class 12, there were many questions from maths in the general exam, Which was a little tough.” ,
Most of the students said that they had prepared on their own and did not take any professional coaching for CUET-UG. “The exam was quite easy. Only the GK part was a bit difficult as it had some mathematical equations as well as some questions from current affairs. But, I am very confident of cracking it,” said Yash Singh Bisht, a student.
This year, the first phase of the exam is scheduled from May 21-24, while it will be conducted in multiple phases over 12 days till June 6. CUET-UG is the second for admission to undergraduate courses in Central Universities and other participating institutes. Largest entrance exam in the country in terms of number of applicants. A total of 14.99 lakh students have applied for the exam this year as compared to 9.9 lakh last year.