Board exams may get 50% weightage in NEET, JEE based admissions: Report

In a major reform, the Minister of Education (MoE) is considering that board exams may have 50% weightage in crucial admissions that are presently based on scores of national-level entrance exams such as the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).

The proposed changes are aimed at reducing the high-stakes nature of any exam, be it entrance tests for medical and engineering admissions or board exams.

According to the Times of India media report, reforms are being considered by the MoE's nine-member committee set up last year to examine students' dependence on coaching, the spread of "dummy schools" and fairness in high-stakes entrance tests.

The decision comes after a series of irregularities in the examination system, including evaluation errors and paper leaks, which have sparked a debate on the credibility of the education system.

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"The changes being contemplated are 50% weightage for board marks in admission/ merit, closer alignment of entrance tests with school syllabi to reduce dependence on coaching centres, multiple attempts and a gradual shift towards adaptive on-demand computer-based tests," a source told TOI.

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Syllabus alignment

Currently, medical and engineering admissions are based on entrance test scores and students are required to score a qualifying percentage in board exams to be eligible to appear the entrance exams such as JEE, NEET, CUET and including others.

The panel's final report is likely to be submitted to the government in the coming weeks. The committee has also recommended closer alignment of entrance tests with school syllabus.