DU to hold mock tests to make students familiar with open book exams

NEW DELHI: Delhi University has released a list of guidelines and measures for conducting open book examinations to be followed by the DU colleges.

The measures include the availability of mock test window, which will be made one week prior to the examination to make students familiar with the tools required for downloading question papers and uploading scanned answer sheets.

Other measures include notifying students through e-mail and other modes about the exams and filling up a pro forma by students stating that no unfair means are being adopted by them.

Students who miss out an opportunity to appear in the open-book exam will be given an option to sit for pen and paper exams when the situation normalises.

Open book examination

The total duration of the examinations will be three hours, out of which two hours will be given to the students for answering the questions and an additional hour will be provided for downloading the question papers and uploading the scanned images of answer sheets after completion of the examinations. The Divyaang (PWD) category students will be given a duration of five hours to finish the examination.

The examination branch will send the question papers to the college through email on each day of exam for every session 45 minutes prior to the commencement of the examination. The test-takers need to answer the questions on plain A4 size paper.

The admission tickets will be sent to the students through an email through their respective colleges. Besides email communication, the university may also send notifications to the students through SMS services and Whatsapp messenger.

Limited internet access required

The guidelines state that only limited internet access is required for appearing in open book examinations. Students need to upload the question papers prior to the examinations and upload the answer sheet after completion of the examination which needs basic internet facilities. However, the move has been opposed by various student’s organisation bodies and the Delhi University Teachers’ Association.
The university has finalised to engage Common Service Centres (CSC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for the students residing in Jammu and Kashmir and other such areas which lack the internet and hardware facility required for the online examinations.

Ex-students

Final year students who have essential repeat must re-appear in the examination as per the date sheet. They can appear for improvement for the fourth-semester exam papers only. The students who have passed the final year examination in 2019 can appear in the improvement of only sixth semester papers as per the scheduled date sheet.

Academic Calendar

The university had earlier released the tentative schedule of examinations on May 29 for Regular, SOL and NCWEB students. The open book examinations are scheduled to be conducted from July 1 to July 31 for final year students.
The evaluation of practical, internal assessment, dissertation, project work, fieldwork, assignment, internship, question paper setting and moderation for end-semester examinations will continue till June 12.

The new academic session for 2nd year and 3rd Year will start from August 1, whereas for fresh batch classes will start from September 1.

"In view of the prevailing situation of COVID-19 pandemic, it is felt that the examinations cannot be conducted in the conventional mode as per the existing government norms of maintaining social distancing and ensuring safety and health of students,” reads an official statement.

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