Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar has announced that the national level engineering entrance exam – JEE Main and medical entrance examination – NEET – will be held twice a year in online mode from 2019 in.
According to the minister, the newly formed examination conducting authority – National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
Apart from NEET and JEE Main, NTA will also be responsible for conducting National Eligibility Test (NET), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) exams from now on.
The newly formed body will conduct National Eligibility Test (NET) in December this year as its first exam. JEE Main exams will be held in January and April while NEET will be held twice in February and May. These competitive exams will be held on multiple dates, the minister added.
The new agency will relieve the pressure from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) which is currently the nodal agency responsible for organising JEE Main and NEET examinations.
The syllabus, question formats, language and fees for the aforementioned exams would not be changed and the candidates appearing for these tests will be allowed to use the best score from the exams in the counselling process, the minister added.
“The exams will be more secure and at par with international norms. There will be no issues of leakage and it would be more student friendly, open, scientific and a leak-proof system,” Javadekar said.
