The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) cell plans to release question papers, response sheets, and answer keys ahead of results to increase transparency in state entrance exams. Currently, this practice is only followed for the MHTCET, but the CET cell aims to implement it for all courses. Students will also be allowed to raise objections to the answer key. The move comes after complaints of lack of transparency and technical glitches in this year’s MBA/MMS CET. The CET cell conducts centralized admission processes for various courses and intends to restore the pre-pandemic schedule.
MUMBAI: To bring in more transparency in state entrance exams, the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) cell has decided to release the question paper, each candidate’s response sheet, as well as the official answer key ahead of results for all courses. Students will be allowed to raise objections or challenge the answer key, like it is done with national-level entrance exams.
The MBA/MMS CET was riddled with glitches this year and aspirants have been complaining of lack of trans-parency in the conduct of exams for the past three years.
Currently, releasing the answer sheet with the answer key is done only for the MHTCET, which is conducted foradmissions to engineering, pharmacy and agriculture courses in the state’s colleges. However, the CET cell ca-ters to close to 10 lakh students who register for around 20 entrance tests for several courses. It conducts centralised admission processes based on individualCETs and other national-level entrance tests for 61 courses in all. The entrance tests’ dates for all courses for ad-missions 2024-25 will be finalised soon. The CET cell plans to restore the schedule followed prior to the pandemic.
Mahendra Warbhuvan, CET cell commissioner, said the idea is to bring transparency in all entrance exams conducted by the CET cell and leave no scope for doubt. “We will also invite objections, if any. The government also advised us to take this measure. We are already following this in MHT-CET for engineering, which is taken by a large number of students, and another exam that sees fewer students,” he said.
An official from the CET cell said some exams have dif-ferent question papers in different slots. “For such exams, it is important for students to get the question paper, along with their response sheet and the answer key. Students can tally their answers with the correct answer key.”
In this year, MBA/MMSCET, many students could not complete the paper on time due to technical problems, and several reported timer glitches. Several students got extra time to attempt the exam, giving them an advantage over others. The CET cell had to re-conduct the exam for this set of students. Many, however, claimed that the results ofthe re-exam, combined with the first one, also had errors. Students alleged discrepancies in the normalisation process and even moved court to stay the admission process. Concerns over the normalisation process for exams in all slots had been raised in the past, too. Students claimed that the CET cell never allowed students to access their raw scores, unlike the Common Admission Test conducted by IIMs.
Yogita Rao | TNN | Oct 6, 2023, 10:32 IST
