Kerala   

Call for a revamp of the entrance examination system PEOPLESPEAK

Admission tests for professional courses are redundant, and should be done away with. Marks obtained in the Plus Two examination are sufficient criteria for admission to professional courses. Also, it is sadism to tax young brains. Admission tests cost time and money, and build up tensions and worries which sap the calibre of children. If at all the Plus Two examination is made more selection-oriented, necessary changes may be thought of.

P.V. Divakaran

Avittathur

Apart from dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s there is little need for any major revamp of the present set up of an entrance exam for entry into professional courses in Kerala. Minor loopholes, if any, can be plugged, surveillance tightened and secrecy of the question paper maintained. Quality of the question paper can also be bettered. But don’t kill the goose that yields golden eggs.

K.B. Rajagopal

Kochi

Eevaluation of a candidate should confirm his or her academic standard, skill in theory and practical of the course of study, aptitude and general awareness on day-to-day events.

Therefore, the syllabi of the entrance test needs to be well-planned and broad. The marks obtained by the candidate in his or her academic course of study, subject to a limit of 75% of the aggregate marks scored, combined with the marks in the entrance test must be the criteria for finding a position on the rank list.

R. Purushothaman Pillai

Moncombu

The entrance tests, introduced in the State to eradicate the corruption and malpractice in admission process for professional courses, have become a platform for exploitation of the students community, especially financially, by the numerous entrance coaching centres throughout the State. It will be more helpful and people-friendly if admissions to professional courses in the State are strictly on the basis of merit attained by the students in the Plus Two examinations, abolishing the present entrance tests totally like the Tamil Nadu government has done.

H. Ravikumar

Kochi

If an innovation stays confusing and cumbersome even after twenty five years, it is time the original system was restored. That said, it is still worthwhile to review how the tests are being conducted, and how they are degrading knowledge by their practices. The reality is that knowledge is forced to the back seat by the few skills that alone are required to succeed in the tests. Instead of focusing on basics, the preparation for these tests is intensively limited to practising shortcuts. Predictability of question styles and patterns, even the order in which questions appear, helps such an approach succeed, but unhealthily.

Devraj Sambasivan

Alappuzha

It would appear that the present system was evolved to benefit candidates who have been to coaching classes. As everyone is aware, the coaching institutions cater to the needs of the well-to-do and urbanites, depriving the less privileged and rural-based students their share. Efforts should be made to include a logic test to maintain a proper balance. Consideration should also be given to marks obtained in the respective subjects in Plus Two.

Ambalath Aboobakar

Pavaratty

The new method should give more importance to other qualities of the candidate, apart from academic standards. It is the reflex of the candidate and not the thinking process that is tested now. Apart from academic standards, a professional course candidate should have an aptitude towards the professionand moreover social commitment. So, due weightage should be given for the performance in the qualifying examination; for extra curricular; and for general knowledge.

A.M. Hareendranathan

Irinjalakuda

It is high time that we thought about alternative methods of selection for the professional courses. The best way is to revamp the whole system of Plus Two courses and examinations in such a way that it can be used as the sole basis for selection for professional courses. Recently CBSE announced that from this year on, 20 % of the questions in its board exams will be based on Higher Order Thinking Skills, 20% will be meant for good students and the remaining 60% will be for the average students. This type of examination system will help the really intelligent students come up and an entrance test will become redundant.

K.V. Ravindran

Payyannur

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