Class XII exams’ delay may hit JEE, NEET

Class XII exams’ delay may hit JEE, NEET

Yogita.Rao@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:15.04.2021

The decision to postpone CBSE Class XII exams is likely to have a cascading effect on admissions to engineering and medical colleges this year. While the Centre plans to review the Covid-19 situation on June 1to decide on the exam dates, students are worried JEE (Advanced) for admissions to IITs and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical exams may be pushed further too, in a repeat of the 2020 scenario.

Last year, JEE (Main), JEE (Advanced) and NEET were all held in September due to the pandemic and the resultant lockdown. With academic session starting late last year, this year’s entrance tests have already been affected. JEE (Advanced) 2021, usually held in May, is scheduled on July 3, while NEET is on August 1. With the Centre’s decision to postpone Class XII board exams by over a month, parents are worried all these entrance exams will be pushed further, leading to a delayed start to the academic session this year too.

A parent representative, Sudha Shenoy, said when the national lockdown was announced on March 23 last year, the state board exams were nearly over and only a few papers were pending for the national boards. “This year, the boards are yet to be conducted. We do not know when they will be held or when the results will be announced. There is a lot of uncertainty in the Covid-19 situation. The CBSE board will have to give a two-week notice before holding the exam in June. If it starts even in the third or fourth week of June, they may have to postpone JEE (Advanced) and NEET,” she said. “Even if the entrance exams are conducted on time, there will be delays in announcing the board results. Students require Class XII board scores to be eligible for medical admissions,” said Shenoy. Some of the parents are in favour of the board exams being held twice so that students who are unable to take the exam now can do so later.

Full report on www.toi.in