Engg, Arch exams in open book mode

Engg, Arch exams in open book mode

The notification also said that the final semester exams will be held online under a Multiple Choice Question pattern.

Published: 20th April 2021 04:49 AM 

By Sushmitha Ramakrishnan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: A day after the Anna University announced that the April/May 2021 end semester exams for all UG and PG students will be conducted in an open book type, it extended the provision to engineering and architecture students of all affiliated institutions, too, barring those in their final semesters.

A notification released on Saturday said that students will write exams for a total of 50 marks, and they will be given 90 minutes to complete the exams online. The university has said that this is a one time measure taken in view of the pandemic. The question paper will have two segments: the first for 10 marks comprising five two-mark questions; the second part, for 40 marks, shall have five eight-mark questions. The questions under either segments will be from separate chapters and students shall have no choice.

While there is a common misconception that open book tests are easy, in reality, the questions are aimed at testing students’ applied knowledge of technical subjects. The university has said that all questions, “shall be of analytical type with no direct answers from text/reference books.”

A senior faculty from Anna University told Express that the success of this method depends on the nature of questions asked. “It doesn’t make sense to ask definitions and derivations in an open book exam. But rather test the application knowledge students have,” he said.

Students can however refer to course material in physical form as well as from the web. But getting answers from others or discussing the answers in groups shall be construed as malpractice. “Open book is expected to be harder than regular exams. When they say open books, they usually refer to data sets from books, like design data and log books, used commonly in engineering. This means students will have to scourge data and solve complicated problems. It won’t simplify the exams,” said KM Karthik, leader of All India Private College Employees Union (AIPCEU).

The response among students is currently mixed. While some students who have had proper access to online education said that it is a good initiative, others fear they may be unable to suddenly adapt to a new paper pattern in the middle of a lockdown. The notification also said that the final semester exams will be held online under a Multiple Choice Question pattern.

When Express approached to ask if the open-book exam mode will be expanded to other universities as well, S Apoorva, principal secretary to the government, Higher Education Department, said she was unaware of the varsity’s decision to make the exam open book.