Weightage for internal marks in engineering up from 20% to 40%

Weightage for internal marks in engineering up from 20% to 40%

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:12.11.2021

For students of affiliated colleges of Anna University stuttering at 60% overall fail rate, here is some good news. The university’s new regulation for 2021 has doubled the internal assessment weightage for awarding marks from 20% to 40%. The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) for getting first class has also been brought down from 7 CGPA to 6.5 CGPA. Just 25% of engineering students cleared all the subjects in the first semester in January 2019, shows data.

The new regulation also allows students to take a study break for up to a year for job or entrepreneurship and has scrapped a 2017 rule that mandated students to compulsorily complete arrears in four attempts. Students can also do up to two online courses in a semester against one course under current rule.

“Earlier, study break was allowed only on medical grounds,” an official said.

Theory courses with lab to have 50:50 weightage

The new changes were part of the plan to impart uniformity in engineering education. While affiliated colleges follow an 80%:20% weightage system for end-semester exams and internal tests, at autonomous colleges and university departments it is 60%:40% and 50%: 50%.

As per the new regulation, theory courses with laboratory components will have 50%:50% weightage for end-semester exams and internal assessment. For laboratory courses, it will be 60% for internal assessment in end-semester exams.

The number of internal assessments has been cut from 3 to 2 per semester. “There will be two internal assessments in each semester, each for 100 marks. An individual assignment or case study or seminar or mini project will carry 40 marks while a written test will be for 60 marks. The candidate’s score for 200 marks will be converted to 40 marks.” End-semester exams will be for 100 marks and the score will be converted into 60 marks.

Anna University vicechancellor R Velraj said, “The new regulations will give more flexibility to students.”

As per the earlier regulation, students must complete arrears in four attempts or redo the course in fifth semester.

The university has also allowed students to appear for arrears in subsequent semesters.

P Deiva Sundari, principal, KCG College of Technology, said, “The increase in weightage for internal assessment including assignment and case studies, mini projects will help students get more active learning. It has given more space for outcome-based education.”

The university also introduced a new grade “C”. “Students who clear the exam with 50 marks will get C grade,” an official said. It has included science club, literary club and fine arts club apart from NCC and NSS to inculcate scientific temper among students.