CBSE plans to conduct JEE Main exam twice a year. Students oppose

Students and parents across the country opposes the proposal of conducting JEE exam twice a year.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, has plan to conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main twice a year, in February and April from this academic year 2014-15.

Teachers opposes the move by the CBSE, by saying it will affect the 10+2 / class 12 students.

Under the new proposal, students can take the two exams in both February and April, and best score of the two exam will be considered for the JEE Main rankings.

CBSE officials are saying, this new proposal will give students a second chance to improve their score to get good ranking.

JEE Main is the examination conducted for admission to engineering courses in National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and central funded institutes across the country.

Moreover, they say, it will defeat the very purpose of de-stressing students from appearing for multiple tests and of having a single national entrance test for engineering admissions.

Teachers are complaining that, it will distract the students from preparing for the board exams which are normally held in February-March.

"Board exam marks assumed utmost significance with 40 per cent weightage being given while deciding JEE (Main) ranks. Besides, students also need to figure in the top-20 percentile of respective Board exams to be eligible for admission in IITs even after clearing JEE (Advanced). In such conditions, we need to focus more on Board exams and holding JEE (Main) in February will adversely affect our preparation," said P. Bharghavi, an Inter student.

A final decision on conducting the JEE Main examination twice a year, will be taken in meeting on Tuesday in New Delhi.