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CAT SAT on the MAT and got a big PAT!- 28-Jul-2015
Does this headline sound like a nursery rhyme? As deceiving as it may be, it is not but a sentence built with the some of the names of the hundreds-if not thousands-of entrance tests that are turning out to be a nightmare for the Indian student!
From CAT, SAT and MAT to CET, PET and PAT, all are the names of entrance examinations conducted in the Indian subcontinent. For instance, CET stands for the Common Entrance Test that is conducted at the state-level for admission to medical and engineering courses and CAT is the Common Admission Test, a computer-based examination held in India that the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) use to select students for their business administration programmes. Do not confuse this with CLAT, which stands for Common Law Admission Test and helps students enter the National Law Universities across India. Wanna join a BITS Pilani institute? Choose BITSAT.
XAT is different from SAT though it may sound similar! It stands for the Xavier Aptitude Test that is a national-level aptitude test conducted by the XLRI (formerly known as Xavier Labour Relations Institute), a business school in Jamshedpur-Jharkhand, as an entrance test for its and other highly reputed institutes, including Xavier Institute of Management and Goa Institute of Management.
Apart from these, there are NMAT, AMCAT (Amity University), PAT (Planning Admission Test), APIED (Arvindbhai Patel Institute of Environmental Design), NEET (National Eligibility and Entrance Test), SNAP (Standard exams for entry to the Indian Institutes of Management), NEST (for entry to the National Institute of Science Education and Research), and JEE (Joint Entrance Examinations, one for the IITs [JEE Advanced] and another for the NITs, IIITs and other technical institutes across the country [JEE Main]. Beyond these are ATMA, MBA CET, ICET, TANCET, NIMCET, EAMCET, PTU CET, IPU CET, GUJRAT CET, EAMCET, ASSAM JAT, KIIT, ATIT, CBSE AIPMT, AIIMS, KCET, CENTAC, KEAM, MPPET, MHT-CET, Manipal UGET, GOA CET, Rajasthan PET, SLIET, NATA, Jharkhand JCECE, UPSEE, WBJEE, VITEEE, and BCECE. While most of these are national entrance examinations, many more are conducted by each and every Indian state. Think of the plight of a Class 12 student. Which would be the toughest? Maths, Chemistry or choosing from the hundreds of entrance exams?
To add to their headache, exam dates collide, results come out late, counselling schedules go for a toss, and in some extreme cases like this year's AIPMT, they have to retake the tests already taken. As a result, the students are not only over-stressed but also face severe loss. For instance, say a student wishes to attend a counselling session to join a desired course. But that comes later and can't be relied upon. So, to be on the safer side, the student is forced to secure a seat available but is told that fee is non-refundable.
To add to the confusion of which career and course to choose is the dilemma about which college and entrance test to select and attend. So many exams and so much of stress! Why? Isn't the Class 12 public exam competent enough to grade the abilities of students? May be the requirements of the assorted institutions are different. But can't they come out with a common entrance test that every institution across the country can use to choose their students? Won't the educational system in India be more democratic that way? Won't the students be destressed? Doesn't the educational system need a revamp? As a student may want, at least, for now, reduce the number of entrance tests by merging a few similar ones.
