More Assam students to crack all-India entrance tests (NEET/JEE) as Centre decides to Hold Exams Twice a Year from 2019

* Centre’s decision to hold NEET & JEE twice in a year from 2019 to benefit students

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Aug 3: More students from Assam are likely to crack the tough all-India entrance tests to take admission in prestigious institutions of the country to pursue medical and engineering courses with the Centre deciding to conduct the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) twice in a year from 2019.

Students will be eligible for taking the NEET (medical entrance test) and JEE (engineering entrance test) both times a year and their better score will be considered for admission. They will not have to wait a year to improve their ranks. JEE (Main) will be held in January and April. If one is not happy with the January test, he or she can take another chance in April. NEET will be held in February and May.

“Large number of students who studied under the State education boards namely Board of Secondary Education, Assam and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, were able to clear the NEET and JEE in their first attempts this year. The number of such successful students will be doubled from the next year since the entrance exams are going to be conducted twice in a year,” a faculty at a leading NEET & JEE coaching centre here said.

Till 2017, NEET exam papers were entirely based on the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus, which left State board students at a great disadvantage as there was a significant difference in the syllabi for Physics, Chemistry and Biology in many States.

The NEET results have shown a significant trend this year with many students from the State boards clearing the tough entrance test. A good number of students who passed their HSLC and HS exams from vernacular medium schools in the State, could come out in flying colors in NEET.

“The development has proved that students from the State boards could successfully compete on par with their counterparts in CBSE and ICSE in the all-India entrance tests. In many cases, students from State boards are found more talented than the Central boards,” the source said.

From next year, the National Testing Agency instead of the CBSE will be conducting NEET and JEE.