S. Vishnu Sharma
NEET Exam 2020, the number of centres for conducting NEET are said to be enhanced this time. Sources say, the reason behind to establish more centres for the exam than the usual numbers is to ensure physical distancing between the students.
NEET Exam 2020 is no ordinary affair, applications are received in large numbers as aspirants wishing to study medicine are in no less number in this nation.
NEET Exam 2020
The fact that over 13,26,725 candidates have registered for NEET in 2018 and the same is said to have reached 15 lakhs this year only proves the earlier said point.
While under normal circumstances conducting NEET Exam 2020 would have been a usual work, this time it has become a very challenging task. Needless to say, present outbreak of corona virus is the reason behind it.
That is why all precautions are being taken. This time it is really special, says M. Ananthamurthy, a Biology teacher.
Unlike previous year, this time we have corona virus outbreak, so there is every need to conduct NEET Exam 2020 while ensuring that the virus does not spread. The best way to do is to establish more exam centres, he says.
Agreeing with him is K. Sushil Kumar, a NEET Exam 2020 aspirant. ‘We cannot postpone such an important exam, and at the sametime we must not give room for the virus to create more problems.’
The only solution will be to conduct NEET Exam 2020 without compromising on social distancing. This means candidates will be made to sit two metres apart.
Last year the distance between candidates appearing for NEET Exam 2020 was said to be one metre. This will not be the case this time, which means conducting NEET Exam 2020 will require more than 5000 centres, while the actual planned centres are about 3000.
Also read ‘Know latest updates about NEET Exam 2020‘
Sources further say, even Union HRD Ministry is said to have asked National Testing Agency (NTA) to ensure social distancing while the exam is being conducted. NTA is also said to be keen on following this suggestion.
A pass in NEET Exam 2020 will determine the candidate’s entry into medical colleges for pursing undergraduate course in medicine (MBBS). So the attention on this exam is no less.
Added to this NEET Exam 2020 is conducted in the offline mode, that is candidates have to record the answers on an answer sheet with pen or pencil. And, this can make matters more difficult.
Unlike an online exam, NEET Exam 2020 cannot be conducted many times over different shifts owing to logistic concerns. So NEET Exam 2020 has to be conducted in a single shift all over the country on a single day.
Sources further point out that it would take about a month or so for the authorities to find out additional exam centres for conducting NEET Exam 2020. Usually, Kendriya Vidyalayas, CBSE-affiliated schools are choosen to be made into exam centres.
‘The more the merrier,’ goes the saying. However this time the situations behind searching for more seems to be not so cheerful.
One can never forget the trouble we are all facing now, says K. Sarath Babu, a NEET aspirant. And no room can be given for more problems, so, looking towards increasing test centres for NEET Exam 2020 will be good thing to do, he says.
National Testing Agency (NTA) has been established as a premier, specialist, autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher educational institutions.
To assess competence of candidates for admissions and recruitment has always been a challenge in terms of matching with research based international standards, efficiency, transparency and error free delivery. The National Testing Agency is entrusted to address all such issues using best in every field, from test preparation, to test delivery and to test marking.
The mission of NTA is to improve equity and quality in education by administering research based valid, reliable, efficient, transparent, fair and international level assessments. The best subject matter experts, psychometricians and IT delivery and security professionals will ensure that the current gaps in existing assessment systems are properly identified and bridged.