The first day of the first phase of the Common University Entrance Test-Undergraduate (CUET-UG) kicked off on a relatively smooth note with significant delays reported in the second and third slots from 12 exam centres “due to technical reasons including power fluctuations and overcrowding for students not following staggered entry”, said officials.

According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exam, a total of 2,65,248 candidates sat for the exam across the three slots on day one across the country. The overall attendance was 76%, a significant jump from last year, around 62%.

Admitting to the delays at a few centres, University Grants Commission (UGC) chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said that in 2% of centres (approximately 12 out of 450 today), the exam started later than scheduled but was successfully completed.

UGC chairperson M Jagdish Kumar said: “The exam started late due to a couple of reasons, such as power fluctuations in some centres and, in others, students needing to follow staggered entry. Students were informed in the admit cards to enter the centre in a staggered manner. But in a few centres, since they came late, there was crowding and subsequent delay in the start of the exam. We request the students to come staggered to avoid this kind of situation.”

He added that they have now taken administrative measures to prevent such situations in the future. “In many cities, we have also taken help from the traffic police to minimize traffic jams around the centre,” he said.

Meanwhile, for the second phase (May 25-28), Prof Kumar said that they are working to provide the admit cards by May 22nd late night or May 23. “We will announce the City information slips for the third phase (May 29 – June 2) on May 23,” he said.

Students and parents started lining up at the examination centres on a sweltering Sunday from 6 am onwards, as the first slot was to begin at 8:30 am for which students were required to reach at least two hours in advance. The exam is scheduled in three slots between 8.30 am and 6.30 pm.

However, at some centres, the second and third slots, which were supposed to end by 2:30 pm and 6:30 pm, respectively, went on till late evening stretching up to 8 pm.

While there was some confusion about locating the examination centres and second and third slot exams being delayed by about two-three hours at several centres, including those in Greater Noida and northwest Delhi’s Rohini and Shakti Nagar, with students who had to take the test in both slots having to wait much longer.

Aditya Kumar, a Delhi-based student, raised the issue with the NTA on social media, posting a picture of a notice pasted outside the exam centre in Rohini, which read “CUET-UG 3r shift exam candidate entry will be taken at 7 pm. Shift 2 is getting delayed because of some technical issue.”

“How could this be tolerated?? Student are in confusion due to this and facing lots of problems and even parents are suffering from such activities.. is this the truth of digital India @DG_NTA #CUETUG #CUET2023 ?”, said Kumar in his tweet.

Admitting to the delays at a few centres, Prof Kumar said, “The problem was seen only in a few centres. TCS and NTA are resolving this issue. The test will happen even if it is delayed due to a technical problem. They are working on it.”

THE DELAYS

“The first slot also started late here, which was supposed to be held between 8:30 am and 10:30 am, while students were not let out even till 11.30 am. Moreover, there was so much confusion on which gate students will exit from, even as candidates for the second slot had started lining up at the gate. We were asked to go from one point to another to wait for our children, while the entire stretch is blocked because of the crowd. We came here at 6 am and it’s about noon now. There should have been a better arrangement,” said Atul Garg, a parent waiting for his daughter outside the exam centre at Shakti Nagar.

While the first shift had a total of 87,879 candidates, the second shift had 87,903 students and the third shift saw 89,466 students write the exam across the country.

“Shift 1 of CUET-UG concluded well in all 271 cities and 447 centres. The total number of candidates scheduled in shift 1 was 87879. Shift 2 of CUET-UG ended well in all 272 cities and 448 centres. The total number of candidates scheduled in shift 2 was 87,903. Shift 3 of CUET-UG concluded well in all 271 cities and 458 centres. The total number of candidates scheduled in shift 3 was around 89,466,” the UGC chief said.

Last year’s debut edition of the test was marred by both technical and administrative glitches, including last-minute changes in exam centres, students running from one centre to another, centres falling short of enough computers and frequent snapping of internet connection with the National Testing Agency (NTA) having to cancel the test on the spot at several instances. Last year, the exam was held between July 15 and August 10.

EXAM ANALYSIS

Most students found the exam relatively easy, except for a part of the general test, which they said was slightly difficult, as it had questions from mathematics and current affairs. Sunday’s exam was for English and General Test.

“While English was easy and mostly based on what we had studied in class 12, there were several math questions in the general test, which were slightly tough,” said Navya Soni, who wants to get into one of the top colleges in Delhi University.

Most students said that they had prepared on their own and did not take any professional coaching for CUET-UG.

“The exam was quite easy. Only the GK part was somewhat difficult, as it had some math equations as well as some from current affairs. But, I am confident of cracking it,” said Yash Singh Bisht, a student.

This year the first phase of the test is scheduled from May 21-24, while it will be conducted in several phases over 12 days till June 6.

CUET-UG for admission to undergraduate courses in central universities and other participating institutions is the second-largest entrance exam in the country in terms of the number of applicants. A total of 14.99 lakh students have applied for the test this year, as compared to 9.9 lakh last year.