Written by Suresh Prabhu and Shobhit Mathur Every summer sees an onslaught of competitive examinations in India, unlike anywhere else in the world. Millions of anxious students, their minds conditioned by years of coaching class regimens, accompanied by nervous parents, descend on designated test centres to undertake make-or-break examinations. The systemic strain of administering such gargantuan single-day tests, which shape the lives of millions, is immense.
Despite the best efforts of testing agencies, errors occur, with the result that the people of India are losing trust in the testing process. There is public outcry and litigation every year and, ironically, the coaching industry becomes the saviour of the students. It is time that we reimagine the design of competitive exams in India.
We need to look at the established models globally and apply them to the Indian context. The need of the hour is a two-phase, on-demand computer-based admission test. It can simultaneously be designed to be a win for the students and a loss for the coaching industry.
The GRE example Let’s begin with how the content of the test should be prepared. Creating a standardised test at scale for India necessitates a comprehensive development life-cycle overseen by educational experts. Definitive test objectives aligned to undergraduate or graduate admissions criteria must be outlined initially and publicly declared.
The content itself — with the questions undergoing various reviews — must b.
