State May Offer CET Entrance Exams twice a year, following CBSE’s Reform

The move seeks to relieve pressure on those pursuing careers in engineering, medicine and other fields.

The state’s Department of Higher and Technical Education is looking for a biannual Common Entrance Test (CET) for 19 professional degrees, including medical, engineering, pharmacy and agricultural streams. This is a significant reform that reflects recent changes made by CBSE. This change is now in the planning stages and aims to reduce the stress of a single, high-stakes annual exam.

Why and What’s Changing

• Two CET sessions per year: Unlike the current one-session format, students would be able to attempt the test twice a year, much like the CBSE board exams, which will be conducted in two stages beginning in 2026.

• Justification: Officials point out that a single-day exam can often be stressful and that a bad day brought on by illness or technical difficulties may compromise an entire academic year. Candidates can increase their chances and rebuild their scores by taking the test more than once.

Infrastructure Upgrades

To support this plan, the state is evaluating the setup of dedicated CET centres:

• Moving away from rented coaching institutes and training centres, the department plans to utilize government‑aided college campuses with computer labs for greater control and technical reliability.

• Exam locations will be restricted to within the state from next year, aiming for optimal distribution and reduced travel inconveniences.

 Implementation Issues and Method

The logistical complexity of the tests, which usually last 15 days and involve over 7 lakh candidates statewide, is a big challenge. To evaluate sustainability and avoid the interruptions observed in comparable large-scale experiments, the department has established committees.

6While noting significant distinctions from its computer-based CET, the state has also examined Karnataka’s pen-and-paper format.

A national conference involving peer states and organizations like NTA is planned to share best practices for administering effective, transparent entrance tests.

Implementation Issues and Method

The logistical complexity of the tests, which usually last 15 days and involve over 7 lakh candidates statewide, is a big challenge. To evaluate sustainability and avoid the interruptions observed in comparable large-scale experiments, the department has established committees.

• While noting significant distinctions from its computer-based CET, the state has also examined Karnataka’s pen-and-paper format.

• A national conference involving peer states and organizations like NTA is planned to share best practices for administering effective, transparent entrance tests.
  
  This proposed modification mirrors the larger goal of National Education Policy 2020, that seeks to introduce flexibility and student-centric design into the exam system, even though formal approval is still pending. For hundreds of thousands of people preparing for important admission tests in 2026, the biannual CET might democratize access and alleviate exam-day stress if it is put into place.
  

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