CUET-UG not to make Board exams redundant: UGC chief

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admission to undergraduate programmes is not likely to make the board exams irrelevant, according to UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar.

The pass percentage and number of students scoring above 90 per cent and 95 per cent in CBSE class 12 declined this year, kickstarting a debate about whether the introduction of the CUET has taken the focus off board exams and will end up making them redundant in the longer run.

“The basic eligibility criterion for entrance into universities remains unchanged which is that a candidate must have passed the class 12 examination from any recognised board or equivalent. In fact, marks in grade 12 for eligibility will vary across programs and universities,” Kumar said.

“Moreover, the board examination is an ‘achievement test’ whereas CUET-UG is a ‘selection test’. Hence, board exams at the class 12 level are not likely to become redundant,” he said.

The second edition of CUET-UG is set to begin on May 21.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) chief explained that the basic eligibility criteria are a key factor for admission to all universities and other examinations such as JEE (engineering) and NEET (medical) at the national level.