The decision to postpone CBSE Class XII exams is likely to have a cascading effect on admissions to engineering and medical colleges this year. While the centre is planning to review the Covid-19 situation on June 1 to decide on the new exam dates. Students are worried that JEE (Advanced) for admissions to IITs and NEET for medical exams may be pushed further.
Last year, JEE (Main), JEE (Advanced), and NEET were all held in September due to the lockdown. Since the academic session started late last year, the entrance test for this year has already been affected. The JEE (Advanced) usually used to happen in May every year which is scheduled for July and NEET is in August this year. With the authority’s decision to postpone the Class XII board exams by over a month, parents are worried that all these entrance exams will be pushed further, leading to a delay in the start of the academic session this year as well. The CBSE board will have to give a two-week notice before holding the exam in June. If it starts even in the third or fourth week of June, they may have to postpone JEE (Advanced) and NEET. Even if the entrance exams are conducted on time, there will be delays in announcing the board results. Students require Class XII board scores to be eligible for medical admissions. Some of the parents are in favor of the board exams being held twice so that students who are unable to take the exam now can do it later.
The surge in cases has happened over for only three weeks. We do not know how things will pan out in June. We will have to monitor the situation before making a decision. Class XII CBSE board exam, if scheduled in June, may clash with the current schedule of JEE (Advanced) on July 3.
There is no announcement yet on the third phase of JEE (Main) which is scheduled for the last week of April. The National Testing Agency (NTA) may hold the exam as per schedule as students are anyway getting multiple attempts.
