Concerns loom over the undergraduate Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG) results amid the ongoing controversies surrounding the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is under intense scrutiny due to the alleged leakage of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) and UGC NET question papers.
Candidates are afraid that the delay might affect the CUET admission cycle as well. However, NTA has not issued any statement regarding the issue and the official website has not been updated yet.
The NTA conducted the CUET-UG 2024 in hybrid mode for over 13.8 lakh candidates from May 15 to May 29 at various examination centres located in 380 cities, including 26 outside India.
Students in a bind as universities begin admission process
Students, who had taken the CUET 2024, are on tenterhooks as even the provisional keys for the exam have not been released yet. Meanwhile, universities outside the CUET umbrella have initiated their admission processes, complicating decisions for aspirants.
Amelia D'cruz (19) from Delhi said she is eagerly waiting for the CUET results since she has always wanted to study psychology at Lady Shri Ram College for Women. D’cruz said she was pretty sure to get her desired seat at Delhi University (DU).
"The NTA was supposed to release the answer key by now but it is still not available on the website. I am hoping that results are not delayed," she added.
Many students who are vying to get into DU colleges face a dilemma: either opt for local colleges as admission deadlines approach or await CUET-UG results.
Another student, Sonali Shukla, stated, “We will surely get admission, might not be in the desired college but there are a lot of options for those who are not specific. If we compromise with the choices, admission is not an issue. Yes, certainly I will pay the fees to secure my seat after checking if it is refundable or not. So, at this point, I have to take a calculative risk.”
“Private universities are on the verge of closing their admission process, which leaves me with no option but to enrol in one university in Bengaluru as a backup,” said Shubhanshi, another aspirant, who goes by her first name.
Mona Singh, a DU faculty, said that the candidates’ admissions depend on their CUET performance. There are universities which allow admissions and even refund the fees later under UGC guidelines. So there are options for students who can secure their seats as well as wait if they are confident about their performance, Singh said.
Media reports claim that NTA is reviewing the answer key before releasing it to avoid any further controversy. CUET-UG answer key, response sheet, as well as question papers, are expected to be out any day now. NTA has not provided an answer key release date, due to which candidates have to wait until an official announcement. Following last year's pattern, the answer key should have been released by June 10.
Another DU professor said on the condition of anonymity, "If the result was to be declared on June 30 as earlier planned, the provisional answer key would have been released at least 10 to 15 days in advance. But as the provisional keys are not yet out, it would take a few weeks for the agency to complete the grievance redressal process and to release the final key. As the result will be based on the final key, it seems that CUET UG result 2024 is most likely delayed."
