Six days after the Common Entrance Test (CET) portal was suspended due to technical glitches, students could finally fill up their applications on Monday. The site https://cet.11thadmission.org.in will be open for applications till August 2, 11.59pm. Meanwhile, Class X students of both private and state board schools have started preparing for the optional CET that will be held on August 21 in order to seek admission for Class XI.
As the CET will be conducted based on Class X state-board syllabus, students from private schools are preparing for the same. An Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) student Ishika Verma, said, “I am referring to books borrowed from my friends who have studied in Class X state board. I am learning topics and revising concepts from their textbooks. It is quite different from ICSE syllabus, but I want to shift to FYJC as I want to gain experience of studying in a junior college.”
A Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) student Shubham Masurkar said, “The concepts of state board syllabus marked for CET are already covered in CBSE curriculum. But I am still seeking help from my cousins who have completed Class X under state board. The state board should conduct tutorials or mocks tests so that we get a better understanding of the entrance exam.”
Meanwhile, Preetam Ghosh, a state-board student said, “I am a bit nervous to apply for CET as it will be the first time that I will be appearing for a competitive exam. Also, there should be an option for a retest for those who are unable to score good marks.”
A principal of a Matunga college said, “The CET exam is being conducted to avoid any disparities in admission to Class XI as this year Class X exams of all boards were cancelled due to the pandemic. The state board must provide practice question papers, mock tests or reference material, considering there are students of different boards.”
However, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) said they do not have any plans to provide a question bank. A senior official of MSBSHSE, Mumbai division, said, “We have not created any question bank for CET. We have launched a helpline to resolve queries of students and parents. We may conduct guidance tutorials or seminars via our YouTube channel.”
Meanwhile, the matter of the CET exam is being heard in the Bombay High Court as it has asked the state board to consider conducting the CET with the syllabus of ICSE and CBSE boards as well. The state board is yet to respond.
