Archive · 27 Aug 2026
India Needs Fewer Public Exams With Broader Applicability
Students in India often take many different tests to enter colleges or get jobs.
Each test may have different subjects, rules and dates.
Families must pay for forms, travel and coaching, which can be especially difficult for poorer students.
Preparing for many tests can take away time from normal school learning and everyday life.
It can also make students feel very worried and tired.
The author says one good test, or a small number of good tests, should be usable by many colleges and employers.
Students could register once and share their scores with several institutions.
This would reduce repeated testing without removing competition or choice.
Students in India face hundreds of higher-education and recruitment exams, often taking several within a few months.
Multiple exams impose application, travel, accommodation and coaching costs that disproportionately burden poorer families.
Different syllabuses, formats and schedules create sustained academic pressure and psychological strain for students.
The author links the exam system’s pressures to reporting about student suicides in coaching hubs and exam-failure cases.
The proposed solution is to replace overlapping tests with a few reliable exams whose scores open access to multiple institutions or jobs.
- Who
- The proposal concerns Indian students, families, educational institutions, recruitment agencies and policymakers; the article was written by Furqan Qamar, Vice Chancellor of Integral University, Lucknow.
- What
- The article calls for reducing overlapping public entrance and recruitment exams and using a few broadly applicable tests alongside academic records.
- When
- The article discusses the current examination system and says a task force led by Nandan Nilekani is set to review recommendations on reforming public examinations.
- Where
- India, including higher-education and recruitment systems and coaching hubs such as Kota.
- Why
- The author argues that the proliferation of exams increases financial costs, inequality, preparation burdens and psychological pressure while repeatedly testing similar competencies.
- Higher-education exams mentioned
- JEE, NEET-UG, NEET-PG, CLAT, AILET, CUET, CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, CMAT, MAT, CSIR-UGC NET and GATE, among others.
- Subject coverage cited
- CUET is held for 37 subject combinations; CSIR-NET covers five subjects; UGC-NET spans 85 subjects.
- Recruitment-exam volumes
- The article cites 100 exams in Rajasthan and 96 in Madhya Pradesh in some years or systems.
- Agencies described as more limited
- The article says UPSC and SSC have generally kept their recruitment-exam numbers to about 15–20 by using common exams for multiple services.
- Main financial burdens
- Candidates may pay application fees and spend on travel, accommodation and coaching.
- Proposed model
- One score, combined with past academic records, should be usable for admission to multiple programmes or recruitment to multiple jobs.
- Proposed administrative change
- Students should ideally register once, submit academic information and share relevant national-test or module scores with participating institutions.