The new IIT admissions formula announced by the IIT Council on Wednesday has left many questions unanswered. Students and parents fear a sharp rise in cut-off marks in the Class XII board exams to gain entry into IITs. Also, students and coaching centres are worried about preparing for the new test, which will be held in 2013, in the absence of clarity on the new pattern and syllabus.
The IIT aspirants needed a score of 60 per cent in their 10+2 Board exams to be eligible to appear for IIT-JEE. IIT coaching experts expect the cut-off marks in Board exams to increase to over 80 per cent with the new rules. The coaching experts fear the worst for CBSE and ICSE students, since only a few students from these Boards score over 80 per cent, when compared to state Board students. So they will lose the chance to appear for the new test altogether.
The main disadvantage with the new test is that students will know how much they need to score in Board exams to get eligibility for IITs, unlike earlier. “The decision of the IIT council to allow only the top 20 per cent of students in their respective Board exams to compete for seats in IITs will result in a large number of students losing their chance to appear for the new test. Normally, IIT aspirants focus on Board exams only to secure 60 per cent marks to gain eligibility for IIT-JEE with the intention of dedicating more time to secure a good rank in the JEE. These students who took admissions in 10+2 courses in 2011-2012 already prepared for IIT-JEE in the old format for one year. They now have to change their priorities and adjust to the new system within six months.
“With the new norms, even 80 per cent marks in Board exams will not ensure eligibility for students to appear for new test,” said J. Suryanara-yana, a lecturer. In the new pattern, the entrance to the IITs will have two parts —main and advanced. The main test will be equivalent to AIEEE standards, and 1.5 lakh candidates will be shortlisted from this test for the advanced test.
In the new pattern, for admission to IITs, a candidate will be judged on his/her performance in the advanced test and if he/she is among the top 20 per cent scorers of his/her respective Board. These top 20 per cent will be decided based on their individual Board’s aggregate performance.