Mita Mukherjee

St Xavier’s University, Kolkata has decided to admit students to its undergraduate courses for the 2021-22 sessions only through online entrance tests shifting from the practice of selecting students based on Class XII board marks, according to the university.

Father Felix Raj, vice-chancellor of St Xavier’s University said the university will admit students only through admission tests this time because it is the “best way” to examine the proficiency of the aspirants in the absence of board examinations.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations, (CISCE) and several state boards have cancelled the Class XII board examinations because of an increase in numbers of Covid-19 cases in the country.

 “ We don’t know the exact formula to be adopted by the boards for evaluating the students. One board may want to emphasize on internal assessment, another can give importance to the pre-board exams. In this situation, the  entrance tests will be the best way to test the proficiency of a student in the subject he or she wants to study. It will also give a level playing field to all the aspirants, no matter which board they come from,” Father Felix Raj told EducationWorld.

Over the past two years, the fledgling university had been admitting students on the basis of Class XII board marks for all subjects except mass communication. The university offers undergraduate programmes in five subjects including commerce, management, economics, English and mass communication. The applicants will be screened only on the basis of online admission tests in all the subjects this year.

 Set up in 2017, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, a private university run by Jesuits is one of the most-sought-after institutions among meritorious students in West Bengal and also many other states in the country.  

The university, backed by a legacy of excellence, had been receiving a considerable number of applications from aspirants from many parts of the country from its inaugural year.

According to the vice-chancellor, the university realized it would be desirable to not select the students on the basis of board marks this time considering the huge number of applications it receives from several other states.

“We have around 660 seats in our undergraduate courses. We have received around 1000 applications within 48 hours after the start of online submission of application forms,” the vice-chancellor said.

The aspiring candidates can submit the online forms till July 3.

The admission tests will be conducted between July 10 and 12. An online mock test will be held on July 8 and 9.

Over the past two years, for all subjects except mass communication, the university had been admitting students on the basis of their Class XII board marks. But this year, for all five subjects — commerce, management, economics, English and mass communication — applicants will be screened only on the basis of the online admission tests.

The students will be writing the tests sitting at home. Therefore, all measures will be taken to make it foolproof and to ensure that students are not able to adopt unfair means, the vice-chancellor said.

The exam schedule and the syllabi will be available on the university’s website: www.sxuk.edu.in.

Also read: West Bengal government asks universities to plan UG admissions