6 ways entry tests affect students' careers, Badal Dou debate starts tonight
You can join the debate by tweeting us using #EntryTestorBoardExams hashtag
(Web Desk) – The debate of Entry Tests versus Board Exams has been prevalent for a while now. Every year, scores of aspiring medical and engineering students take to big schools, colleges and universities – mostly in metropolitans and other urban areas such as Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi etc in pursuit of their dreams.
What happens next is; students are made to embattle another round before they are through. The round of entry tests even for the students, all students regardless of their scores in 12 standard board exams.
There are a number of complaints and questions raised by students:
1) Why test students twice?
Students at the end of 12th grade have to take Board exams to go through to the undergrad programmes. If students from all schools and colleges are made to take centralized standard board exams, why test them again through Entry Tests?
2) Can entry tests assess students’ aptitude?
Can any entry test really assess students’ abilities in 3 hours?
3) Lack of equal opportunities
It is a no-brainer that students from villages and far-flung areas have fewer opportunities than those in metropolitans and urban areas. Entry tests don’t give any benefits to anyone.
4) Finances/ Academy Mafia
Another major issue faced by students is the finances and huge amount of money parents have to pay again not only for enrollment, but also for preparation of the tests. It is a well-known fact that those who reap huge profits from this business are the academy mafia.
5) Discrepancies in evaluation
The evaluation standards of both systems are so different that students who even aced their Board exams end up failing the entrance tests and vice versa.
6) Other factors
There are several other factors that are out of control of students and parents. These include medical reasons, delays caused by strikes and lack of availability of transport for students of far flung areas.
Regardless of these complaints and factors, students are made to take a three-hour long test, the test that will seal their fates and prove decisive to make or break their careers.
Watch the full debate unfold tonight (Saturday) at 10:00pm on Dunya News’ show Badal Dou with iftikhar Ahmed. You can join the debate by tweeting us using #EntryTestorBoardExams hashtag.
