NEW DELHI, Dec 27: The Central Government has set up a seven-member committee to prepare the modalities for conducting national tests for admission to courses in Central universities instead of depending on grades and marks awarded by different regional authorities which have no uniform standard. This may be called Common Aptitude Test.

The computer-based examination, to be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), will comprise of aptitude tests and subject-wise tests. The plan is to implement the system from the coming academic year.

The examination will be held twice a year, but in 2021 there will be only one test for logistical reasons. There will be multiple options.

According to sources, the main advantage is one can avoid multiple entrance examinations and the associated travels and also avoid the confusion of differing valuation standards of various boards. It is also argued that a minimum eligibility for the common test will give opportunities to more candidates to contest.

However, there is concern that the eligibility for the common test will take us back to square one as that is again decided by same boards with different standards which it seeks to rectify in the first place.