NTA to collaborate with subject experts

The National Testing Agency (NTA), which is gearing up to hold the JEE-Main and NEET from 2019, has decided to prepare test items in collaboration with subject experts and psychometricians.

“This is to ensure that the tests are well balanced,” a Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry official said.

The data on previous tests will also be analysed and deliberated with the subject matter experts for designing better question papers.

"A training will be provided to these subject experts on question paper designing," the official added.

Experts in the field of information technology delivery and security will also be involved in the preparation of test papers to avoid any glitches as the tests are to be held in computer-based mode.

The pattern and syllabus of both the Joint Entrance Examination-Main (JEE-Main) for undergraduate engineering and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for undergraduate medical programmes, to be held twice a year by the NTA from 2019, will remain same.

"There will be no change in question pattern or syllabus," the official said.

The NTA is set to hold a total five entrance tests including University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) in 2019.

The NTA has already notified the dates for JEE-Main and NEET.

As per NTA notification, registration of candidates for the JEE-Main, 2019 will begin from September 1. The registration of candidates for undergraduate NEET will start from October 1.

For both the JEE-Main and the NEET, the candidates will get one-month time to fill up their application forms online and submit the examination fee prescribed.

“Tests will be conducted twice a year to give the students adequate opportunity to bring out their best as well as to remove the possibility of human error in evaluation. Best of the test scores of the candidates will be considered for admission,” an official said.

The NTA will conduct both the JEE-Main and NEET in multiple sittings twice a year.

The first JEE-Main will be held from January 6 to January 20 in 2019 while the second will be from April 7 to April 21 in 2019.

The first NEET will be conducted by the testing agency from February 3 to February 17 in 2019 while the second from May 15 to May 26 in 2019. The online registration for the second NEET will start in the second week of March 2019.