Single entry exam for public universities

The University Grants Commission has finalised the draft of Central Admission Test Authority Ordinance, which will require all public universities to hold a uniform admission test for undergraduate students from the 2023-24 academic year.

The ordinance was finalised at a meeting yesterday in the presence of UGC acting chairman Prof Muhammed Alamgir and vice-chancellors of different public universities.

The draft of the ordinance will be sent to the education ministry for further action next week, Prof Alamgir said.

He said after the ordinance is issued, there will be no scope for any university to take admission tests outside of it.

If the proposed ordinance is issued within a short time, then a uniform undergraduate admission test for the 2023-2024 academic year will be taken as soon as possible after the publication of the HSC examination results, he said.

Tests would be taken following the ordinance until the National Testing Authority is formed, he added.

In a press release, UGC yesterday said the drafted ordinance includes provisions to address the complexity, delays, and insecurity of the existing admission process for universities and to reduce extra costs for parents and students.

In the new system, any candidate who fails to attain a minimum requirement in the central admission test will not be considered eligible for admission to any university at the undergraduate level.

After publication of the central admission test results, the relevant universities will conduct the admission process on the basis of students' merit, considering their past academic performances and the universities' own requirements.

Any university may also take a standard aptitude test on a limited basis for admission to specialised programmes such as music, fine arts, dance, drama, architecture, and others, the press release also read.