CUET UG 2025: Flaws in Scoring System and Exam Format Raise Concerns

The CUET UG 2025 results have been declared recently, providing relief to more than 13.5 lakh students who were awaiting the result eagerly. But the announcement of results has also raised a new set of concerns among students, experts, and educators. Even though the university entrance test was touted to give a level playing field, many are doubting its fairness and effectiveness.

Science Students Paved Through Stream-Shifting

One of the biggest worries is that science students are having a hard time transitioning to courses in humanities, like Economics (Hons) or BMS, because of the design of the exam. The format of the test compels students to excel in subjects other than their core, with little space for mistakes. It has become especially difficult for science students to fight for top courses in top institutions like Delhi University.

Limitations of the Existing Exam Pattern

Several problems have been raised about the exam pattern, such as:

• Subject limits: The limitation of selecting just five subjects restricts adaptability and does not allow students to opt for all mandatory subjects for their chosen course combinations.
• Homogeneous question and time pattern: Implementing the same number of questions and time limit on all subjects irrespective of difficulty level, is unjust, particularly for concept-based subjects like Physics or Maths.
• Normalization and raw scores: Under stream-shift situations, raw scores are mostly employed, which is prejudicial to science students, for the reason that the scoring in science subjects is comparatively more difficult than others.

Disadvantages to Certain Student Groups

The exam pattern also appears to be disadvantageous to some student groups, viz.:

State board students: State board students are disadvantaged among CBSE students, which necessitates a uniform syllabus.
Northeast Students: Students from the Northeast region are likely to experience an extra level of complexity in terms of irregular shift patterns and the normalization process.

MCQs Inadequate to Test Student Capabilities

Education experts are of the opinion that the MCQ-exclusive mode is not sufficient to evaluate the capabilities of students, especially for topics such as journalism, history, and psychology, which entail writing skills. This has raised concerns that the CUET UG is rendering schools unnecessary and not checking the real potential of the students.

Need for Reform

The increasing student and expert discontent indicates an imperative for change. To make the CUET UG more fair and effective, experts recommend a uniform syllabus and revamping the normalization process. Addressing these issues will enable the exam to perform its function of streamlining college admissions throughout India better.

Also read: CUET UG Admission Guide: Delhi University, JNU, and Jamia Millia Islamia