NTA Examination Depend Hits Document Low in 2024: Govt Knowledge Reveals a 50% Drop |

India’s premier testing authority, the Nationwide Testing Company (NTA), managed to conduct solely 29 exams in 2024, a document low that hasn’t been seen since 2019. Identified for its expansive attain and scale in conducting main admissions and recruitment exams, the NTA now finds itself grappling with a pointy decline in efficiency, fuelled by a turbulent 12 months of paper leaks, examination postponements, and administrative setbacks.
This dramatic drop was laid naked in parliament when the Ministry of Schooling revealed that the variety of exams carried out this 12 months fell by greater than half in comparison with 2023, when 66 exams have been held. The variety of registered college students additionally noticed a big dip, falling from 1.33 crore in 2023 to 85.78 lakh in 2024.

NTA’s examination conducting trajectory: 5-year overview

The NTA, established in 2017, has steadily expanded its attain over time, managing main entrance examinations like NEET for medical programs, JEE Important for engineering aspirants, and the CUET for undergraduate admissions.
After conducting 23 exams in 2019, the NTA shortly ramped up its operations, conducting 35 exams in 2020, 45 in 2021, and 44 in 2022. The height got here in 2023 when it organised 66 exams attended by 1.33 crore college students. Nonetheless, 2024 noticed a dramatic reversal of this development, with solely 29 exams held and 85.78 lakh college students registering—numbers extra reflective of the NTA’s early years than its latest progress. Right here’s an summary of the the variety of exams held by NTA within the final 5 years:

Modes of NTA exams: Expertise and examination codecs

The info supplied by the schooling ministry additionally sheds gentle on how the NTA carried out exams in 2024. Out of the 29 exams, solely 12 have been computer-based checks (CBTs), reflecting a noticeable reliance on conventional codecs.
The remaining exams included 4 hybrid (CBT plus pen-and-paper) checks, three solely pen-and-paper exams, seven exams with a mixture of written and interview-based assessments, two English shorthand checks, and one remote-proctored take a look at. The CUET UG, one in every of NTA’s most important exams, was held in each CBT and pen-and-paper modes. Nonetheless, trying ahead, the UGC has confirmed that CUET UG will transition solely to the CBT format in 2025, as a part of broader examination reforms.

NTA in troubled waters: Examination postponements and allegations of paper leaks derail operations

The drastic decline in exams carried out in 2024 coincided with controversies surrounding the NTA’s administration. Main exams such because the Frequent College Entrance Take a look at for Postgraduate (CUET PG) programs and the College Grants Fee’s Nationwide Eligibility Take a look at (UGC NET) have been postponed or annulled amid allegations of paper leaks and technical points. These lapses triggered widespread criticism and led to investigations into the company’s functioning.
In response, the previous NTA Director Common, Subodh Kumar Singh, was placed on obligatory wait, and Pradeep Singh Kharola was appointed as the brand new Director Common to supervise the company’s restoration.
Past administrative issues, delays in funds to highschool employees serving as examination functionaries added to the NTA’s troubles, additional highlighting inefficiencies in its operations. Earlier within the 12 months, throughout a parliamentary session, the Ministry of Schooling admitted that since its inception in 2018, the NTA had postponed exams 15 occasions.
Whereas the vast majority of postponements occurred throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, latest disruptions stemmed from administrative failures, technical glitches, and mismanagement.