Panel Proposes Up to 50% Board Weightage in JEE, NEET Admissions

NEW DELHI: Amid a series of examination controversies, including the NEET-UG row, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has intervened to oversee sweeping reforms being drafted by the Ministry of Education. The proposed changes, fast-tracked based on National Education (NE) recommendations, aim to overhaul both board exams and high-stakes entrance tests such as NEET and JEE.

Key proposals include granting up to 50% weightage to board marks in admission and merit calculations, aligning entrance tests more closely with school syllabi to reduce reliance on coaching centres, introducing multiple attempts, and gradually shifting towards adaptive, on-demand computer-based tests (CBT).

Government sources told the Times of India that the immediate focus is on reducing the high-stakes nature of one-shot examinations, strengthening exam integrity, and moving assessments to CBT to minimise risks associated with paper handling. The collaborative approach used during the NEET-UG re-examination, involving multiple government agencies, is expected to become the standard for future national tests.

The reforms stem from recommendations by a nine-member committee set up by the Ministry of Education in 2025. The committee was tasked with examining students' dependence on coaching, the prevalence of 'dummy schools', and fairness in entrance tests. Its final report is expected to be submitted to the government in the coming weeks.

One significant proposal is to give school board performance 'substantial weightage – up to 50%, suitably normalised – in admission/merit'. This marks a major shift from the current near-total reliance on entrance test scores for admission to top professional and undergraduate programmes.

The panel has linked increased board marks weightage to improving the integrity of board exams, including curbing inflated marking and excessive moderation. It recommends showing internal assessment and practical marks separately as grades.

To reduce the pressure of a single exam, the committee has proposed a multi-attempt framework, with exams held 'at least twice a year' and a gradual move towards on-demand testing. For JEE, it suggests increasing attempts from two to three or four, scrapping the December-January attempt to decongest the exam calendar, and ensuring a clearer gap between Class 12 boards and entrance tests.

In the long term, the draft recommends moving towards 'less-coachable, aptitude-oriented and adaptive CBT', with non-linguistic items where appropriate, while retaining subject-specific evaluation for STEM courses. The panel has not argued for easier papers, noting that very easy tests could weaken ranking accuracy among lakhs of candidates competing for limited seats.

The committee has also recommended psychometric analysis of NTA data by IIT-Kanpur to assess the 'validity, reliability and discriminatory power' of JEE Main, JEE Advanced, NEET-UG, and CUET.

Additionally, the committee has asked the government to examine a comprehensive regulatory framework for coaching centres, including possible legislative measures.