VTU Ends Supplementary Exam Wait: Students Can Now Take Papers On Demand, Results in 24 Hours

Students at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) will no longer have to wait months to reappear for a paper they missed or failed. The university has decided to conduct "on-demand examinations", under which a student can take a semester examination in any subject at a time convenient to them, based on a request.

With the new system, students will not have to wait for the university to announce a supplementary examination schedule. VTU has said it will be ready to conduct an examination even for a single student, and that students may also request to write a paper on a public holiday.

"With the intention of providing greater convenience to students, we have decided to introduce on-demand examinations. We have also made all the necessary preparations for this initiative. Even if a single student wishes to appear for an examination, we will conduct it for them," Vice-Chancellor S. Vidyashankar told The Hindu.

The university has also decided to declare results within 24 hours of the examination for students appearing under this arrangement. This is a sharp departure from the usual wait of several weeks for results in scheduled examinations.

The change is significant given the size of the university. There are 220 engineering colleges under VTU's jurisdiction, with around three lakh students currently pursuing their studies, and approximately 70,000 students securing admission every year. On an average, around 20 per cent of students fail in one or more subjects in each semester examination. Earlier, such students had to wait six to seven months to reappear for their examinations — a delay that could cost them an academic year.

VTU is the first among public universities in the State to adopt such a system. According to the university, it will use Artificial Intelligence to prepare question papers, drawing on an existing bank of 500 to 600 question papers for each subject. The staff and other arrangements required to conduct these examinations have been put in place.

VTU has instructed all affiliated engineering colleges under its jurisdiction to inform students about the opportunity. Details regarding eligibility, examination schedules and the application process will be announced shortly.

Details such as the fee, if any, for these examinations and the number of attempts a student may make are yet to be made public.

The initiative is expected to benefit students who miss scheduled examinations because of illness, personal circumstances or other reasons, as well as those who fail a paper and need to clear it to progress in their course. By shortening the gap between an examination and the chance to retake it, the university aims to reduce the risk of students losing an academic year.

Students have been advised to stay in touch with their colleges for updates on how to apply and when the first on-demand examinations will be held.