The examination overload, its enormous cost

‘Today, millions of young Indians face not one examination but a cascade of them’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Once upon a time, not very long ago, students could focus on their education, confident that their academic results would determine admission to higher education and career opportunities. Today, millions of young Indians face not one examination but a cascade of them — a seemingly endless series of entrance examinations. Besides board examinations, aspiring engineers and doctors generally face entrance tests such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), respectively. Architecture and law aspirants must also navigate examinations such as the National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) and the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Others must take the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) or institution-specific examinations. With affordable, quality higher education in short supply, many candidates make repeated attempts. Even a good bachelor’s degree does not guarantee postgraduate admission.Postgraduate aspirants face examinations such as the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), Common Admission Test (CAT), Common University Entrance Test for Postgraduate Programmes (CUET-PG) and various university-level entrance tests. Research aspirants face further qualifying examinations, including the National Eligibility Test (NET). The ordeal continues during recruitment. Academic qualifications merely establish eligibility, while employment often depends on examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commissions, Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). The proliferation of entrance and recruitment examinations has turned education and employment into a relentless cycle of competitive testing. Published - October 30, 2026 12:16 am IST