CUET UG system flawed? Biased scoring, stream lock-ins, MCQ-only testing flagged

India Today

3 days ago

The CUET UG 2025 results were declared on Friday, ending the wait for over 13.5 lakh students, but the questions haven't stopped. From paper errors and response sheet glitches to stream-change hurdles and unfair normalisation methods, students and experts alike are raising red flags.Even top scorers aren't celebrating without caveats. As lakhs of aspirants navigate India's largest undergraduate entrance test, complaints about skewed scoring patterns and systemic inefficiencies are piling up.advertisementIs the Common University Entrance Test really living up to its promise of a level playing field?A BIAS AGAINST SCIENCE STUDENTS
Science students feel squeezed by the CUET UG 2025 pattern -- especially those aiming to switch into humanities courses such as Economics (Hons) or BMS. The exam's design makes shifting streams tough and forces students to perform well in subjects outside their core, with limited room for error.SHIFTING THE COURSE STREAM BECOMES DIFFICULTScience students find it impossible to switch streams and compete for top courses in prestigious institutions like Delhi University due to subject limitations.CAPPING OF 5 SUBJECTSThe restriction of choosing only five subjects limits flexibility and prevents students from covering all required subjects for their desired course combinations.UNIFORM QUESTION AND TIME PATTERNApplying the same number of questions and time duration (50 questions in 60 minutes) across all subjects, regardless of difficulty level, is unfair, especially for concept-heavy subjects like Physics or Maths.NORMALISATION AND RAW SCORES CAUSE TROUBLEIn stream-shift scenarios, raw scores (not percentiles) are often used, which disadvantages Science students, as scoring in their subjects is relatively tougher compared to others.Current and past year's maths results prove the above points when we compare scores with subjects like Business Studies, Political Science etc.Also, state board students and students from the Northeast are at a disadvantage compared to CBSE students.Experts suggest that 'One nation one syllabus' has to be implemented for fair competition, and that normalisation for CUET UG is an irrational concept and a misuse of a statistical tool, especially when exams are conducted across a month with uneven shift patterns.MCQs NOT ENOUGHEducation experts also believe that schools have become redundant due to CUET. Subjects like journalism, history, and psychology cannot be tested through MCQs alone -- writing skills need to be assessed too, which CUET does not currently do.CUET UG was introduced with the vision of streamlining college admissions across India. But for many students, it's becoming yet another maze of confusion and frustration.The growing discontent, especially among science stream aspirants, students from marginalised boards, and those eyeing inter-disciplinary shifts, signals an urgent need for reform.- Ends