It is confirmed that JEE Main Exam from 2019 onwards will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and in online mode only. However, there is a major percentage of the aspirants that have been opting the offline i.e. pen and paper mode of the examination until 2018. The Central Board Of Secondary Education conducted JEE Main in 2018, for the last time. It used to conduct the exam in both online and offline mode, and it was noticed that the majority opted for the offline mode of exam. However, on the other hand, there was a noticeable increase in the number of candidates opting for the online mode of exam over the years.
Many often confuse the online mode of the exam with dependency on the internet connection. However, the Computer-Based Tests (CBTs) are independent of any internet connections. The computer-based or online exam is a tried and tested exam model. It is conducted over a Local Area Network (LAN) so as to ensure the utmost safety and uninterrupted execution of any examination.
There are some popular concerns due to which the aspirants lean a little more towards the traditional method of appearing in the examination. These concerns are a power failure or technical flitches, CBTs have tougher questions, handling computer will be difficult, there will be errors in recording answers etc.
However, JEE Mains is being conducted in online mode since 2014. There has been no such error reported yet. CBSE had earlier released official FAQs on CBT mode of the exam where it clearly states that CBT does not depend on the internet and only basic knowledge of using a mouse is enough.
Thus, the assurance that CBT exams are safe and secure with zero chances of errors have been given by CBSE. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will be following the same mode from 2019 onwards.
Candidates can take advantage of the NTA Practise test centers or they can download these JEE Main 2019 online test series on their respective computer at home. In addition to that many online mock tests are already available on the internet for reference.
Advantages of Online Mode of Exam (Computer Based Tests)
- Basic knowledge of using a mouse is enough for CBT.
- The candidate can review or re-answer any question at any point of time during the examination.
- The candidate can change the option of the answer during the exam duration and it is one of the most important features of computer-based examination.
- There are panels on the computer screen that indicated time left for the exam to get over, number of questions left to answer, number of questions left for review and number of questions that have been answered. This makes the examination more sorted and friendly.
- Leak Proof exams – as no physical form of questions will be available. Thus, there will be no delays in the examination.
- Results will be declared way earlier, CBTs allow easy and accurate calculations of marks.
Even if there is a power failure in the exam center or there are any technical glitches the answers marked by the candidates remain safe and are not erased. The software used for the CBT model of the examination works in real time. Answers marked by the candidates are safe unless they change it.
Disadvantages of Computer Based Tests
There are reports that say that rural candidates might face difficulty in participating in the CBT mode of exam. However, MHRD and NTA have taken this into regard and a network of practice test centers are being made available free of costs. These centers will start operating by the end of this month itself.
In addition to that, only a basic knowledge of mouse handling is enough in the CBT model. Thus, candidates will get used to this mode with a little practice.
The major problem here is the fears that are discussed above. Conducting bodies are assuring that the fears though natural, must not be worried about. There are enough backups available if in any rare situations problems occur. Many IT professionals and experts are present at the exam centers to assist with any major or minor fault that might occur during the exam.
The exam pattern, the marking scheme, the type of questions and the syllabus of JEE Main will all remain the same in the CBT model of the exam. The difficulty is not higher than that of the traditional method of examination. This is a total myth.
