Stiff Competition ahead, Cut-Off Congestion

Stiff Competition ahead, Cut-Off Congestion

The projected struggle to make the cut-off grade indicates a big challenge ahead for CBSE candidates, and the need for a robust normalisation score.

The results of the Plus-Two examination, released last week, have only confirmed what was expected all along: that in the absence of a streamlined mechanism for ranking and standardisation, the abolition of the common entrance for professional admissions may not exactly benefit those for whom it was intended — students from educationally backward and rural districts, especially for engineering seats.

An analysis done by Jayaprakash Gandhi of Turning Point, a Salem-based educational consultancy firm, has thrown up interesting possibilities: A total of 3,35,012 students appeared for the Plus-Two examinations under the science group this year, compared to 2,99, 187 students last year. With the pass percentage also going up, the rush for professional courses is expected to be more this year.

More than 70,000 seats are expected to be available for engineering counselling. While five students have scored centums in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, a total of 22 students have scored 200 marks out of 200 in engineering cut-off. Due to increase in numbers of students scoring minimum eligibility marks for engineering admission, both government and management quota seats are expected to be in demand.

A total of 2,824 students have scored 195 marks out of 200 in engineering cut-off, meaning a close race for admission to top institutions such as the Anna University colleges. Students seem to have performed much better in the medical stream. Those who have scored 190 marks out of 200 are expected to apply for the medical admissions under OC, 185 and above for MBC quota and 180 and more for SC/ST quota. Six students have scored 200 out of 200 marks in medical cut-off.

While 1,568 students have scored a centum in Maths this year and around 1,500 students crowding at every mark down the list, students who have scored more in Physics will have an advantage. Performance in Biology has been marginally better than last year, with 129 - 500 students coming in at every mark level. Physics marks will play a vital role in ranking, in case of a tie. Though Chemistry marks too would be vital in calculating the cut-off, they would not break a tie as after Maths and Physics, optional subjects would be considered for ranking purpose.

There have been no centums in Computer Science, with the first mark, 197 out of 200, being shared by 41 students. Hence, those with Biology will have an edge over Computer Science, in case of a cut-off tie. While there may not be too much of a problem in medical rankings as the number of students in each cut-off level is not very high, one still has to see how many CBSE students would come in, after the normalisation process.

In engineering admissions, however, with the number of students at each cut-off level varying anywhere between 150 - 400, ranking would be based on Physics or optional subject marks as most have done well in Maths.

However, with a huge number of students applying for revaluation this year, this scenario may shift.

Stiff Competition ahead, Cut-Off Congestion

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