TANCET exam dates clash; Tamil Nadu students lose hope
Several students planning to appear for the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) on Saturday, April 13, are in for a rude shock. Many autonomous arts and sciences colleges released their new exam schedule on Wednesday morning, and most have a paper on the same day. As a result, hundreds of students are likely to miss the TANCET exam.
The TANCET determines entry to MBA, MCA, ME, M. Tech and M. Arch courses in institutions across Tamil Nadu. There are nearly 150 MBA seats, 120 MCA and over 70 M.E. and M. Tech seats in Anna University alone, and many more seats in self-financed colleges. Last year, about 1, 10,000 students appeared for the exam. The number is expected to go up by 10-12 % this year, said TANCET officials.
Students are in a dilemma. “Obviously, we cannot forego our bachelor’s degree. But if I miss TANCET, what do I do after getting my degree,” said an MBA aspirant.
Students have been preparing for the state-level TANCET for more than a year and many have spent thousands of rupees on coaching centres. Parents are shocked that colleges could actually set exam dates without any regard for students’ aspirations.
Some parents have asked college officials to change the exam dates, without any success. While University of Madras has not yet announced exam dates for government colleges, Anna University has already stated that there will be no change in TANCET dates since preparations for the test have already been made.
