The proposed centre for assessment and evaluation studies under CBSE is expected to play a major role in near future holding national level tests for undergraduate technical programmes. The body will prepare questions for tests like the proposed common aptitude test for engineering programmes said sources in the HRD Ministry.

In course of time, the Ministry proposes to transform it into a statutory authority conducting extensive research concerning examinations. The department of research and assessment under the body has a mandate to review engineering entrance examination capacity building.

The development comes as the Ministry is understood to have finalised plans for conducting the pan-India common entrance test from 2013 for undergraduate engineering programmes. It is believed to have arrived at a formulae with respect to giving weightages to the common test and school boards. Indications are that the weightage will be 60 per cent for the test and 40 per cent for school boards for deciding admission.

However, some state boards are believed to be resisting the common test. The IIT and the NIT councils have already given their approval for the test, which will eventually replace the IIT-JEE and AIEEE.

The sources said the common test may not be made mandatory in the initial years.
The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) will take up the proposal during its meeting in April this year.



Keywords: assessment ,evaluation studies, CBSE, technical programmes, HRD Ministry, examinations,engineering entrance examination,common test , school boards, IIT-JEE ,AIEEE,Central Advisory Board of Education ,CABE.