Shiksha report: Aspirants are taking fewer entrance exams
According to a new report, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for a shift in engineering applicants’ preferences and choices. “Students are now more focused on the particular admission exam they want to take, resulting in a dip in the number of entrance exams they appear for,” according to Shiksha.com annual Engineering Outlook Report 2022. “University and state-level exams have grown in popularity over the last year, while entrance exams like JEE Main and some prominent private entrance exams have moved down in the list of preferred entrance exams considering preference for home states for education due to the pandemic.”
The report added that students now prefer to study in their native states rather than in metro cities so that they are not forced to relocate owing to the pandemic. When making an informed decision in choosing an engineering institution, the report also suggests that college rankings, placements and student ratings are important factors that are considered.
The report shows that except for south India, the average number of engineering entrance exams in 2021 has decreased across the country. Surprisingly, the weighted average of entrance exams in south India grew by 6% from 2020 to 2021. North and central India saw a 35% and 45% increase in the percentage of students taking only one entrance exam in 2021, respectively. This number declined by 10% in south India.
The preference for engineering colleges in one’s home state has surpassed the preference for metro cities. When seeking BTech colleges in 2021, aspirants from west, central and south India favoured colleges in their hometowns over colleges in major locations such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Aspirants from north India continue to favour metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Engineering in computer science was the most popular choice among students when it came to specialisation. Due to changes in the job market as a result of Covid-19 and rising prospects in technology-driven businesses, its standing has evolved close to 28% since 2019. Other specialisation preferences were unchanged from the previous year, except for mechanical, electrical and civil engineering specialisations, which saw a little drop. Agricultural engineering, biological engineering, electrical and instrumentation engineering, metallurgical engineering and mining engineering are a few emerging engineering specialities in recent years.