AIIMS Entrance Exam To Go Online By

AIIMS Entrance Exam Online

Entrance exams to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will soon go the Common Admission Test (CAT) way — online — by 2012.

AIIMS administration wants to conduct its entrance exams for undergraduate, PG and other courses, online, on the lines of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) to ensure total transparency.

The other online model being considered is from Manipal Medical College.

The institute's examination department is studying various online entrance examination models to ensure no glitches occur when around 1 lakh students appear for MBBS and MD entrance exams in 182 cen­tres across India.

In all,  AIIMS conducts 14 entrance examinations in a year, including biotechnology, M.Sc programmes, nursing. "We cannot afford problems, such as the system crashing while the exam is on. Conducting an entrance examination of this magnitude requires sound technical sup­port and we are analyzing all problems we can possibly face," said a doctor unwilling to be quoted. If things go according to plan, the institute will start online examinations with its post MD course admissions next year. "There are about 50 seats for specialty courses after post-graduation, for which 2,000 stu­dents appear every year in Delhi. We'll go online with these entrance tests, as their number is small and we'll get to take care of technical glitches, if any, before we take the plunge with UG and PG courses," said a sen­ior doctor in the administration department, who did not wish to be named. According to the initial plan, the examination department will zero in on various cities across states to be centres for the online examination.The examination department is also in the process of secur­ing a question bank for the examination.

"There will be no scope for ambiguous questions and we'll have to ensure no questions are repeated," he said.

The AIIMS examination department hopes to fully start the system by 2012.

For the first time this year, the Institute is uploading admit cards online,  students can take a printout of the same.