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From technical glitches to postponements without prior intimation to applicants, problems persisted on Day 2 of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) Phase II held on Friday.
Many candidates said they had to return without even entering the centres while others were informed of the postponement halfway through their exam or after its completion.
Rohan Gupta, appearing from Zenith IT Solution centre in Jahangirpuri, said, “The entry was delayed to 10 am. But even after we entered, we waited in front of the systems for two hours because the server was down. The centre officials were trying to help, but they also seemed confused. Finally, they put up a notice and announced that the exam has been postponed.”
Sanya Saifi (17) appeared from Sector 64 in Noida for Social Studies, English and Economics. “I had reached at the reporting time, which was 1.30 pm, but we were not allowed to enter the centre. At 3 pm, they announced that the exam had been postponed. I have an exam tomorrow as well, but I am very anxious about it getting cancelled,” she said.
Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which is conducting the exam, said, “CUET-UG postponed at total of 50 examination centres. While 20 have been postponed from the first shift, 30 have been postponed from the second. This development comes after some centres reported technical issues.”
Slot 2 exams were cancelled at Noida 64 centre, which saw confusion in first session as well.
Shambhavi Saxena arrived at the exam centre at 7.30 am to appear for English, Political Science and Psychology exams. “The gates were closed and surrounded by barricades. Police personnel were deployed there because there was a lot of chaos,” she told The Indian Express.
She also claimed that even though she finished her test with 10 minutes remaining, an announcement was made that the exam had been postponed. “I don’t know whether my exam was accepted or if I will have to re-appear for it. The invigilators had no clarity on this.”
However, the NTA assured that the exams of the affected candidates will be rescheduled. “Yes, we cancelled the second shift of the exam today at the Noida centre. The affected candidates will have their exam rescheduled between August 12 and 14, and we will soon let them know their exact dates,” Vineet Joshi, Director-General of NTA, told The Indian Express.
Students also complained of technical snags during their exam and of poor facilities at centres.
Aravind Das, appearing from Salasar Online Services Pvt Ltd near Samaypur Badli Metro station, took the History and Psychology papers in the second session. “The exam was to start at 3 pm, but we waited till 4 pm. I gave my biometrics and sat at the allocated system, but it showed someone else’s name. I was shifted 2-3 times but none of the systems were functioning properly,” said the 17-year-old DU aspirant.
The NTA also confirmed to The Indian Express that the testing agency will only issue admit cards to the candidates for whom it can accommodate the first-choice city. “We are trying to maximise the number of students who get their first choice of exam city,” Joshi said.
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Candidates from other cities also faced similar issues. Prachi Gauri, 19, appearing from Birla Institute of Technology, Patna, said, “The exam was supposed to start at 9 am, but we were waiting in front of the system till 10 am. Once it started, after attempting the English and Business Studies section, I went to the General Test section but it wasn’t opening. Others also faced the same problem, so they told us to wait and keep refreshing the portal. At 12.30 pm, they told us to go home saying we will receive an email later.”
The candidates faced issues with the General Test section on Day 1 of the exam as well.
The admit cards for candidates who have their exam scheduled on August 7 will be released at cuet.samarth.ac.in.
