NED University changes its admissions policy amid pandemic

In a first, first-year intermediate exam results will be considered

KARACHI: Like every other aspect of life these days, the Covid-19 pandemic has also begun affecting universities’ admissions policies after campuses were shut down and examinations were called off.

To this end, the NED University of Engineering and Technology, which is considered one of the top engineering schools in Sindh, has made some major changes to its admissions policy.

For the first time in history, the university has decided to admit students to the bachelors’ programme based on their first-year intermediate results instead of considering the overall percentage obtained in the first and second year of college.

What’s more, the university has also changed the merit for admissions, according to which the entrance test has been given a 50 per cent weightage. The weightage of the marks obtained in intermediate exams has been reduced to 50 per cent.

Earlier, the admission test was given an 8.33 per cent of weightage, while the weightage for marks in intermediate was 91.66 per cent. Due to the decision, candidates seeking admission in the university will now have to work very hard to qualify the entrance test.

The NED Academic Council approved the decision during an online meeting chaired by the varsity’s vice-chancellor, Professor Sarosh Lodhi. According to Professor Lodhi, the syndicate will give final approval to the decision very soon, after which an official announcement will be made.

“The NED University will now be starting its academic session in October. Since the intermediate exams have been delayed due to the spread of Covid-19 and pre-engineering results will not be released until October, we have decided to give admissions on the basis of marks obtained in the first year of intermediate,” he said. “[To ensure that there is no compromise on merit], we have also increased the qualification marks of the entrance test.”

Explaining the details

Meanwhile, NED University’s provincial chancellor and chairperson of the admissions committee, Dr Tufail Ahmed, briefed The Express Tribune about the details of the new admission policy, saying that until last year, the admission merit was prepared out of 1,200 marks with additional 100 marks assigned for the entrance test.

“This year, 50 per cent of the marks in the merit structure will be from the entrance test, while the remaining 50 per cent will be based on the results of the first year. However, the entrance test will be based on the syllabi of both the first and second year,” he clarified.

Referring to the formula of merit calculation, Dr Ahmed said that the passing percentage of the 100-mark entrance test would remain 50 per cent. However, under the new formula, the marks obtained in the test would be multiplied by 50 and the obtained total will be divided by 100.

Similarly, the marks obtained in the first-year exam will be multiplied by 50 and divided with the total marks of the first-year exam. Thus, the proportion of both the exam and entrance test marks will be 50 per cent for each.

Besides, Dr Ahmed said that students will sit for the entrance test after filling the admission form where they will be required to provide details of their first-year exams; however, engineering students will be required to get 60 per cent marks in the final year of their intermediate.

“If this does not happen, the admission of the relevant student will be cancelled under the rules of the Pakistan Engineering Council,” he stated.

He also said that the admissions will begin in July and admission tests will be held in the second week of August, while classes will commence on October 5.

The NED University has decided to add 40 more seats this year, which means there will be 2,682 seats in 28 sectors. These seats have been added to the Department of Computer Sciences. For the first time, NED University has also allocated 18 seats for the students of Ziauddin Board.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2020.