6 Points to know about NTA (JEE Main 2019 Organising Authority)

National Testing Agency is a concept introduced to standardize the process of entrance exams so that the institutes/ board conducting those exams can be relieved from additional burdens. The testing agency or NTA was formally given a green flag from the cabinet last year. The testing agency will conduct highly competitive entrance exams like JEE Main and NEET twice a year to provide an optimum opportunity to the aspirants.

As per the official notification, the news has been confirmed that NEET and JEE will be conducted again in December 2018. The schedule will be released shortly. Read on to know more about NTA.

What is NTA Actually?

As per the announcements made during the budget statement of 2017-18, National Testing Agency (NTA) is an autonomous body that would oversee the conduct of entrance exams erstwhile conducted by the CBSE. It would strive to bring in high reliability, standardization, and transparency in its process of the conductance of these examinations.

The body would conduct entrance exams twice a year. In the first phase, it will be conducting the exams being conducted by CBSE, which include JEE, NEET, UGC NET, CTET and exam for Navodaya Vidyalayas. Later on, it will take over other exams like CAT and GATE too.

Why is NTA introduced?

The introduction of NTA is not only to make the testing process efficient but also to relieve the academic institutions from the additional burden. To understand his, take a look at the scenario of CBSE. Central Board for Secondary Education is the largest educational board in the country, and for that matter, it has huge responsibility of managing primary to secondary education of the country. It constantly needs to update the curriculum, introduce best practices, conduct board exams in smooth manner along with many other duties.

But, not only CBSE fulfills its duties related to school education, but it also manages additional 4 million students by conducting entrance tests. Some of the biggest entrance tests of the country like JEE, NEET and UGC NET are conducted by CBSE, all of which have an audience of around a million each. This puts immense pressure on CBSE and decreases the efficiency of the exams.

With NTA bring created only for test-taking purposes, it will dedicate all its efforts to this sole task only, which will naturally improve the testing process. And further, it will relieve CBSE too, which would be able to focus on school education in a better manner. This probably sums up the biggest reason why NTA is being introduced, although there are some other obvious reasons as well.

NTA Board Members

The NTA would be a multi-member body and would be chaired by an eminent educationist appointed by the union ministry of HRD. Director General of NTA would be appointed by Government and would act as Chief Executing Officer (CEO) of the body.

NTA would also comprise of Board of Governors which would encompass members from user institutions. As per the latest development Mr. Vineet Joshi was appointed as the Director General of the body by the Union government.

Exams under NTA

The National Testing Agency would be entrusted with the responsibilities of conducting all those competitive entrance exams that are now been conducted by CBSE. As per the official draft document NTA would conduct these exams twice a year unlike the present practices of conducting these exams annually.

Following exams would fall under the ambit of NTA:

NTA for JEE Main

The NTA would conduct the JEE Main examination twice a year from 2019 (with an expectation of doing so from December this year onwards) to select candidates for admissions into National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and the top 2, 24,000 candidates who qualify the JEE Main exam would be allowed to take part in the JEE Advanced examination conducted by IITs (on rotational basis).

NTA would only perform the role erstwhile played by CBSE in regards to the JEE Main examination. Any other change in the scheme or conduct of exam would be duly notified on the official website of NTA.

Read about NTA Impact on JEE aspirants

NTA for NEET

NEET exam would be conducted twice a year like the JEE Main to select candidates for admission in MBBS and BDS courses. NTA would conduct the exam as per the ongoing syllabus and pattern and would publish the result of the exam on its website.

The exam would be conducted in a manner similar to the one adopted by CBSE in the conduct of the exam.

Read about NTA Impact on NEET aspirants 

Conclusion

The new set-up of NTA brings in a good opportunity for candidates by giving them two shot a year at their dreams. Since there are two chances for candidates to garb the admissions it is expected that the nerves would settle down among them as there would be a good six months gap between the first and the second conduct of the exams.