Final year exams: No question bank, says SPPU official

PUNE: The examination department of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has decided not to give any question bank to its final-year students for preparation. Instead, the varsity will conduct a mock test for the students ensuring that they get an idea of examination. The examination, scheduled from October 1for all final-year students of bachelor's and master's courses, will have multiple choice questions (MCQs) and will take place through proctored method.

While Mumbai University has decided to provide students question banks for their preparation and their knowledge about the kind of questions, students of SPPU also demanded for the same.

Clarifying the development, Mahesh Kakade, director, examination department, SPPU said, "There has been no decision to give question bank to students. We understand that the paper pattern is different than earlier years, still students can appear for the mock test and get an idea about the questions to be asked."

He added, "Mock tests will be conducted three-four days before the scheduled examination and students can appear for the same."

While there are approximately 4,000 courses for which at least 2.5 lakh students will take the examinations and preparing for the entire question bank for the students at such a short notice would have been difficult, said SPPU officials.

The officers added that no question bank will also ensure that the examination will be conducted in its purest form.

Even while the decision has been taken to ensure seriousness of the examination, students believe that it would be difficult for them to prepare for the tests. Kamalakar Shete , a commerce student of SPPU, said, "All this while, we have been taking examination in descriptive way, and this is for the first time that tests will be based on MCQ pattern. Also, many of us do not have their study material with them therefore it will be difficult to prepare. Question banks would have been an easy way to prepare for the examination."

Another student of the SPPU Marathi department said, "Colleges or departments concerned should at least give PDF files of the study material so that we can prepare for the examination. Taking mock tests three-four days prior the examination will be too late for us to prepare for the final one."

Another student of law of ILS Law College said, "Law examinations have been completely based on descriptive questions and there are few subjects in which we cannot imagine as the MCQs. We are now taking help from our professors to prepare for the examination. But some idea about the type of questions at least 10-15 days prior to the final examination is needed."