As many as 13,885 candidates including 2,736 females and 3,775 males appeared in the pre-entry test for admissions to Bachelor degree programme for the academic year 2015 in seven centres set up by the University of Sindh Jamshoro in various cities of the province including SU Jamshoro, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Larkana, Thatta and Bhitshah on Sunday.
The test started at 10:45am and concluded at 12:15 pm simultaneously in SindhUniversity and its campuses according to the schedule. All the centres were locked at 09:15am sharp and no one was allowed to enter after that.
The candidates stated that the arrangement made by the SU were satisfactory. No untoward incident was reported during the course of the test.
“The arrangements are surprisingly better than what I had heard from my friends who appeared for the test last year,” said Abdul Sami Soomro, who took the test at the SU, Jamshoro.
Beenish Qureshi, who appeared for the test, said the supervisory staff was very considerate. About the exam, she said that all questions were from the textbooks and nothing included in the test was out of course.
Safia Naz, who came from Jacobabad, told that proper sitting arrangements were made for the hopefuls who appeared in the test. “Pre-entrance test was taken by the SindhUniversity testing centre in a befitting manner. We are happy because the test started and concluded in time. I hope I will be selected,” she said.
Murk Sindhu belonging to a village of Ghotki district said that the questions were not out of the course and she attempted 80 questions.
“I attempted all those questions I knew, the rest I have left un-attempted; however everything was in discipline and all the candidates were given cold drinking water,” she said.
There were separate arrangements for the disabled students, parking and waiting-area facilities for the parents of the candidates. Back-up power generators were also provided at all campuses so as to avoid any disturbance owing to the failure of electricity.
Two disabled candidates sans hands also took the test. Both of them attempted the questions with their legs. They told that they wanted to get higher education in BBA & IT disciplines.
On SU Allama II Kazi campus as many as 10,359 including 2,507 females took part in the entrance test. Similarly, In Laar campus Badin 172 candidates including 35 girls, Mirpurkhas campus 232 students including 30 female, in Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed campus Dadu 339 candidates including 63 girls, in Thatta campus 110 candidates including 35 girls, in International University of Peace, Sufism & Modern Sciences Bhitshah 52 candidates including seven girls and in Larkana campus 116 candidates including 27 female took part in the test.
Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Imdad Ali Ismaili along with other senior officials visited the examination centres on Allama II Kazi campus to monitor the arrangements.
Talking to media, Dr Ismaili said the SU had taken appropriate measures to make sure that the test was conducted in a transparent manner. “There was no cheating incident reported from any of the test centres including Jamshoro main campus, Dadu campus, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Larkana, Thatta and Bhitshah campuses.”
He said the SindhUniversity had ensured that the candidates did not copy answers from one another.
He said the tests would be marked in a transparent manner and that the seats at SU and its campuses would be filled solely on merit. He further said the pre-admission tests were compulsory across the world in developed as well as developing countries. He mentioned that Iran, India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka also conducted similar entrance tests.
“The marks obtained by candidates in various education boards across the province are not a standardized measure of their abilities. It is therefore important to let all of them go through a comprehensive test. This ensures that justice, equity, merit and transparency is in place,” he maintained.
The 13,885 candidates who appeared for the test would compete for 4,510 seats available in various eight faculties including faculty of arts, Islamic studies, natural sciences, pharmacy, social sciences, education, law and commerce and business administration while there are 1,000 reserved seats as well.
It may be noted that 3,365 more candidates appeared in the test for admissions in comparison with last year and 785 more female students took entrance test compared to that of last year.
