Single Eligibility Exam for Recruitment in Union/State governments and PSUs TCYonline Blog

Single Eligibility Exam for Recruitment in Union/State governments and PSUs

In a single stroke, the Union Government has reduced the pain, physical and financial, of the unemployed, particularly those belonging to the rural areas and the female gender. The ease of ‘exam business’ (if it may be called so), has been in the making for the past some years. The government started off with eliminating selection through ‘interview’ for Class III and Class IV posts. This was followed up with elimination of multiple exams for engineering and medical entrance (JEE and NEET). Now the focus is on recruitment exams for Group B & C non-gazetted posts, where the eligibility is matriculation (10^th pass), Sr. Secondary (12^th pass) or graduation. In particular, the preliminary or tier-1 exams (let us call them Eligibility Tests) conducted by the following agencies will all be brought under the Combined Eligibility Test, to be conducted by the National Recruitment Agency (NRA):

Staff Selection Commission (SSC): Includes exams like CHSL, CGL, Stenographers, MTS (Tier-1 only)

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS): Includes exams like Clerical, RRB, for PSU Banking and Insurance (Prelims only)

Railway Recruitment Board (RRB): Includes NTPC

The agencies will continue to hold the selection exams (mains) for final selection, but the eligibility will be candidates that have cleared the cut-off in the Combined Eligibility Test.

Features of the Combined Eligibility Test

To be held twice a year

To be held separately for 10^th pass, 12^th pass and graduates

No limit on number of attempts

Highest score to be counted

Score valid for 3 years

Standard curriculum with standard degree of difficulty level

Multiple choice questions

In multiple Indian languages

Online exam and online registration

Online test scheduling and centre selection by candidates

Every district in the country to have at least one test centre

Quick results

The Combined Eligibility Test is a great relief to the hassled millions that presently have to run from pillar to post even to register their eligibility. And it is also a relief in the burden on the pockets of their parents and guardians, for they don’t have to shell out fee for all those tier-1 exams. It is also expected to bring a lot of transparency and standardization into the system.

The significance of this single step will be visible in due course of time, for the CET scores are also expected to be shared with all types of employers in the Union and State governments, as well as PSUs and Private Industry.

It is expected that the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) and the Combined Eligibility Test will be operational from 2021.

All this is so very new still. Students still don’t know what all to expect. While more detail is awaited, the experts at TCY are already gearing up to be in a position to deliver the closest match to the actual expected test format/pattern/level. Our research team will be on the watch for the minutest clues and detail so that our students go fully prepared from Day-1.