The contentious Intermediate weightage in EAMCET off this year as well

Government is of the view that the academic system has not yet totally recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic

For the fourth consecutive year, the 25% weightage given to Intermediate marks in calculating the final rank in Engineering, Agriculture and Medical streams has been waived off by the government citing the reasons that the pandemic-affected academic system is yet to come back on track.

The weightage was waived off in 2020 when all the Intermediate students were declared passed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar concession was given in the 2021 and 2022 exams as well, as the syllabus was not completed with offline and online mode classes disturbing the learning practices of students. This year too, the government decided not to consider the weightage as only 70% of the first year syllabus is being considered for question paper preparation.

The rank of a student is determined by 75% weightage to the total marks secured in EAMCET and 25% weightage to the total marks secured in relevant group subjects of Intermediate examinations like Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry or Biology, Physics and Chemistry.

The weightage issue has been a contentious one since it was introduced in the EAMCET- 2009 when the corporate colleges had turned themselves into tuition centres preparing students for engineering and medical entrance exams ignoring the Intermediate course totally as the marks had no relevance in securing a seat in the professional courses.

After much discussion and opposition from the colleges the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (then AP State Council of Higher Education) introduced 25% weightage for the marks in the final calculation of the Common Entrance Test rank forcing the colleges also to focus on the main syllabus. Officials then said this helped students to learn the core subjects better rather than preparing only for the entrance test.

The original idea was also to scrap the EAMCET altogether in four years from 2009 and admit students in engineering and medical streams based only on Intermediate marks so as to reduce the pressure of ranks on the students. However, it did not materialise with opposition from the corporate colleges and also due to various guidelines emerging from the national-level that entry into engineering, medical and other professional courses should be done through an entrance test.

The 25% weightage system continued after that as well with officials finding that it reduced pressure on Intermediate students admitted to corporate colleges while it also provided some level playing field for those studying in the government sector and also hailing from the rural areas who did not had access to quality coaching.