Pune: Students preparing for the Std XII board examinations and Common Entrance Tests (CETs) will have more time to complete their syllabus and practise, with the state higher and technical education department cancelling the proposed Dec CET.Both attempts will now be held after the board examinations, easing the pressure on students who would otherwise have had to prepare for two major exams simultaneously.The department had earlier planned to conduct CET twice a year — in Dec and April — from the 2026-27 academic year, giving students two opportunities to improve their scores for admission to professional courses. However, following complaints, suggestions and feedback, the department has decided to cancel the Dec examination for now.Senior officials from the department said the revised schedule would provide relief to students.“The revised plan will provide relief to students, particularly those from rural areas, where completing the Std XII syllabus by Dec can be challenging. Teachers, too, would have more time to complete the syllabus and help students prepare for their board examinations without having to focus on CET preparation simultaneously,” a department official said.As per the CET Cell’s tentative plan, the first CET is expected to be held in April. The final dates will be confirmed once the official timetable is announced. A gap of four weeks will be maintained between the two attempts, giving students time to assess their performance in the first examination and work on areas that need improvement before appearing for the second.The department has also decided that the higher score obtained in the two CET attempts will be considered for admission, allowing students to benefit from their better performance rather than being restricted to the result of a single examination.Ashok Kajarekar, vice-principal of a city college, said the revised schedule would allow students to focus on one examination at a time.“The pressure of preparing for two examinations simultaneously will be reduced. Students will be able to concentrate on their Std XII board examinations first, after completing the syllabus and practising adequately. Once the board examinations are over, they can focus entirely on the two CET attempts. After the first CET, they will also have an opportunity to assess their performance and improve their scores in the second attempt,” he said.The four-week interval between the CETs is expected to give students additional time to revise and prepare for the second attempt. The provision to consider the higher score will also give them another opportunity to improve their admission prospects.
