The need for an admission test
National University, with 2,257 affiliated colleges and institutions, was established in 1992 and has been playing a pivotal role in unlocking new doors for higher education in the country. Since inception, it has been unparalleled in terms of its student population. But throughout its glorious journey, a crucial matter has been ignored in this institution since the academic session of 2015-2016: the admission test.
Students enrol in this university every year without taking admission tests, resulting in them lagging behind in competitive fields at the early stages of their careers compared to candidates from other universities at home and abroad. Needless to say, the absence of admission tests has deteriorated the academic environment at the university.
One may wonder why admission tests should be required in place of allowing results-based admission.
Firstly, admission tests help assess the academic abilities and knowledge of prospective students, as it is designed to evaluate whether a student has the necessary foundational skills and knowledge to succeed in their chosen programme.
Admission tests also allow institutions to select the most qualified candidates, ensuring that the selected students are capable of handling the curriculum and coursework, while reducing the risk of dropouts and academic underperformance. The system is designed to ensure that individuals from diverse backgrounds and demographics have equal opportunity to access quality education.
Thirdly, academic institutions maintaining rigorous admission standards have a better reputation in terms of academic excellence and can attract the best instructors and students, leading to a virtuous cycle of higher academic quality aligned with Sustainable Development Goal #4.
Considering Bangladesh's current and future goals – the Eighth Five-Year Plan, Sustainable Development Goals 2030, Vision 2041, the Delta Plan 2100 – and the problems, demands, and needs of the country, as well as taking into account the global reality, we hope that the National University will march forward in designing an up-to-date admission test with the aim of producing competent citizens for the purpose of building a Smart Bangladesh by 2041.
Monirul Islam is lecturer at Narayanganj Government Mohila College. He can be reached at monirulmamun2018@gmail.com
Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
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