As many as 1.13 lakh candidates will appear for KEAM (Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical) 24, the entrance examinations for admission to engineering and pharmacy courses that is being held online for the first time.
The examinations, being conducted on a computer-based test (CBT) mode, will be held from June 5 to 9, Minister for Higher Education R. Bindu said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
It will be held at 198 exam centres (situated in 130 government and private institutions across all districts, two centres in Delhi, and one each in Mumbai and Dubai. C-DIT (Centre for Development of Imaging Technology) has developed the software for the CBT.
This is the first time in the State that an online examinations is being held in such an elaborate manner, Dr. Bindu said. To review the working of the exam software and related equipment, a mock test was conducted on May 24 and a trial exam the next day.
In case the examination at a particular centre or on a particular day has to be put off for any reason, arrangements have been made to conduct that examination on June 10.
On a day, 18,993 candidates can appear for the examinations. A maximum of 126 candidates can sit for the examination simultaneously at an exam centre. Extra computers have been arranged at all centres.
Control room
A control room has been opened at the Commissionerate for Entrance Examinations. District-level control rooms are already functioning.
Supervision at the district level will be the job of the nodal officer. Coordinators and observers will be posted at all 130 institutions where the exam centres are located. Chief superintendents concerned will be in charge of the servers at the centres.
The exam at the Dubai centre will begin on June 6, while that in Mumbai, Delhi, and other centres on June 5.
The entrance examination for BPharm course will be held from 3.30 p.m. on June 6.
In case the examination gets delayed at a centre owing to technical reasons, the examination time will be rescheduled.
UPS back-up and generators have been arranged at all exam centres in view of the of rains in the State.
Answer key and rank list
The answer key will be published on the same day. Two or three days will be given to challenge the same, following which the evaluation will begin. The exam scores are expected to be ready in very little time.
The rank list will likely be ready by June 20, the Minister said.
Dr. Bindu also spoke about the guidelines for the online exam. The candidates have to report at the exam centres at 7.30 a.m. and give their biometric details. Entry to the exam centre will not be allowed after 9.30 a.m. At exactly 9.45 a.m., a 15-minute mock test will begin on candidates’ login window. When the timer reaches zero, the examinations will begin. Students appearing for the B.Pharm examination should report at 1 p.m. Admit cards can be downloaded from ‘KEAM 2024 Candidate Portal’ link on www.cee.kerala.gov.in. Besides the admit card, candidates should produce one of the identity documents mentioned in the admit card.
Holding the examinations on CBT mode will allow the government to advance the exam dates from next year and publish the results quickly, Dr. Bindu said.
