France In
France, the Concours Général, taken in the last year of
High School (
Lycée), is considered to be particularly difficult with only 250 places in all subjects for 15,000 applicants. This is although not an examination because it is purely honorary and doesn't grant anything. There is also an entrance examination in order to enter medicine studies.
Grandes écoles of engineering and grandes écoles of business are some other examinations, to prepare for which students are studying two years in
Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles.
India In India, entrance examinations are chiefly used for admission to many of the country's educational institutions. Certain institutions are considered "Institutes of National Importance," including the
Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs),
All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and
National Institutes of Technology (NITs), which conduct entrance exams for admission. The
National Level Common Entrance Examination (NLCEE) is a talent hunt initiative in India that provides scholarships and exposure visits to students aspiring for higher education. The
stiff competition has led to a situation where many students neglect their
school studies and focus solely on '
entrance coaching' which is time-consuming and expensive. This has led many states to scrap the entrances and base
admissions on the school leaving marks which, are none too reliable. Experts point out that in a
country where many different
boards are present common
entrances are essential, but application skills rather than
cramming should be stressed on. Frequent changes in the pattern of examination are essential since sticking to a 'standard text' or 'standard pattern' alone will
favour the
coaching industry and the
rote-learners. Entrance examinations in India trace their roots to the
University of Calcutta, which when established in 1857, introduced the practice to decide eligibility for admission. In that exam, one student qualified for every four candidates. In the absence of a standardized school graduation examination, the University's entrance examinations were used as a substitute, known later as Matriculation examinations. Post-independence, India has different
systems of education whose syllabus and examination process are governed by both central and state-based statutory boards. Grades 10 and 12 which mark the culmination of secondary and higher secondary education, have standardized final examinations, referred to as the
Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination after grade 10 (class X) and the
Higher Secondary Examination (HSC) after grade 12th.
United Kingdom A few British universities have lost confidence in the grades that are awarded by secondary schools, and require a few applicants to sit for a competitive entrance examination or other
aptitude test. According to the Schools Minister, "strong evidence has been emerging of
grade inflation across subjects" in recent years. == COVID-19 impact ==