Class XII students in a fix as JEE, bio exam dates clash

CHANDIGARH: Class XII students with both Mathematics and Biology are a worried lot as the Joint Entrance Exam (Main) and the CBSE Board’s Biology exam are falling on the same day, May 24. Even the students, who have JEE between May 25 and 28, instead of May 24, are worried as their attention will get divided.
Some concerned parents have already started writing to the National Testing Agency and the CBSE to change their dates to avoid any clash.According to experts, though only a few students will be affected by the clash of the date of exams, the JEE (Main) could have been shifted to the first week of June.
“Experts are saying that the JEE (Main) exam on May 24 will be of architecture drawing, but if it is not so, then it will be a big problem for students like me, who have both Maths and Biology,” said a student Jagtar Singh.
Anshul Vij, a student, who has opted for both medical and non-medical subjects, said, “I want to sit for the architecture drawing exam and most likely, it will be held on May 24. I had taken Biology because I like both Mathematics and Biology. But now, I am stuck with two exams in a day.”
Another student Sahil, who has JEE on May 26 and not on 24th , said, “I don’t have the issue of clash of exams, but then the board exams and competitive exams being so close has left me confused about what to focus on. The competitive exams should be held after the boards.”
The experts, however, feel that only architecture students would face the exams clash issue and not the engineering students.
Kunal Singh, a city based JEE expert, said, “Although many students have raised the concern, which is genuine, I am sure the NTA will give option to candidates having exam on May 24, on the lines of what they did last year when JEE had clashed with UPSC-conducted NDA exam on September 6. Many Biology students appear for JEE (Main) as they aspire for Biotechnology or related streams of engineering. I think on May 24, there will be B.Arch (architecture) paper, which Bio students will not be appearing for and hence aspirants should not be worried.”