Goa common entrance test (GCET) to be held on 7th & 8th May, 2014

Directorate of technical education (DTE) had planned to conduct the Goa common entrance test (GCET) once again from this year. Last year, the state government participated in the National eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET) which is now out of picture. Due to this, the state has decided to conduct this test to enrol students in all professional degree courses such as medicine, dentistry, homeopathy, pharmacy and engineering. The GCET will be held on 7th and 8th May, 2014.

The Central Board of Secondary education’s NEET was conducted in 2013 for enrolling admission to medical colleges across the country. Goa has also agreed to participate in the central test for entry into engineering colleges as well in 2014. The state was in process of deciding the admission process for homeopathy and pharmacy degree courses for 2014 and doing away with GCET.

The state reconsidered this point after the Supreme Court rejected NEET as the only and centralised examination for entry into medical and dentistry courses across the country.

A DTE Official said, “With NEET no more the single entry to medicine and dentistry courses, it does not make much sense for Goa to hold multiple processes for admissions to different professional courses, so we have decided to go with the admission system that was applicable in 2012, which is through GCET. The state may only consider changing the admission system if NEET is made the single entrance exam to medical and dentistry colleges again by the Supreme Court. As of now we are going with GCET.”

To get admission in to the five different professional courses in Goa more than 3,500 students answered GCET pre-2013. GCET is an objective type multiple-choice exam. Each paper contains 75 questions of one mark each and there is no negative marking in the exam. GCET exam syllabus prescribed by Goa board of secondary and higher secondary education Class XII syllabus for physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and computer science.