Reconsider NEET PG exam in Multiple Shifts- Doctor urges NBE

New Delhi: Highlighting the normalization challenges, Health Activist has urged the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to reconsider its decision to hold the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) exam in multiple shifts.

Writing to the Executive Director of NBEMS, Dr Vivek Pandey pointed out concerns raised by the candidates regarding the normalization formula as well as the legal challenges arising out of the normalization method adopted in the NEET PG 2024 exam.

"I am writing to you as a Right to Information (RTI) and medical education activist to express my concerns regarding the conduct of the NEET-PG 2024 examination in multiple shifts and the subsequent challenges arising from the normalization process. I urge the NBE to reconsider and discontinue the practice of holding NEET-PG examinations in multiple shifts to ensure fairness and transparency in the evaluation process," Dr. Pandey mentioned in the letter.

He also referred to the rationale for single-shift examination, and added, "In light of the issues observed during the NEET-PG 2024 examination, I earnestly request the NBE to discontinue the practice of conducting the NEET-PG examination in multiple shifts. Adopting a single-shift examination model will promote fairness, transparency, and trust in the medical education assessment process."

Also Read: NEET PG 2024: Hundreds of Candidates Score Same Percentile, NBE's Transparency Questioned

In the letter, Dr Pandey also requested the National Medical Commission (NMC) to consider the matter seriously and provide necessary guidance to the NBE to implement the change.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues in this regard, Dr. Vivek Pandey said, "We all witnessed how the candidates expressed their concerns regarding the normalization formula adopted by NBE for the NEET PG 2024 exam. The matter even reached the Supreme Court, where the students objected to the normalization formula. Keeping all these factors in mind, I have requested the NBEMS to reconsider its decision to hold the NEET PG exam in multiple shifts in the future."

Earlier, deviating from its usual norm, last year the NEET PG 2024 examination was conducted on August 11, 2024, in two shifts. Back then, the decision to hold the exam in multiple shifts was justified by the authorities for accommodating logistical considerations, including a reduction in the number of examination centers from 1,200 to 500.

In order to address potential variations in difficulty levels between these shifts, the NBE employed a normalization process similar to that used by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for its Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test (INI-CET).

Addressing the issue of the normalization process, Dr. Pandey mentioned in the letter that "Normalization is a statistical method used to adjust scores on different scales to a common scale, ensuring fairness in assessments conducted over multiple shifts."

The process that NBE adopted involved the calculation of raw scores, conversion to percentiles, and preparation of merit list. First, the candidates' raw scores were computed based on their performance in their respective shifts, thereafter, each candidate's raw score was converted into a percentile score, reflecting the percentage of candidates who scored equal to or less than that particular score. 

Dr. Pandey pointed out that the formula that NBE used was percentile scores were calculated up to seven decimal places to minimize the bunching effect and reduce ties among candidates.

Consequently, the percentile scores from both shifts were merged to create a combined merit list. In the cases of tied percentiles, tie-breaking criteria such as subject-wise percentiles and candidates' ages were applied to determine rankings.

However, Dr. Pandey mentioned in the letter that despite implementing the normalization process, several issues were reported. Many candidates expressed apprehensions regarding the fairness of the normalization process, especially given the reduction in the number of exam centres and the introduction of multiple shifts. These concerns pertain to potential disparities in difficulty levels between shifts and the effectiveness of the normalization method in addressing such disparities.

Besides, the normalization process led to legal disputes, with candidates questioning its transparency and fairness. For instance, aspirants petitioned the Supreme Court of India, alleging a lack of transparency in various aspects of the exam, including the normalization process used to calculate the scores, mentioned the letter.

On the other hand, Dr. Pandey urged that it is imperative to consider conducting the exam in a single shift to uphold the integrity and fairness of the NEET-PG examination. He argued that this approach of conducting the exam in a single shift has several advantages such as a single-shift exam ensures that all candidates answer the same set of questions under identical conditions, eliminating the need for normalization and potential disputes arising from it.

"Conducting the exam in one shift can reduce legal challenges related to perceived inequities between different sets of question papers and the subsequent normalization process," he mentioned in the letter, further adding "A uniform examination process can enhance trust among candidates regarding the fairness of the evaluation system, leading to increased acceptance of results."

Accordingly, he requested NBE to discontinue the practice of holding the exam multiple shifts and hold it in a single shift instead.

After several controversies, the NEET PG 2024 examination was finally conducted on August 11, 2024 in two shifts i.e. from 9 am to 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm for admission to MD, MS, DNB, and Diploma Courses of 2024-25 admission session. Consequently, the PG medical entrance exam results were published on August 24, 2024.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that a few candidates who appeared in the second shift of the exam questioned the normalization formula adopted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and further claimed that the board scammed them in the name of a competitive exam. They pointed out that the Shift 2 paper was tougher compared to Shift 1 and further termed the process of calculating scores as debatable.

Also Read: NEET PG 2024 2nd Shift Candidates Allege Normalisation formula 'scam'