Anna University to conduct semester exams for final year students online by end of August

Anna University will conduct the semester examinations for final year students via online mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As per a report by The Times of India , the exams will be held by the end of August.

Candidates who do not have the required facility to take exams online, including digital devices and internet connectivity, will be given a choice to take exams offline later.

A one hour test consisting of multiple choice questions will be conducted for each subject. During the exam, candidates will be monitored by artificial intelligence tools which will capture the physical movements of students, computer screen usage and audio to prevent malpractice.

MK Surappa, Vice Chancellor of Anna University, said that the decision to conduct online exams was taken to protect the future of students, according to the report. The exam will also facilitate students’ early on-boarding and higher studies.

With the loss of working days, portions of the syllabus could not be completed and the varsity has decided to drop one of five units in each subject for the final examination. Surappa said that 30 percent weightage will be given to the online test, while 70 percent will be for internal assessment and project work.

Anna University will be the first varsity in Tamil Nadu to hold the online exams due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to report by Jagran Josh .

The announcement of holding the exams online comes as a major relief for more than 20,000 students who have been waiting for the completion of the Anna University Final Semester Exams 2020.

The Tamil Nadu government had recently scrapped semester exams for students of arts, science, polytechnic, MCA and engineering courses in the state, except for those in their final year.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami also informed the Ministry of Education that the final year exams in the state cannot be conducted by 30 September as many college and hostel buildings have been converted into COVID-19 care centres and quarantine centres.

The letter from the chief minister came after the University Grants Commission (UGC) had ordered all the universities to complete the final year examinations by September end.