In the second week of January 2017, the Medical Council of India (MCI) proposed that all medical students should take a National Exit Test to get the ‘doctor’ title. Later, even the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) proposed that engineering students should take a similar test after completing their course. The exit test for graduating engineers will assess their employability and it will be conducted for students of all institutes across India, be it private or government engineering colleges.

This exit test will help various employers determine the employability of engineering graduates. Currently, most companies use the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) to shortlist candidates, and conduct an in-house test to select employees.

PaGaLGuY spoke to some recruiters to figure out what do they think about this exit test, and if it will help them in any way. Human Resource Manager, Jason Rahmi, said, “We use CGPAs to shortlist candidates and it also helps in slab-wise segregation of candidates, the deciding factor for CTC (cost to company), designation or role.”

Rahmi described the recruitment process as time consuming. After shortlisting, candidates are subjected to entrance tests at companies for jobs, especially at MNCs (Multi-National Companies). They take a basic aptitude test, and in the personal interview, they are asked for their preferences, which forms the basis of the selection process. Companies hire in bulk and then provide the appropriate training.

“If the government is willing to spend on the exit test, then it will mean less expenses for MNCs. Moreover, this will give freedom to MNCs to approach more institutes as it will reduce the campus recruitment cost,” added Rahmi.

However, as of now, there are no confirmations about the exit test, its syllabus, and range of difficulty. Human Resources from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), said, “We conduct our own test which tests candidate’s logical reasoning / thinking, communication skills, and basic knowledge about the subject. We have our own parameters, and if the government does not meet those specifications, we will continue to conduct our own test.”

Even if the campus recruitment cost does not seem to worry companies, there is another restriction they face. “Out of 100 engineers we hire, we try to take 90 freshers, but most of the times we don’t succeed because candidates fail to meet the standards, and are unable to clear the entrance,” added the HR from TCS.

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Read more about the exit test for graduating engineers

Proposed exit test for engineering graduates; but what does an exit test mean?

Government proposes an exit test for engineering graduates to determine employability, but students unaware about it

What alumni engineers have to say about an exit test for graduating engineers

‘Exit test for graduating engineers in not a good step to take,’ says expert

AICTE Chairman speaks about the exit test for graduating engineers