With a larger number of students largely performing better in humanities papers in the Common University Entrance Test than in science papers, science students who wish to change majors and be admitted to arts programs at Delhi University are concerned about the competition.
Analysis of the scores candidates received to be placed in the 95th percentile for various subjects in the CUET shows that the science papers were much more difficult to score: in mathematics, the required score is 103.7/200, or 51 ,%; in chemistry it is 129.2 or 64.5%; in physics it is 105.05 or 71.3%. On the other hand, historically it is 165.4 or 82.7%; in economics it is 175.8 or 87.9%; in psychology it is 190.9 or 95.45%.
The lower scores for science students, reflecting more difficult work, are causing concern among those seeking admission to arts programs at Delhi University. For admissions to arts programs at the university, there is no break when switching streams: admissions to most of them will count CUET scores for one language and three other specialty papers. However, candidates only had to write the CUET in subjects they studied in grades XI and XII.
“I’m in the 99.9th percentile in Physics, but my score is only around 149. This means that although I have more than 99.9% of candidates who have appeared in the same subject, candidates who have appeared in arts and Trade papers that have appeared have lower scores. Percentiles have much better scores. How does that compare to the approvals? We won’t be able to match the competition among art students. It’s not easy to get 45 minutes to answer 40 questions in math or physics,” said Shubh Agrawal, who wants to study BA (Honours) Political Science in DU.
“I’m in 99.3. Percentile in math with 148 normalized points. A friend of mine who has published in history is in the 94th percentile for the subject with 174 points. US science students get high percentiles with lower grades, but the problem is that DU admits based on normalized grades and not percentiles, which is why we can’t compete with art students. This particular format is more difficult for science subjects,” said Ayush Shrivastava, who also wants to be admitted to a BA Honors program in DU.
DU has announced that the score upon which a candidate is placed on a program group merit list is simply the addition of their normalized grades in all electives.
