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NTS exam | Lahore class IX exam
21,000 sit NTS exam
Lahore, April 7, 2008: Around 21,000
students across the country on Sunday took the National Testing Service (NTS)
examination, a prerequisite for admission to Master's, MPhil and PhD
programmes.
Some of the students said the mathematics and analytical
portions of the test were not only tough, but also outside the course
curriculum. They said they were confused and because of these portions and could
not properly attempt the English portion of the examination.
NTS Director
Dr Haroonur Rasheed, however, did not accept the argument that the paper was
difficult and outside the course curriculum. "The examination was simple and was
approved by several educationists," he said.
Students said the analytical
portion of the Graduate Aptitude Test (GAT) had been removed, but Pakistani
educational authorities still imposed it on students.
Most universities
require at least a 50 percent mark in the NTS examination for admission to
Master's, MPhil, and PhD programmes. There was a heated debate about the test
last year and in the end several institutes withdrew the NTS examination
requirement and arranged their own examinations instead for programmes. This
year several students who had just taken BA examinations also took the NTS
examination to avoid problems in admission to Master's
programmes.
Students say that the NTS examination follows international
tests like the GAT and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), but that it
should be tailored to the Pakistani educational system.
Because the test
has been made compulsory, even students who are currently studying on MPhil and
PhD programmes have to pass the test before they finish their programmes. If
they do not, their degrees will be cancelled.
Shafique Ahmed, an MPhil
student, said that it was the forth time he had sat the exam because
in the last three attempts he could not secure a 50 percent mark. "The English
portion carries 50 of the percent mark, mathematics 25 percent, and the
analytical portion carries 25 percent. The GRE has dropped its analytical
portion, but the NTS examination has that part, which is unfair to us," he
said.
Muddasir, a PhD student, said that he was doing his doctorate in
communication studies, which had nothing to do with mathematics. "It is the
fifth time I am appearing in the examination," he said and added that academies
offering preparation for examination taught different things to what was on the
examination.
Amir, another student, said he was studying physics and had
difficulty with the analytical and English portions of the
examination.
The administration of KIPS, an institute offering
preparations classes for the NTS examination, said there was no specific outline
for the examination and that it changed every year. Daily Times
Your Comments
"i think it should not be taken becuse it is business not the way to check the students knowledge. ability of student cant check by ths test who has proved his self in his early education."
Name: daud nawaz
Email: butt_gee12@yahoo.com
City, Country: Gujrat, Pakistan
3,000 class IX students allowed to sit in exam
Lahore: Governor Lt General (r) Khalid Maqbool on Saturday
directed the Lahore Education Board to allow about 3,000 class IX students who
registered in 2005 to sit in the April 8 examination, said a press
statement.
It said the parents of the aggrieved students had filed an
application to the Punjab Ombudsman. The parents maintained that their children
were registered in 2005, but that the schools did not promote them to class X
due to which they could not appear in composite matriculation exam 2007.
The Punjab Ombudsman ordered the Lahore Education Board to allow these
students to appear in the exam as regular students. The Lahore Board, however,
appealed to the governor to review the ombudsman's decision. Later, the governor
ordered the Lahore Board to allow the students to sit the exam. Daily Times
30 schools compete in FIFA Pakistan
Lahore: Thirty educational institutes from across the country participated in a
one-day tournament hosted by the Federation of International Football
Association (FIFA) Pakistan at Lahore University and Management Sciences (LUMS)
on Sunday. A carnival was also held which was attended by the players and their
families.
The 32 teams were divided into two categories: under 18; and
university open. Female players featured in the teams of several schools,
including Lahore American School (LAS), the National College of Arts (NCA), LUMS
and the Punjab University.
About 1,000 people attended the carnival.
Several companies had set up stalls at the event to promote their products; a
musical show was arranged; and all students and their family members were given
drinks and lunch.
Ali Hassan, a Choueifat student, said that the
tournament should be held on a larger scale, and that the sport should be
promoted so that Pakistani football teams could at the international
level.
Adeel Sheikh, a LUMS student, said the event had been held at LUMS
due to security concerns. "The tournament was organised by a private institute,
but the government should also be a patron of such sport activities," he
added.
Nimra Sohail, a Lahore Grammar School (LGS) student, said the
event had encouraged women to take part in sports. "Leagues should be formed to
collaborate with international organisations to promote such sport activities in
the country," she added.
Humail Khan, an Aitchison College student, said
the event provided an opportunity for networking among educational
institutes.
The matches that look place were: Garrison Academy vs
Beaconhouse (DHA); Garrison Alumni vs University College Lahore (UCL); Lyceum vs
Garrison Academy; UCL vs Government College University (GCU); LUMS vs GCU;
Divisional Public School (DPS) vs Crescent; University of Engineering and
Technology (UET) vs Warwick; University of Management and Technology (UMT) vs
NCA-A; Warwick vs NCA-B; Beaconhouse (DHA) vs LAS; Beaconhouse Alumni vs LGS
Alumni; Iqra University vs LUMS-4; City School vs DPS; Lahore Alma (Whites) vs
LGS; Lahore Alma (Blues) vs Beaconhouse Garden Town; Lahore College of Arts and
Sciences (LACAS) vs Crescent School; LGS vs Sharif; NCA vs UET; and DPS vs
LACAS.
At the time of writing, LUMS (Whites) had qualified for the final
while semifinalists Punjab University and LAS were competing to gain the other
finalist position. Daily Times
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