JEE MAIN RESULT: Normalization Frustrates Students

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the final ranks of students of JEE(mains) on Tuesday evening.

Nearly 12.7 lakh students had appeared for the exam. CBSE conducts the JEE(mains) for admission to different National Institutes of Technology(NITs), Indian Institutes of  Information Technology(IIITs) and other centrally funded institutes.

The result declared after a long and anxious wait, has however left a large number of students frustrated and angry because of the 'skewed' normalization formula adopted for ranking. Those who scored over 95% in boards were however placed at an advantage.

Last year several petitions challenging the normalization formula used by JEE (main) for ranking students were filed in the Supreme Court and High Courts.

"The problem lies not in the complexity of the normalization formula but in the method of evaluation by the boards. The normalisation formula is set on a basic assumption that boards are following some norms for evaluation. There should ideally be a normal distribution of marks. But in India, a large no of children get very high marks. In such a situation no normalization formula can be effective," says an IIT  professor.

" The normalization formula is skewed. This is a totally absurd way of giving ranks. The two exams, JEE (mains) and the board exams should not have been coupled. The formula is too complex and biased,' said Sanjeev Singhal.

Agrees another student's parent. " In this method of  normalization a student with a high score in JEE(main) and around 90% in board can get a rank much lower than someone who scored less in JEE(main) but had a higher  board percentage."

Shubam(name changed) adds: "Those who got less than half  marks of what I got in the JEE(mains) have got an overall better rank because of normalisation formula. Is this fair and justified?"

Kshitij Garg who started the online petition last year  to reverse the normalization formula told HT :"We started the online petition against normalization formula last year. Since then a lot of students have continued signing it. Currently we have got more than  9000 signatures and we hope that  the new HRD minister Smriti Irani will look into it."

The SK Joshi Committee had consulted several academicians to come up with a viable normalisation formula for ranking. Two formulas were debated on and finally the JEE(interface) group decided to take a middle path by using the average of both the formulas.

Last year it was decided that for admission to NITs to use the JEE (Main) performance and the normalized Board performance in the 60:40 ratio. But after the JEE (Main) results were out, the JEE Interface Group  came up with the complicated  normalization formula which put  many students  at a disadvantage.

Courtesy: HT

NORMALIZATION of Board Marks in JEE MAIN

My View on it as published in Dainik Navajyoti, Ajmer Edition on 4-07-2013

NDTV Report on this matter

http://m.ndtv.com/video/player/news/jee/282045

CBSE Finally announces the Board Marks Normalization Details

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the normalization procedure for class 12 board exam marks in preparing all India JEE Main 2013 merit list. In view of large scale variations in the examination system in country, the JEE Interface Group (JIG) decided that for this year (2013), 50% of Boards marks be normalized by equating percentile amongst different boards/examining bodies and anchoring them to All India JEE-Main percentiles, and 50% be normalized by equating each Board's/examining Body's percentile with JEE(Main) percentile marks of respective Boards /examining bodies. The detailed procedure for normalization of Board marks will be as follows:

1. Note down the aggregate marks (A0) obtained by each student in JEE- Main.

2. Compute the percentile (P) of each student on the basis of aggregate marks in his/her own board (B0) computed from the list of five subjects specified (each marked out of 100). The percentile is to be computed among all students of the board whose subject combinations meet the eligibility criteria of JEE-Main. 

3. Determine the JEE- Main aggregate marks corresponding to percentile (P) at the All- India level. Regard this as B1.

4. Also, determine the JEE- Main aggregate marks corresponding to percentile (P) among the set of aggregate scores obtained in the JEE- Main by the students of that board. Regard this as B2.

 The normalized board score of the candidate will be computed as:

 B (final) = 0.5 * (B1 + B2)

 For the purpose of admission to CFTIs where it has been decided to use the JEE Mains performance and the Normalized Board performance in the 60:40 ratio, the composite score for drawing the merit list will be computed as: 

C = 0.6 * AO + 0.4 * B (final),

 Five subjects to be used for normalization: 

 Physics 

 Mathematics 

Any one of the subjects Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology and Computer Science One language Any subject other than the above four subjects.

 In respect of 3, 4 and 5, the best mark in a given category will be chosen. 

 For any query please write to jeemainnormalisation2013@gmail.com .

Example to understand. Student A of CBSE has secured 100 marks in JEE (Main) but has got 99.9 percentile in board. His final likely score will be 0.6*100+0.4*.5(345+345)=60 +138 = 198. Another student B of CBSE has has got 250 marks in JEE(Main) and 97 percentile in CBSE.His final likely score will be 0.6*250+0.4*.5(145+155)=150 +60 = 210.