National Testing Agency (NTA) - Facts for UPSC

The National Testing Agency is an autonomous testing organisation established to conduct entrance examinations to various institutes of higher learning in India. Important government agencies and bodies are a part of the UPSC syllabus and questions can be asked in the IAS Prelims exam based on them.

Learn about the difference between constitution, statutory and quasi-judicial bodies of India in the linked article.

National Testing Agency

The NTA conducts entrance exams for admissions and fellowships to institutes of higher education in the country. 

• The NTA was established in 2017.
• It has become one of the largest competitive exam testing agencies in the world today.
• It is mandated with creating an exam system that is scientific and at par with global standards.
• It is registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• It will relieve the CBSE, AICTE and other bodies from their exam-conducting responsibilities.
• It now conducts:
  • JEE (Main)
  • NEET – UG
  • GPAT
  • CMAT
  • UGC – NET (assessment for fellowship)
• The NTA is administered by its Governing Body. 
• The agency will have a team of education administrators, researchers, experts and assessment developers who believe that scientifically designed and rightly-delivered assessments can enhance the teaching-learning processes in classrooms in the country.
• The assessments undertaken by the NTA also intends to improve equity in India by ensuring that merit prevails in all selections.
• NTA’s motto: “Excellence in Assessment”.
• The agency’s CEO will be called the Director-General and would be appointed by the Government.
• The NTA will be chaired by an eminent educationist. He/she will be appointed by the Ministry of Human Resources.
• After the initial phase, the NTA will be financially self-sustaining.

NTA Objectives

The objectives of the NTA are:

1. Conducting transparent, efficient and international standards tests to assess candidates’ competency for admission and recruitment purposes.
2. Undertaking research on professional, educational and testing systems in order to recognise lacunae in the knowledge systems and undertake steps to bridge them.
3. Identifying experts and institutions in preparing examination questions.
4. Producing and disseminating data as well as research on education and professional development standards.

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NTA Functions

1. Identifying partner institutions with sufficient infrastructure from among the existing schools and higher education institutions which would enable the conduct of online examinations without hampering their academic routine.
2. Creating a question bank for all subjects using the latest techniques.
3. Establishing a strong Research & Development culture and also a pool of experts in various aspects of testing.
4. Helping individual universities and colleges in the domain of testing and providing training and advisory services to institutions. 
5. Providing quality testing services to Indian academic institutions.
6. Developing a modern culture of testing in India by means of Indian and global expertise. Also, collaborating with international organisations such as Educational Testing Service (ETS) to attain this.
7. Undertaking any other exam that it is asked by the central/state government departments/ministries to take up.
8. Performing reforms, as well as training of school boards and other bodies wherein the standard of testing, must be on par with the entrance examinations.

National Testing Agency:- Download PDF Here

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