long line of hopefuls is seen outside a window at the Government College University, Lahore, waiting to submit their credentials, as admissions to intermediate and undergraduate classes opened recently.

The applicants are worried if the merit/ criterion for admission is the marks obtained in the board examinations only. Their fears aren’t unfounded. Some colleges have recently introduced an entry test which is supposed to fill the gap between a growing number of applicants vis-à-vis a scarcity of available seats.

Every year around this time, thousands of students go through a tough (read: complex) process of getting a berth in their institution of choice — some after their matriculation/ O’ Levels, and others after their intermediate/ A Levels. “My parents could only afford to send me to a public college. Private institutions charge astronomically high fees,” says Nimra Jahan Ara who is pursuing a degree in computer science.

Danyal Malik, who is applying for admission to an intermediate course, says he has “applied to three colleges in Lahore.” His preference is GCU.

Hadia Malik from Muzaffargarh, who also applied to several universities, says she ended up paying a considerable amount of money on applications alone.

Over the decades, as the population of the country has grown, the number of youth applying to colleges and universities has increased. Lahore, being the hub of educational institutions, attracts students from across the Punjab and beyond. Unfortunately, the state has failed to meet the growing demand by setting up more public institutes. As a result, a number of students can’t enroll. This year, the situation has only got worse, as a substantial number of applicants are said to have been turned down because of a scarcity of seats.

The Punjab has 790 public sector colleges, including 120 in Lahore division. Of these, 60 are located in the provincial capital. According to sources in the Higher Education Department, the morning shift in colleges in Lahore division offers around 60,000 admission slots; the evening shift has 17,000.

This year, approximately 1,120,790 students took the matriculation exams in the Punjab. 172,204 passed the Lahore Board examinations. Nearly all successful candidates aspire to enroll at some government college in Lahore or the other. Many of them are to face disappointment because of the limited number of seats.

“The assessment by the educational board is misleading. A candidate with average marks will turn out to have a high IQ compared to one with top score. What does that show? Similarly, three students with same marks will display different IQ levels. Hence, a well-crafted entry test is the best bet,” says GCU Lahore Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi.

The government must address this issue at the earliest, as thousands of students are left with no choice but to opt for the highly expensive private colleges. The government could do well to set up new colleges/ universities and implement dual shifts in order to accommodate the growing student population.

alking to TNS, GCU Lahore Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi says that the entry test is supposed to up the admissions game. “The assessment by the examination boards is misleading,” he adds. “Frequently, a candidate with average marks will turn out to have a high IQ compared to one with top score. What does that show? Similarly, three students with the same marks will display different IQ levels. Hence, a well-crafted entry test is the best bet.”

Recently, the University of the Punjab has mandated an entry test. According to a PU spokesperson, this year the varsity gave nationwide entry tests; it received 42,000 and 30,000 applicants in two phases. GCU Lahore and Forman Christian College (FCC) also conducted entry tests for undergraduate classes.

Another thing that has upset the applicants is that admissions in certain universities were opened even before the intermediate/ A Levels results had been announced. A faculty member at PU, requesting anonymity, described the entry test before the results were out as a trap. “Every year, thousands of students appear in these entry tests. This generates additional revenue for the university,” he says.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship