Chemistry brought solace but physics - the usual suspect - disappointed students who sat for the Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination (Preliminary Test) on Sunday.

The exam tests students for admission into engineering and medical colleges. Abhinit Dev, an engineering aspirant and student of Model School Dalmia Nagar, whose examination centre was at DAV BSEB, said: "Out of physics, chemistry and mathematics, the chemistry paper was easy, as most questions were of Class XI and XII standard." Modabbir Usman of Mirza Galib College in Gaya said: "Any student who has studied NCERT's chemistry book can easily answer 40-45 of 50 questions, as most questions were easy."

If chemistry gave students reasons to rejoice, the physics paper was tough as ever. Most questions were conceptual and those who had not studied thoroughly found it tricky. But many believed chemistry would fetch them cut-off marks. The Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination (BCECE) board conducts exams for admission into 2,000 seats in seven state engineering colleges and 1,000 medical or dental seats in eight medical colleges. Around 71,000 students sat for the test. Based on Sunday's exam, a cut-off would be prepared to decide those eligible for the main exam on May 17. Around one-tenth could qualify.

The test was conducted in 111 examination centres across the state. In Patna, it was conducted at 26 centres from 11am to 1.15pm.

BCECE candidates appearing for the test had to answer questions from a single qualifying paper worth 600 marks in two hours and fifteen minutes. The paper consisted of fifty questions each in chemistry, physics, and mathematics/biology. The physics and chemistry paper was compulsory for all; engineering aspirants sat for an additional mathematics paper and medical aspirants for an additional biology paper. The paper consisted of 150 questions. Each correct answer would fetch students four marks while one mark would be deducted for every wrong answer.