This admission season, the sale of forms at colleges affiliated to Patna University (PU) has plummeted owing to students’ doubts over the newly introduced entrance test for admission to graduation courses.

Four factors have put brakes on the usual rush for buying forms this year. First, lack of confidence among a large section students on their ability to crack the entrance test. Another group is clueless on the question pattern of the test. Some of those keen to switch stream are confused on which subject they will have to take the test. Hike in form price — Rs 150 for application form and Rs 150 for written test — also pulled down the sale of forms.

The introduction of the entrance test for admission has unnerved students faring well in Plus Two. Robin Kumar Gupta, a Class XII science passout from BD College, Mithapur, said: “I have scored 72 per cent in the Class XII examination, but I am nervous about my admission.”

An employee of Magadh Mahila College manning the application form sales counter said: “The candidates who want to change their stream, say from science to humanities, are not sure if they would have to take the entrance test on science subjects or on social science and humanities.”

Clearing the doubt, PU dean of students’ welfare Ejaz Ali Arshad said: “According to the varsity notification, a student has to appear in the entrance test for the subject he/she has applied for admission. The student’s Intermediate subjects will not matter.”

Sixty per cent of the questions in the admission test will be from the subject a student has applied for. The rest be related to general knowledge, mental aptitude and current affairs. The subject questions will be based on the Intermediate course.

The sale of application forms for admission to three-year degree courses in arts, science and commerce in different colleges started last Friday. But the students’ response is poor so far.

Patna Science College, the premier institution for science education in the state, has sold around 700 applications forms till now. An employee of the college said: “Last year, around 1,000 application forms were sold in the first week.”

The strength of Patna Science College is 600.

Magadh Mahila College has also registered a poor sale of admission forms so far. Around 350 application forms for admission to social science have been sold till now. For science subjects, the figure stands around 270. The total intake of students in social science at Magadh Mahila College is 450. In science, there are 250 seats.

Patna College, which has produced several bureaucrats in the past, has registered the lowest turnout of applicants. Till date, only 290 application forms have been sold for against 600 seats. Randhir Kumar Singh, the admission in-charge of Patna College, said: “Last year, around 3,500 application forms were sold for 600 seats. Students from rural areas, who usually take admission to Patna College, are applying at other universities where the admission is based on marks,” added Singh.

Arun Kumar Sinha, the principal of Patna Science College, said the admission test had been introduced to maintain the quality of students. Teachers have been observing that students getting admission to different colleges on the basis of high marks at Intermediate-level fail to perform in class, triggering poser on the marks they fetch. Sinha said: “The idea behind conducting written examination in undergraduate course is to select meritorious students. The calibre of students is best judged during an entrance test.”