Calcutta University will hold entrance tests to screen students for admission to two-year master’s programmes only if the number of applicants for the course exceeds the number of seats.

The decision came after it emerged that the number of applicants in many subjects was less than the number of seats available, vice-chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh said.

CU offers 58 subjects at the postgraduate level.

A university official said that though they have received a substantial applications for science subjects, the number is well short of the seats in commerce, library science, education, journalism and some other courses.

The university had earlier decided to hold admission tests for all subjects and collected admission test fees from undergraduate students who decided to exit at the end of the third year and enrol for the two-year master’s programme.

A combination of equal weightage given to the admission test and undergraduate performance till the fifth semester is the best way to identify bright students at the postgraduate level because marks alone cannot determine a student’s potential to pursue a master’s programme, the vice-chancellor said last month.

After the first phase of applications, received between May 11 and May 20, it became evident that the university did not have much to choose from.

Following the poor response, the last date was extended to June 6.

As the extension yielded hardly any response, the date has been further extended to June 15.

“I believe we have to opt for a marks-based admission in subjects where the number of applicants will be less than the number of seats. By the middle of the month, we will specify the subjects where we will not be able to hold admission tests,” VC Ghosh said.

The four-year undergraduate programme allows a student to exit at the end of the third year and enrol for a two-year master’s programme.

In subjects where the university will not be able to hold admission tests, the entrance test fees will be refunded to the applicants, the VC said.

A CU official said the number of students exiting their UG programme was less than what was expected in many of the subjects, and so the departments had to drop the admission test plan for some of the subjects.

Many students have opted for the fourth year instead of exiting at the end of the third year, or six semesters.

“If they complete the fourth year, they will either get an honours degree or an honours with research degree,” the official said.