All the science departments of Calcutta University will hold admission tests at the department level to screen students for postgraduate courses, vice-chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh has said.

In humanities, only two departments — journalism and mass communication, and English — will hold entry tests, Ghosh said earlier this week.

The dates for these tests have yet to be decided.

CU had announced that it would hold 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.

In most humanities departments, where the number of applicants is lower than the seats available, students will be selected based on their undergraduate marks. Admissions to MCom will also be based on marks alone.

Students from CU-affiliated colleges appearing for the entry tests will be evaluated based on their entry test scores as well as their performance up to the sixth semester.

Tests for science subjects will be held on July 14 and 15. CU has courses in 33 science subjects.

“Equal weightage will be awarded to entry test scores and performance at the undergraduate level,” said Ghosh.

Until last year, students from affiliated colleges were admitted to postgraduate programmes solely on marks.

“Admission tests have been introduced to assess whether a master’s aspirant is equipped to pursue a postgraduate programme. Marks alone cannot determine one’s merit,” said Amit Roy, secretary of CU’s science and engineering faculty.

The four-year undergraduate programme launched by CU in 2023 as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) allows a student to exit at the end of the third year and enrol for a two-year master’s programme.

A CU official said the number of students opting to exit their undergraduate courses after three years was lower than expected in many humanities and commerce subjects.

Many students have chosen to continue into the fourth year rather than exit after six semesters, said a college principal.

“CU has relaxed conditions, allowing students to progress to the fourth year without requiring them to pass all papers till the sixth semester. If they complete the fourth year, they will either get an honours degree or an honours with research degree,” the principal said.