Private universities gamify entrance exams as part of education revamp

Experts say traditional entrance exams may exhibit a bias, favouring certain types of knowledge or approaches to problem-solving that may not be universally applicable or relevant to all students.

In what can be seen as a new way of assessing students, some private universities have made their in-house entrance exams more engaging by gamifying them. To gamify is to incorporate aspects of gaming, like rewards, interactivity, unlocking levels, etc.

The idea is to explore a student’s cognitive ability with respect to the course they have opted for, going beyond traditional methods like written tests and interviews.

The 90-minute entrance exam at GITAM or Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (Deemed to be University) for its merit-based scholarships run on seven difficulty levels.

The cloud-based exam generates infinite questions on English language, analytical reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and verbal ability. All these tests are gamified into challenges. For instance, students have to move a ball from one position to another after eliminating an obstacle, which could be a numerical or other problem. If a candidate fails, let’s say in level three, the game re-starts from level one.

"When we tested a few students using both traditional and the gamified entrance exam, we found that the latter threw up brighter kids,” said Jagadeesh Medapati, Head of Insights and Research, Directorate of Admissions, GITAM.

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Poornima Gupta, Professor and Program Director, PGDM, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon, said some entrance exams may exhibit a bias, favouring certain types of knowledge or approaches to problem-solving that may not be universally applicable or relevant to all students. This can disadvantage students with different educational experiences.

“Hence, many institutions are exploring alternative approaches to entrance exams that consider a more holistic view of a student's abilities and potential,” she added.

Leveraging real-life

FOSTIIMA Business School employs various elements to make the test more enjoyable and interactive. These include the use of puzzles, pictures, scenario-based questions, and other creative components that add an element of fun and engagement to the exam.

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By utilising real-life examples and incorporating different elements, the institute can assess a candidate’s analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts, said Anil Somani, Chairman of FOSTIIMA Business School, Delhi.