Uniform admission test for students' enrolment in public universities, overdue for seven years, is likely to be introduced partially next year.

As per a decision, the admission procedure, known as "cluster system", will be applicable for students' selection only in agricultural universities across the country, said Prof Abdul Mannan, chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC).

It means admission seekers will be enrolled at those universities based on the merit list prepared from one single test, relieving them of the hassle of taking separate exams for different institutions. 

"The agricultural universities have agreed to introduce the system of admission test next year. This is an informal decision.... We'll sit with the vice chancellors of these universities after the end of the ongoing admission tests to find out the mode of operation, who and how to introduce it," the UGC chairman told The Daily Star yesterday.

The education ministry in 2010 decided in principle to introduce uniform admission system, or cluster system. Under the system, students would take one test for a place in any of the science and technology universities and another test for a place in any of the engineering universities.

That would exempt admission seekers from time, costs and travels required to take separate admission tests. At present, only the medical colleges have uniform entrance test.

Some public universities have been opposing the idea as its implementation would cut the income of the universities and teachers from the sale of admission forms, invigilation and checking of answer scripts, said sources at the ministry and the UGC.

Mannan said, "We are hopeful that this system would be introduced. If we succeed in introducing it at the agricultural universities, we will talk to the authorities of engineering universities for introducing it there."

Then the system would be introduced at the public universities gradually, he added.

Out of the total 40 public universities, the number of agricultural universities is four while there are five engineering universities.

Every year admission seekers face hassle and pressure when they prepare for separate tests for separate universities.

The candidates buy many admission forms from different universities and spend a lot of time and money for travel and accommodation. They often travel with parents or guardians around the country and sometimes have to check in hotels for overnight stays.

There are cases when candidates even take separate tests for seats in separate faculties, even separate departments, in one university. Sometimes the dates of admission tests of different universities coincide.

"We want an end to this hassle. We have seen several hundred students missing admission tests at Rajshahi and Chittagong universities last week," Mannan said.

President Abdul Hamid talked about the issue several times. At a programme of the UGC in November last year, he asked the public universities to hold admission tests centrally to reduce the hassle of admission seekers and their guardians, the UGC chairman recalled.

A meeting was supposed to be held at Bangabhaban to this end, but that did not take place this year and the universities have already started holding admission tests.

Mannan further said they had been informed by the president's office that a meeting would soon be convened with all vice-chancellors regarding the matter.

A student having scored at least GPA-3.5 fulfils the eligibility criterion for admission to a public university.

Seats at all public universities add up to 60,000. As many as 8.01 lakh students -- 4.22 lakh boys and 3.79 lakh girls -- passed the Higher Secondary Certificate and its equivalent exams this year.