Students undergoing security checks before CET exam at a centre in Sheshadripuram College in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR

The Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) saw an attendance of 94.20% on Wednesday.

Out of the 3,21,985 students who downloaded their hall tickets for the exam, 3,11,777 of them attended the physics exam in the morning session and 183 more students attended the chemistry exam in the afternoon.

“The exam, held under strict camera surveillance, saw extensive preparations. For the first time, a QR code-based facial recognition system was successfully implemented to verify candidates’ authenticity. While minor technical glitches were reported at some centers during the morning session, no issues arose in the afternoon,” said H. Prasanna, Executive Director, KEA.

However, in some colleges that faced server connectivity issues, including Sheshadripuram College in Bengaluru, there were long queues of students to get into the exam centres.

Writing her exam in BMS College of Engineering, Anna D’souza, a candidate, faced some difficulties with her OMR sheet. She said, “I panicked initially because the OMR sheet had a smudged barcode, but the invigilator replaced it quickly. The exam started on time otherwise, and the staff was supportive.”

Many candidates said that while they had used mock tests to prepare, the actual exam was tougher.

“The paper was of a moderate level. There were only two to three extremely hard questions. I just wish I had focused more on revision rather than mock tests,” said Arrham, a student who appeared for the exam at Jyoti Nivas College.

“I was not very well prepared. So I left around 20 questions for the last. I felt the questions were more application-based this time. I’ve been preparing with mock tests, and that helped, but still, the pressure is different in the actual exam,” said Shreelakshmi K, another candidate at the same centre.

Around 30 students who had turned up without hall tickets were assisted by the KEA staff with last-minute solutions, according to Mr. Prasanna. “Some students faced issues like insufficient mobile balance or blocked numbers, preventing them from downloading hall tickets via OTP. Our staff swiftly sent hall tickets via WhatsApp, working intensively until 10.29 a.m. to ensure no candidate was left out,” he said.

The exam for mathematics paper will be held on Thursday morning while the exam for biology paper will be held in the afternoon.