VIJAYAWADA: As many as 33,674 candidates (87.47%) took the Andhra Pradesh Engineering, Agriculture and Medical Common Entrance Test (APEAMCET -2020) on Day 1 in the State amid strict Covid-19 protocol on Thursday. While a total of 38,499 candidates had registered for the exam held on the first day in the State, 4,825 remained absent. While social distancing norms were followed inside the exam centre, the same were openly flouted by candidates and their parents. Though every student was provided with a reporting time slot, the exam centres were crowded from as early as 6:30 am.
The officials checked the body temperature of all students and gave them sanitisers before allowing them inside their exam halls. All candidates were asked to fill and submit the self-declaration form to ensure that they are not suffering from any symptoms of the virus.
Krishna district had the maximum number of candidates (5,396), who had registered for the first paper, while Vizianagaram had the least number of 1,319. West Godavari topped the table with 90.16 per cent of aspirants attending the examination, while Krishna had the least number of candidates taking the exam at 83.32 per cent.
On the other hand, only 44.82 per cent with 1,320 candidates in Telangana took the exam out of a total of 2,945 aspirants who had registered for it. A total of 2.72 lakh candidates registered for APEAMCET-2020 in AP and Telangana. Of them, 1.85 lakh, registered for admission into engineering colleges, while 87,000 write the agriculture and medical exam at 118 exam centres in both the States.
The exam for engineering courses has been scheduled from September 17 to 23 and from September 23 to 25. The exams will be conducted in two sessions—from 9 am to 12 noon and 3 pm to 6 pm.
Transportation for some aspirants still remained a matter of concern as regular public transport is yet to resume. “As only a few have the luxury of having a vehicle, special buses should have been arranged for the students with one parent in tow. The officials should have made arrangements in advance when they decided to conduct the exam,” a candidate said.