Most Presidency University departments will factor in marks of the Plus-II board exams while admitting students from other universities to its postgraduate courses because the authorities think results of the final-year undergraduate exams did not reflect the merit of the aspirants.

The concern arose as students wrote end semester exams at home.

An admission notification issued on Tuesday states that candidates would be admitted based on their performance at the undergraduate exams and the Plus-II board exams written in 2017.

At Presidency, 20 per cent of the 417 PG seats are open for students from other universities. Application forms will be available from November 5 to 16 on the university’s website.

According to the admission notice, the merit list for chemistry will be prepared on the basis of 50 per cent of the marks obtained in honours and 50 per cent of the marks obtained in chemistry at Plus-II level.

In sociology, the merit list will be prepared on the basis of 25 per cent of the marks obtained in honours and 25 per cent of the aggregate at graduation. “This will be added to 25 per cent of the aggregate marks (best four barring environmental science) and 25 per cent of the aggregate marks in English at Plus-II,” said a university official.

For admission to the performing arts course, 50 per cent of the marks obtained in honours, 25 per cent of the aggregate and 25 per cent of the marks in English at Plus-II will be considered.

Till last year, the candidates were admitted to the postgraduate courses solely on the basis of their performance in the admission test conducted by the state JEE board. The test was not held this year because of the Covid pandemic.

Among the science departments, physics, statistics and life sciences will take into account 25 per cent of the marks either in the respective subjects or in the science group at the Plus-II level while drawing up the merit lists. The math department will factor in 20 per cent of the marks in the subject at Plus-II.

Only three departments - Bengali, English and Hindi - will admit students solely on the basis of their performance at the undergraduate exams.

Presidency vice-chancellor Anuradha Lohia said: “We left it to the departments to decide on how they want to screen candidates. Many of them thought the Plus-II score will help them judge the merit of a masters’ aspirant.”