How the online MBA exam pattern works
If you are thinking about an online MBA, you probably want to know what the exams are like. Two sets of rules decide this. First, UGC, the University Grants Commission, sets rules for every online course in India. Then each college sets its own exam paper, timetable and pass mark within those rules.
Under Regulation 15(C)(1) of UGC's rules, an online exam can be a secure online test or a proctored exam. A proctored exam is one where someone watches you while you take it. For online courses, a person or software can watch you through your webcam, so you do not need to travel to an exam centre.
UGC's rules also fix three things for every college.
- Who takes the examYour identity is checked by biometrics against your Aadhaar or another government ID.
- How marks are splitCoursework gives at most 30 per cent of the marks, and the end-of-term exam gives at least 70 per cent.
- Where you take itYou can take it online at home, unless your college chooses to hold it at a centre.
Are online MBA exams online or offline?
At most colleges on Sidenotes, the end-of-term exams are online, and you take them from home. Each college watches you in its own way.
At NMIMS, the end-of-term exams are proctored and computer based, according to its programme report for the online MBA. At Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, its evaluation policy says every exam is held online through remote proctoring. At Amity University Online, a guide on its own website says live invigilators or AI tools watch you during the exam. At Manipal University Jaipur, the end-of-semester exams are digital, computer based and proctored online, and you take them from home. NMIMS does not say in that report where you sit its exams, so ask NMIMS whether you take them at home or at a centre.
The rules are different for distance courses, which UGC calls ODL for open and distance learning. A distance exam must be proctored, and it may be written on paper at a centre. So if you join a distance MBA rather than an online one, ask where its exams are held.
The exam pattern at each college
The table sets out the exam pattern at each college. Each college published these details itself, and each one can change them. So check the current rules in your student portal after you join.
| College | Exam pattern |
|---|---|
| NMIMS | Marks: 30 for the internal assignment, 70 for the end-of-term exam. Exam: proctored and computer based, in June and December; ask where. Pass: 50 per cent of the two parts together. |
| Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth | Marks: 30 for coursework, 70 for the end-of-term exam. Exam: online with remote proctoring, in June and December. Pass: 40 per cent in each part separately. |
| Amity University Online | Marks: coursework and an end-of-term exam. Exam: online, watched by invigilators or AI tools, in June and December. Pass mark: ask Amity. |
| Manipal University Jaipur | Marks: coursework and an end-of-term exam. Exam: digital, computer based and proctored online, from home. Pass mark: ask Manipal. |
Sources: NMIMS, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Amity University Online, and the course pages on Sidenotes
What is in the paper
The end-of-term paper usually mixes multiple-choice questions with written answers. Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth publishes its paper in the most detail, so it makes a good example. Its 70-mark paper has two sections, and you need 40 per cent to pass it.
At Amity University Online, the paper has three sections, A, B and C, and you must answer all of them. Amity says the multiple-choice answers are marked by the system straight away, and the written answers are marked by teachers. At NMIMS, the paper also mixes multiple-choice and written questions, and the online MBA ends with a project report.
- Section I(A) at DPUIt has 40 multiple-choice questions of one mark each, so it carries 40 marks.
- Section I(B) at DPUIt has 5 questions with more than one correct answer, based on a short case, for 10 marks.
- Section II at DPUIt has 3 written questions of 10 marks each, and you answer any 2 of them for 20 marks.
When exams are held, and re-sits
NMIMS, Amity University Online and Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth all hold their end-of-term exams twice a year, in June and December. Amity runs two slots on exam days, from 10 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 6 pm.
If you fail a subject, you take that exam again, which is called a re-sit. NMIMS holds extra re-sit exams in April and September, so it has four exam cycles each year. Each re-sit at NMIMS costs ₹800 per subject, the same as a first attempt. Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth says there is no re-checking of marks, so a student who fails must take the exam again within the time allowed to finish.
An online MBA gives you up to double its minimum length to finish, so a two-year course allows four years. A re-sit uses part of that time, so plan your exam dates around work and travel as soon as the timetable comes out.
Exam fees at each college
Exam fees are easy to miss when you compare colleges. Some colleges include them in the full fee, and others charge for each subject. If a college says nothing about exam fees, that does not mean the exams are free.
| College | Exam fees |
|---|---|
| Manipal University Jaipur | Included, because the college states its fee as all inclusive |
| Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth | Included, with books, the project and convocation |
| Amity University Online | The college does not state an exam fee, so ask in writing |
| NMIMS | ₹800 per subject, which is ₹19,200 over 24 subjects |
What you need to take an exam from home
Every college asks for much the same equipment. Amity University Online also runs mock exams before the real ones, so that you can test your computer with its exam software. Try any mock exam your college offers, because a problem is much easier to fix a week before the exam than on the day.
On exam day, the system checks that you are the person taking the exam, against your Aadhaar or another government ID. So keep your ID ready, and make sure its details match your student record.
- A laptop or desktopYou need a laptop or desktop computer, not a phone, that can run the exam software.
- A webcam and microphoneThe invigilator or the software watches you through them during the exam.
- A steady internet connectionA connection that drops during the exam can cost you time, so test it first.
Coursework and the final project
Coursework gives up to 30 per cent of your marks. At NMIMS, the coursework is an internal assignment, which is case based and submitted on the student portal. NMIMS also says that a copied assignment means you fail the subject, even if your total reaches 50 per cent. At Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, the coursework is two online tests: one with 20 multiple-choice questions and one with 5 questions based on a short case.
The online MBA also ends with a project. At NMIMS, the project is split into two parts, in the third and fourth semesters. NMIMS charges a project fee of ₹3,000, while Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth includes the project in its full fee. If a project has to be redone, ask whether that costs extra.
See what the headline MBA fee leaves out for the other charges to check.
Questions to ask before you join
Five answers tell you most of what you need to know about exams. Ask each question in writing before you pay, and keep the replies with your fee receipts.
- Where and how are exams held?Ask whether you take them at home and how you are watched.
- What is the marks split and the pass mark?Ask for the split between coursework and the exam, and the mark you need to pass.
- When are the exams?Ask for the exam months, so that you can plan leave from work.
- What does a re-sit cost?Ask for the cost per subject, and when a re-sit can be taken.
- What equipment do I need?Ask what computer, webcam and internet speed the exam software needs.
