It’s getting hot this summer with students sweating it out for various entrance exams.

Just after the 12th standard Boards comes CPT (accounting), CET (started on April 27), Comed-K, NIFT, NID among a host of other entrance exams.

“I obviously don’t have any holiday plans,” says student Rukshar M who has been studying for various entrance exams, including CET. “I am also taking the NIFT exams and entrance exams for SOFT and Amity in May.”

While Rukshar’s Boards were also going on at the same time, it didn’t give her much time to enroll in coaching classes. “I did all the studying through guides for each of the subjects,” she says.

At the end of May comes another bunch of gruelling tests for those students who have passed their common entrance exams. Ability tests, situation tests and even general knowledge!

Nisha S has been studying for a month and is very nervous about the CET. “The portions are from both 11th and 12th. It is predictable but at the same time, tough.”

She adds, “My summer holiday is now spent studying. There’s really no fun in this.”

While student Aditi N is taking her Comed-K, she says she’s more interested in the outcome of her media studies entrance test. “My parents want me to take Comed-K. But I am interested in journalism and am taking those entrance tests as well,” she says.

Prof Mylarappa of Bangalore University believes students these days not only have many options but also study pressures. “They don’t have a moment to rest from their Boards to the various entrance exams in the summer. Even my son is taking CET and it’s a tough race to get the grades required.”

Eighteen-year-old Shreya K of New Horizon College says students are pressurised to take these exams. “Either it’s the parents or the peers who push many students into courses they are not interested in. That’s why you have so many suicide cases. I think parents should encourage their child in whatever they want to do,” she says.

There was a drop in the number of students appearing for CET a couple of years ago because of the recession. But this year, students still prefer IT and Triple E though other subjects like mass communication and designing also top the list.

Mylarappa believes one common test should be made mandatory. “It is impossible to expect students to write one exam after another. One entrance test like a CAT/ GRE is the only way out.”

But he adds, “You have to remember that unlike before you have many options in front of you — whether it is courses or colleges. Choose your subject and college carefully and work towards it instead of writing all the exams!”