The dreaded CEED Exam on 19 Jan

Time vacuum sucked me in and dropped me on the 19th of January with waking up to give the next exam. It felt like reliving the day I gave my NID exams but now I was seasoned and approached the situation ritually. The day started out strangely similar, with constant déjà vu on my mind as I left the house. I remember this time asking my friends to wish me all the best, as even they had become accustomed to me taking exams now. As I started out with my dad, he had all the confidence in the world that we would reach the center on time. We started out much earlier than the previous exam and I stayed calm and confident in the trip. As we reached closer to the exam center I could see the number of cars increasing, to our surprise a huge crowd of parents and their eager children were already there to give their exams. This included the CEED students as well as undergraduate applicants. Dad, being a seasoned veteran at these ordeals, made the decision to park well ahead of the exam center and we walked towards the building. Upon reaching there a crowd was brewing, students pacing with exam stationary in their hands, parents asking each other and security guards when they can march into the building. The crowd stood at the entrance and overflowed to the road, quite unsafe. I walked closer to the gate only to see that people were walking in! But around the building to an open ground. I ask dad to follow me and we both head in to see a crowd that emperors would've seen while going on wars. Large hoards of people walking, talking, discussing, running, cars going all over the place for a parking space and salesmen from coaching classes chasing every other human like predators. With time to kill, I do the one thing surprisingly no one was doing there. I found a place to sit and eat my breakfast. Poha is my favourite and always travels best. I have come to enjoy poha as a dish I usually have when I am travelling and has built a positive nerve in my mind.

As I chomped on the last few morsels of poha grains, it was time to step in. Dad seemed tired of being in the ground, and was waiting for the gates to open up. I took my stationery and told him to wait in the car. I walk ahead and see that a large line of students have gathered. Instead of following the line I cut in and entered the building only to see guards and sublines with metal detectors. It was a strange sight as it seemed like a line to enter the passport office or immigration, nevertheless they really wanted to make sure no one cheats in this exam. After 3 stages of checking and handing over my fingerprints to the IIT Bombay database, I finally sat down. Here is where the experience was quite different compared to the NID examination, I was sitting in a tight cubicle in front of a computer. Part A was questions on the computer and B was where I had to draw. This was better organised as the computer was constantly telling me the time to the very second. I also didn't have to depend on any invigilator. Where NID asks 20 standard design based questions, CEED asks 80 complex geometry, design, reasoning, reading and observation skill questions. It is meant to be tiring and to force the examinee to be strategic with what question to spend the time on. I was underwhelmed with my performance on part A and moved on to B, and there was a big shift. Questions were far more open, they had room for interpretation and a world of creativity to bring in. Still I had no time to spare and I ran against the clock to answer it all. I finished it and heard the collective groans of everyone around me as the exam terminated automatically and ended this tiring exam.


I step out, the crowds of parents huddled to receive their children. We felt like prisoners of war, coming back home again. I walk back towards my car and see dad already waiting. Like a well oiled machine he wasted no time in pulling the car out of park and getting ready to head home. He asked me how everything was and I was honest with him. He didn't say anything and I didn't try to justify myself. We reached home and by that time about 5 relatives had called to ask me the same questions that I narrated my experience to them. The day continued with more calls from my friends and relatives. I went out with the friends as the oncoming day was my birthday and told them in detail how exhausting the exam was. I fished for sympathy and birthday wishes from them but I somehow felt empty, knowing that the coming days will feel the same till the results come out.

 

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