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The FedUni Journal of Higher Education :
The Need for Reforming the Syllabus and Examination System of MCA Course
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The requirements of software industries are ever-changing following the advances in computer technologies. Hence, it is required to evaluate the students as per the industry expectations with the current trends. A change in the syllabus and examination system is needed. The purpose of this study is to determine the problems in the current syllabus and examination system of MCA course from the professors’ perspective, thereby providing valuable suggestions for further improving and enhancing the standard of this course. This paper uses a questionnaire-based survey among professors of this course and their perception of these problems are analyzed. This study is limited to the University of Mumbai offering MCA course.

 
 

Many colleges of Information Technology, Computer Science and Computer Applications are affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Master of Computer Applications (MCA) is one of the wellrecognized postgraduate courses among them. This course is approved by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE). It consists of six semesters. In each of the first five semesters, students have to study six subjects and the last semester is industrial training.

Students holding the degree of MCA lack those skills as compared to the students with other equivalent computer degrees. As a result, the software companies are giving more preference to other competent degree students. This course can overcome this problem by modifying the current syllabus and reforming the examination system.

Currently, the students are assessed on the basis of internal assessment of term work, practical examination and theory examination. All the colleges affiliated to the university have their own way of the internal assessment of term work. The practical exams are assessed by the external examiner appointed by the university, but the papers are set by the internal faculty. It was also observed that the external examiner assessed the students orally and did not seem to be interested in the questions given by the internal examiner.

This paper studies the assessment process of MCA course from the professors’ perspective. This is an empirical study to find out what would improve the syllabus and examination system of this course to meet the industry requirements and how the students would better compete with the students holding other equivalent degrees. It also highlights the opinions/suggestions from the professors in order to maintain a good standard of MCA course.

 
 

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