The Centre is considering a review of the difficulty level of key entrance exams such as JEE and NEET to ensure they remain in sync with the Class 12 curriculum, reducing the need for students to depend heavily on coaching institutes, sources said.

The move comes as part of recommendations being examined by a nine-member expert panel, set up in June by the Ministry of Education to study issues related to coaching culture, dummy schools, and the fairness of entrance tests.

“The panel is analysing whether the difficulty of entrance exams corresponds to the Class 12 syllabus, which is supposed to be their base. Some parents and coaching faculty argue there is a mismatch, which pushes students toward coaching,” a source noted.

Headed by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, the committee also includes representatives from IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, NIT Trichy, NCERT, CBSE, and principals from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya, and a private school.

The panel is tasked with recommending measures to reduce coaching dependence, examining gaps in the school system, such as rote learning over critical thinking, and suggesting ways to strengthen career counselling in schools and colleges. It will also look into awareness about alternative career pathways, which experts say is low and leads to a fixation on elite institutions.

The scrutiny of coaching culture follows rising concerns over student suicides, fire safety lapses, lack of facilities, and questionable teaching practices in many coaching hubs across the country.