What is 4th year Undergraduate CBCS System? Which is applicable to all Universities: NEP 2020

 

   Introduction to the Bihar 4-Year Undergraduate System

The 4-Year Undergraduate System under the CBCS pattern was introduced in Bihar from the 2023–2027 session. Under this system, the old annual examination system was replaced by the semester system.

Now, instead of appearing for one examination every year, students have to appear for semester examinations. Generally, students have to appear for an examination after every six months.

The complete graduation programme is divided into eight semesters, covering four academic years.

Under this CBCS System, we need to earn credits. There will be 20 credits per semester, total 160 credits across the four years.

CIA and ESE Examination System

Before appearing in the End Semester Examination, students also have to complete the internal assessment.

CIA Examination

CIA stands for Continuous Internal Assessment. The internal examination carries 30 marks.

According to the criteria mentioned for this system, students need to obtain the prescribed minimum marks in the internal assessment. The passing requirement mentioned here is 12.5 marks out of 30.

ESE Examination

ESE stands for End Semester Examination. The End Semester Examination carries 70 marks.

According to the criteria mentioned here, students need to obtain 31.5 marks out of 70 to pass the ESE component.

Students should keep in mind that examination and passing rules may depend on the latest regulations of their respective University. Therefore, students should always check the latest official notification.

What Happens If You Exit After Different Semesters?

The 4-Year Graduation system provides different exit options at different stages, subject to the applicable academic and credit requirements.

After Semester 2

If a student successfully completes Semester 1 and Semester 2 and wants to exit after one year, the student may receive a UG Certificate according to the applicable rules.

After Semester 4

If a student successfully completes Semester 3 and Semester 4 and decides to exit after two years, the student may receive a Diploma according to the applicable provisions.

After Semester 6

If a student successfully completes Semester 5 and Semester 6 and decides to exit after three years, the student may receive the relevant UG Degree.

For example, depending on the programme, the degree may be B.Sc, B.Com or B.A.

You need to be clear about the 4th year graduation admission.

Some University-level ppu notices and interpretations have created confusion among students regarding the requirement of 7.5 CGPA.

According to one interpretation, students having a CGPA of 7.5 or above are eligible for the Research pathway and may receive a Honours with Research degree after completing the 4th Year.

On the other hand, students below 7.5 CGPA have been understood by some students as being ineligible for 4th Year admission and being restricted to a regular Honours degree.

However, it is important to understand that 4th Year admission and Research eligibility are two different matters.

After semester 8

According to the interpretation of the UGC framework discussed in this article, the 7.5 CGPA criterion is connected with the Research/Dissertation pathway. Students meeting the required CGPA may undertake a Dissertation or Research Project in Semester 8 and become eligible for the Honours with Research pathway.

Students who do not meet the required CGPA may continue through the applicable Honours pathway without the Research component and receive the corresponding Honours degree after fulfilling the programme requirements.

Therefore, students should not simply assume that a CGPA below 7.5 automatically means that they cannot enter Semester 7. The exact admission criteria must be confirmed from the latest applicable University and government notification.

A key feature of this system is that students do not waste time. If they leave their studies after one or two years, as they can obtain qualification like UG Certificate or Diploma. This saves time, allowing them to pursue other courses or internship. Previously, under the annual graduation system, missing an exam meant having to start the entire process over again.

Official Bihar Government Notification:

The Department of Higher Education, Government of Bihar, has officially approved and signed the implementation order for the 4-Year Undergraduate Programme based on the UGC guidelines. You can download the signed official order copy below.

👉[Download Bihar Govt Signed FYUP Order PDF]