The authorities of some leading colleges in the capital yesterday said they are yet to receive any government circular cancelling the tests and in a dilemma over enrollment of students.

Father Benjamin D'Costa, principal of Notre Dame College, said, "We are respectful of the government decision, but we are yet to have the circular."

Notre Dame College started the sale of admission forms and had scheduled tests for August 14 and 15.

"If the government asks us not to hold written tests and to select students through viva-voce, we will definitely follow that," he said. But it is difficult to select students without written tests as there are many students scoring the same GPA, he added.

The government recommended viva-voce to resolve the problem of selecting students with the same GPA.

The Holy Cross Girls College authorities said they will hold tests for admission seekers, despite the announcement by the government.

The college slated tests for August 8 and 9 and the admission form distribution will continue until today (Monday).

An education ministry official said colleges have to comply with the government decision and any violation would be considered a "punishable offence".

College officials blamed the education ministry for issuing the circular in an abrupt manner. "If the circular had been issued earlier, we could have decided it beforehand," said an official.

The government in a circular last week laid out the guidelines cancelling tests for admission to public and private colleges. From now on, college admission will be based on the GPA in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations.

The circular added that those who scored at least Grade D and GPA 1 in the SSC and equivalent exams in 2002 and 2003 will be eligible for college admission.

However, students who passed SSC or equivalent exams held in 2001 will have to sit for admission tests.

"We don't know what to do about the admission of our son," said a guardian of Shaheedbagh.