In tests for engineering licenses administered by the Nepal Engineering Council, about 66% of students scored below the required level. Out of 2,474 candidates who showed up for the exams that were administered a second time, only 801 passed, according to Padma Bahadur Shahi, chair of the council. 2,568 university graduates in total submitted applications for the exam; 94 of them did not show up for the tests, which were administered from June 21 to 23. The council is the national regulatory body of engineers.

It's not the first time that so many engineers have failed to receive the required passing scores and are prevented from entering the workforce.Only 28% of test takers passed the initial licensing exams on March 26 and 27. Out of the 1,981 applicants who took the professional licensing exam, only 565 candidates passed.At this licensing test, there were also participants from different domestic universities. Universities in Kathmandu, Tribhuvan, Purbanchal, Mid-West, Pokhara, and Sudurpashchim, Nepal, offer engineering programs.

In order to qualify for the license, candidates must receive at least 50 out of a possible 200 points on the exam.

The council administered the test in 23 distinct categories. Following concerns about the professional competence of engineers, the Nepal Engineering Council Act was amended last year to make licensing mandatory.

Prior to that, graduates had to submit their certificates to the council in order to receive an engineer registration certificate.There are currently 77,000 engineers registered with the council in the nation.