Which one is better, IGNOU or SOL?
Posted On - Nov 7, 2020DU SOL is more commonly known to the students and also has an easier education structure. However, IGNOU is more student-friendly. The checking of exam papers is carried out systematically and IGNOU also provides better exam results than DU SOL.
IGNOU gives internal marks to the students for assignments.
IGNOU offers various UG and PG courses. Whereas, SOL offers only a few selected courses.
My friend opted for her BA in English from SOL, DU. She left SOL DU after a year because of SOL’s poor management system. She was allotted a study center and exam center which was around 25-30 km away from her home, making things difficult and inconvenient for her. When she switched to IGNOU she realized that the staff is very helpful and solved her admission discrepancies in the most friendly manner. She had the freedom to choose her regional center and her study center, and her exam center was near her home.
These are some more advantages of studying at IGNOU-
- Admission, re-admission, exam form submission, assignments submission, and other processes can be easily done. Most of the processes can be done online.
- The course fee is nominal and the study material is excellent.
- You can easily buy guides from GPH, Neeraj, or other publication houses online in case you lose your study material.
- 30% of marks are based on the assignments while the rest is based on examination. The assignment pattern is similar to the exam pattern. As you do your assignments you are simultaneously preparing for your exams.
- Exams (TEE) are held in June and December. You can take admission according to your requirements and can give any TEE (June or December) from the second year of your course.
- You get to choose your examination center.
- Any doubts are answered by visiting the study center. Each study center has a coordinator and other staff for IGNOU students.
- Study centers are present in remote locations as well. You can easily find a study center within 15 km of your residence. Study centers can be changed as well.
- You can opt for general BA/BSc or honors in BA/BSc.
Thus, based on these advantages, you should opt for IGNOU over SOL DU for completing your degree.
Both the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and School of Open Learning (SOL), DU are institutes that offer a flexible mode of study for the students through distance education. The institutes are also recognized by UGC and as such the degrees are accepted in various places.
IGNOU boasts of around 3 million students enrolled in the institute from India as well as outside the country while SOL has around 5 lakh, active students, presently.
Courses:
IGNOU - There are more than 200 courses offered by 21 different schools. The major programs are B.Ed., BCA, MCA, BBA, M.Ed., MBA, Ph.D., etc.
SOL - There are 13 departments in the institute. The programs they offer are B.A., B.Com., B.Com. (Hons.), B.A.(English) and B.A. (Political Science) etc
Admission:
IGNOU -
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MBA, B.Ed., M.Ed., BBA, and Ph.D. admission require the aspirant to clear the entrance examination of the university.
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Admission for the other programs depends on the merit of the previous qualifying examination.
SOL -
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In the case of UG programs, the admission is based on the merit of the previous qualifying examination.
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But admission into MA programs requires the aspirant to sit for the Entrance Examination and must have the concerned subject in their graduation degree.
Faculty:
IGNOU - There are more than 800 faculty members along with more than 33,000 academic counselors.
SOL - The faculty is very approachable and helpful. The quality of teaching is well maintained and the syllabus is mostly the same as that of Delhi University.
Infrastructure:
IGNOU -
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There is a Central Library at the Headquarters. There are over 67 regional centers and 2,667 learner support centers at present.
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Books and other study materials are easily accessible either by post or online platforms.
SOL - The headquarters is set in the North Campus of DU. Laboratories, Classrooms, and Library is provided by the institute and is also maintained well. Study material is easily accessible to the students.
Placement:
IGNOU - The Campus Placement Cell (CPC) acts as the intermediary between the students and the interested recruiters as well as create soft skill modules for the students.
SOL - The top recruiters that have approached the institute are ISA Global, Dalmia Group, NIIT Ltd, and HDB Financial Services.
IGNOU and SOL are both remarkable institutes that provide quality education. Being open learning institutions, the fee structure is economic and balanced enough for a working professional to engage in the courses with abundant flexibility of time and resources.
As such, the choice ultimately lies with the student depending on their particular preference.
