Free coaching likely to rewrite economics of exam-prep, say experts

It may widen access, but not ensure a level-playing field, say experts

The Centre’s proposed free coaching network could put pressure on parts of India’s private coaching market, particularly smaller and mid-tier providers, while established institutes may continue to attract students through personalised services, experts said. The scale of the programme could also make online delivery necessary.

 

For students, free coaching could remove a significant cost barrier to exam preparation, but access to the same course would not necessarily translate into similar chances of success. Differences in devices, connectivity, language proficiency, academic foundations and the amount of time available for preparation could continue to affect how much students benefit from the programme, experts said. 

 

“Access and opportunity aren't the same thing,” said Syed Sultan Ahmed, chairperson of the Association of International Schools of India (TAISI). Free coaching would need to be accompanied by multilingual content, diagnostic assessment, mentoring, doubt resolution and offline access, he said.

 

Shantanu Rooj, founder and chief executive officer of TeamLease EdTech, similarly said diagnostics, remedial support, regional-language delivery, mentoring and last-mile access would be needed for the programme to have a meaningful impact across students with different levels of preparedness.

 

The impact on private coaching is also unlikely to be uniform. Ahmed said a government offering of good teachers, quality content and mock tests at no cost would make it difficult for mid-tier providers to continue charging for similar standardised offerings. “If a student can get a good teacher, quality content and mock tests at no cost, it becomes very hard for a mid-tier coaching centre to keep charging for the same lecture, repackaged. That's where I expect enrolments to soften and pricing to come under real pressure first,” he said.

 

Larger institutes, however, could retain demand because students and parents also pay for structure, discipline, personalised attention, mentoring and doubt-solving, Ahmed said.

 

"The immediate impact is likely to be price pressure and greater differentiation rather than a displacement of private coaching. Smaller providers competing primarily on price and content may feel this first, while premium players will increasingly have to justify fees through mentoring, personalisation, peer environments and outcomes," said Rooj.

 

Vijay Vasanth, senior vice-president, sales, at Gi Group Holding, also said budget and mid-tier providers were likely to face pressure while premium players offering personalised mentorship and outcome-driven teaching could continue to find takers.

 

The programme could also increase the number of young people choosing to prepare for competitive examinations, rather than necessarily increasing the number of opportunities available.

 

Vasanth said easier access could encourage more young people, particularly from smaller towns, to attempt competitive exams multiple times, increasing competition for limited government jobs and potentially delaying workforce entry.

 

“Staffing and workforce partners will need to engage this pool earlier, through internships, skilling programmes and apprenticeships, so that exam preparation and employability development happen in parallel rather than one after the other, ensuring young talent doesn't lose touch with practical, job-ready skills while preparing,” he noted.

 

Vasanth cited the intensity of competition for government jobs, with the Staff Selection Commission’s General Duty (SSC GD) 2026 examination receiving nearly 50 lakh applications for 25,487 posts, while the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination regularly attracts 14-15 lakh applicants for around 1,000 vacancies.

 

The proposed scale of the programme could push the government towards an online model. S S Mantha, former chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), said a nationwide physical coaching network would be difficult given the number of examinations, subjects and student requirements involved.

 

“It will all have to be online, otherwise it would be a huge challenge,” Mantha said, proposing a learning management system combining online classes, assessments, additional material and AI-enabled services. Students could select examinations and subjects on the platform, with professors and experts available to address specific questions, he said.

 

But the effectiveness of such a platform would need to be measured by outcomes rather than its scale, Rooj said.

 

"A credible alternative will therefore need consistent funding and quality, but equally important, transparent measurement of usage, completion, exam participation, qualification rates and outcomes across socioeconomic groups," he said.

 

Arun Kumar, general secretary of the All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO), however, questioned whether an online model could overcome uneven digital access, particularly in remote areas. “Tech cannot ensure a 100 per cent transformation when there are still remote areas where accessibility is an issue,” he said.

 

If high-quality teaching, mock tests and preparation content become freely available at scale, the shift could also change what students pay private providers for. Rooj said the economics of coaching could move from paying for access to content towards paying for personalisation, mentoring, accountability and outcomes. Ahmed similarly expected providers to move towards smaller cohorts, specialised faculty, adaptive learning and demonstrable results.

 

The longer-term question is whether the initiative reduces dependence on coaching or simply makes it more widely available. Ahmed said the measure of success should ultimately be whether fewer students feel they need coaching, with schools providing stronger conceptual foundations and examinations testing understanding rather than requiring extensive preparation outside school.

  Kumar similarly questioned the emphasis on expanding coaching, saying the government should address the conditions that make students dependent on coaching and the intense competition for limited opportunities. “Students should not need coaching and there should not be such a desperate competition of aspirants,” he said.