Building opportunities through education
Kanthy Einstute was built around a larger vision:
To create a future where education is accessible to deserving students, healthcare reaches every citizen, and talent gets opportunities to shine on a global stage.
As part of this mission, the institute conducts online tests for students preparing for competitive examinations such as GATE, with plans to expand further into exams like NQT.
The challenge?
Finding a platform flexible enough to handle real evaluation logic instead of simple form submissions.
Why conventional assessment tools fell short
Jayavel explored several options before choosing Zoho Survey, including Google Forms and multiple quiz platforms. But most tools lacked the depth required for serious online assessments.
The team needed capabilities like:
- Negative scoring
- Numerical answer evaluation within a range
- Advanced grading flexibility
- Accurate evaluation for multi-select questions
Many platforms only supported exact string matching or basic regex-based validation, which wasn’t practical for technical and competitive examinations.
That’s where Zoho Survey stood out.
How Zoho Survey solved complex evaluation challenges
What first stood out to Jayavel about Zoho Survey was its ability to support numerical grading and negative marking. These features were surprisingly difficult to find in many survey and quiz tools.
But the flexibility went further. Zoho Survey also helped the team manage:
- Multiple assessments efficiently
- Automation workflows
- Survey hibernation until renewal
- Creative grading workarounds for complex question types
One particularly unique requirement involved grading multiple-select questions where students had to select all and only the correct answers. The team needed a way to avoid awarding marks for partially correct responses, similar to how competitive exams are evaluated.
By creatively using existing question configurations in Zoho Survey, they were able to build a practical workaround that supported more accurate assessment logic.
How Kanthy Einstute built its assessment workflow
Today, most of the GATE tests conducted by Kanthy Einstute run on Zoho Survey. What started as a search for better grading logic evolved into a complete online assessment workflow serving students across India.
For Kanthy Einstute, Zoho Survey’s standout capabilities were:
- Support for negative marking
- Ability to evaluate numerical answers within a range
- Flexible grading options for different question types
- Custom setups for handling complex exam patterns
These features helped transform Zoho Survey from a traditional survey tool into a practical examination platform tailored to educational use cases. Many of these tests are freely accessible, helping learners practice and prepare without barriers.
Kanthy Einstute’s journey revealed an unexpected possibility:
survey platforms aren’t limited to surveys anymore. With the right flexibility, they can power entirely different experiences, including educational assessments and large-scale online testing.
"I chose Zoho Survey when I was looking for options to do negative marking and evaluate numerical answers within a range."
– Jayavel Arumugam, Founder, Kanthy Einstitute
Zoho Survey is proud to support educators like Jayavel Arumugam and his team as they make learning more accessible through technology.
The road ahead
Kanthy Einstute plans to expand its online testing initiatives into more competitive exam categories in the future. For Jayavel, Zoho Survey proved that innovation sometimes comes from using a product differently than expected.
More than a survey tool, it became a platform to identify talent and support deserving students in building a brighter future.
Build your success story with us
Discover how flexible survey logic can power your next big idea, from feedback forms to full-scale online assessments.