CBSE steps to ease exam pressure

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced grading system for the students appearing in class X examination and introduced several other steps to ease examination pressure.

Foremost among these is the decision that final paper of every subject of class IX would have multiple choice questions (MCQs). Be it English, Hindi, English grammar, maths and social science, all will have numerous questions which will have multiple choices as answers, carrying one mark each. However, the MCQs come with a rider. The question paper would be printed on a separate sheet which would be taken from the examinees 30 minutes after the examination begins. All the MCQs are to be attended within this duration. The remaining part of the question paper would thereafter be distributed amongst the examinees.

Moreover, there would be flexibility of time given to students for completing the question papers. The science paper, which earlier used to be of three hours, would henceforth be of three-and-half-hour.

Similarly, the students of class IXth will undergo the continuous comprehensive evaluation (CCE) system which would be spread over two semesters, one from April to September and the second from October to March. The students appearing in class IX (2009-10) will be having semester system wherein half of the syllabus, taught after October, would form the questions.

The board has made it clear that there will be no class X board examination from 2011 for students who would be pursuing their higher studies from CBSE. However, such students who wish to move out of the CBSE system after Class X will be required to take the boards external examinations either written or online.

Further the board would also guide students for the stream they wish to pursue after class X. For this, the board proposes to provide an opportunity to students to undertake the aptitude test twice, once at the end of Class IX and then at the end of Class X.

In addition to these, the question paper of the final examination of class IX (2010) would be provided by the CBSE headquarters for which it would be giving a paper bank to every school which comes under its umbrella and the school authorities would be free to pick any set. This is done in order to ensure standardisation and uniformity. However, the evaluation of answer scripts will be done by the school teachers on the basis of the marking scheme provided by the board.

Courtesy: Timesofindia.indiatimes.com