Schools told to hold 10th exam as per CBSE norms

Bound by rules

Schools affiliated to the CBSE will conduct and evaluate Class X examinations for those who have opted out of appearing for the board examinations this year, but the board will still run the show when it comes to designing question papers, scheduling examinations, announcing results and presenting certificates.

The schools will hold examinations for students who have opted out of appearing for the board examination scheduled to begin on March 1. While the CBSE will not directly monitor conduct of the examination, schools affiliated to it are expected to prepare question paper banks devised by the board. They will be given the option of either picking a question paper or mix and match different question papers as long as they maintain weightage given to various sections.

Schools can also prepare their own question papers in accordance with the CBSE blueprint, but they will have to email the papers to the board for verification within a week of their preparation.

Across the country, there are nearly eight lakh students studying in Class X in schools affiliated to the CBSE. While the board has not officially declared the number of students who have opted to appear for the board exam, the number is expected to be around five lakh. In Karnataka, according to CBSE statistics, nearly 15,000 students study in Class X in 126 schools across the state. In 2010, 14,329 students appeared for the board exam.

According to the CBSE, the evaluation of answer scripts will be done by school teachers on the basis of the marking scheme provided by the board. However, schools will be subjected to random verification of the assessment procedures by CBSE officials or nominees appointed by the board.

Schools also do not have much freedom when it comes to holding the examination. The CBSE has announced that schools will have to conduct the final Class X exam by the second half of March. They have also been advised to hold examination for English (Communicate/Language and Literature) and Science after March 23.

Under the newly introduced Continous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) scheme, four formative assessments and two summative assessments will be held in an academic year.