Guidelines framed on grace marks

The Education department has framed guidelines for regulating award of grace marks to SSLC and second-year pre-university students.

Last year, objections were raised when 21 grace marks were awarded for questions which were out of syllabus in the second PU Mathematics paper. The rules have been framed to provide clarity on grace marks.

At the evaluation stage, grace marks may be awarded if the question is out of syllabus, ambiguous or inconsistent. The five-member panel set up for drawing the scheme of  evaluation will have to make a recommendation for grace marks to a three-member panel of subject experts.

In the case of compulsory questions, grace marks will be awarded irrespective of whether the student has answered the question or not. In the case of optional question, only students who have attempted the question identified for grace marks will be awarded full marks.

At the result stage, grace marks will be awarded if a student has scored aggregate marks in all papers to pass the examination but has failed in maximum two subjects.

In this case, the grace marks will not exceed 5% of the maximum marks for each of the two subjects concerned.

A panel consisting of the commissioner of public instruction, director of PU education and director of Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board will decide on the quantum of grace marks to be awarded, within the 5% limit.

The grace marks awarded at this stage are to be indicated in the candidate’s mark
sheet.