Summary
This year, 30 per cent question was competency-focussed, students across schools had reported they found some papers, especially science, math and accounts, 'difficult'
The CBSE Class XII results were announced on Friday morning and several city schools reported a decline in the average performance.
For the examinees, this was their first public exam. In 2021, when they were in Class X, no board exam could be held because of the Covid pandemic.
This year, 30 per cent of the questions were competency-focussed. Students across schools had reported to their teachers that they found some of the papers, especially science, math and accounts, “difficult”.
“Compared to last year, our average has gone down. Marks in the commerce stream and math have pulled our school average down.The average score in math, however, is higher compared with last year,” said Alok Tibrewal, pro-vice-chairman, Delhi Public School Ruby Park.
Birla High School for Boys, South Point, Sushila Birla Girls’ School and Mahadevi Birla World Academy have all seen a dip in their average performance compared with last year.
Birla High School’s average score is 85.01 per cent this year, down from 87 last year.
At Sushila Birla Girls’ School, the average has come down from 87.6 per cent last year to 85.
At South Point, the average has dropped by about three per cent.
At Mahadevi Birla World Academy, the average has come down from 87 per cent last year to 84.19.
There are a few exceptions such as Lakshmipat Singhania Academy and Indus Valley World School, where the school average has improved.
Lakshmipat Singhania Academy’s average has increased from 88 per cent last year to 90.
“Compared with last year, the exam parameters were different for this batch. The examinees this year wrote full-length papers,” said Loveleen Saigal, principal, Birla High School for Boys.
Last year, the examinees wrote the school-leaving exams in two terms.
The pass percentage in the Bhubaneswar region, of which Bengal is a part, is 83.89.
The CBSE Class X results, too, were announced on Friday afternoon. The pass percentage of the Bhubaneswar region is 93.64.
At a principals’ meet recently, the director of academics of CBSE said competency-focused questions in Class X and XII would go up by 10 per cent every year.
“If students are acquainted with the change in pattern, they will be well prepared and chances of a surprise in the question papers will come down,” said Tibrewal, of Delhi Public School Ruby Park.
At a number of schools, the toppers have scored cent percent. But students lower down the rungs have been affected, according to teachers.
“We are more concerned about the average students,” said Rupa Sanyal Bhattacharjee, principal, South Point.
Anjana Saha, principal, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, linked the dip in average performance to the pandemic.
“They were directly promoted, automatic promotion…. This was the only reality check they faced, the first board exam of their lives. This was a stumbling experience for many,” she said.
Because of the pandemic, the 2023 batch of Class XII attended online classes in Class XI. Throughout last year, students also reported mental health problems, which were suspected to be linked to the pandemic.
“Some students in this batch had problems of concentration. Some had panic attacks before the boards. We had to handhold them right up to the exams with revision tests and remedial classes,” said Koeli Dey, principal of Sushila Birla Girls’ School.
Exams 2024
Next year’s Class X and XII board exams will start on February 15, the CBSE authorities said.
Last updated on 13 May 2023
