ISC psychology examination scheduled for Wednesday postponed to April 4

The ISC (Class XII) psychology examination scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed to April 4, leaving hundreds of students disappointed, disturbed and angry.

This is the second time in the course of the 2024 ISC examinations that the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has had to put off an exam.

The ISC chemistry exam, which had been scheduled for February 26, was cancelled barely one-and-a-half hours before the test because of “unforeseen circumstances”. The test was finally held on March 21.

The council in a circular addressed to the heads of the examination centres on Tuesday said one of the centres had “reported the question paper packet” of the psychology examination “lost”.

“It (the postponement) is not by choice and we are as saddened by it as anyone else. It is unfair to continue the examination if one centre has lost a packet,” Sangeeta Bhatia, deputy secretary, CISCE, told The Telegraph over the phone.

The schools received the circular around 4pm on Tuesday and started informing students about the sudden change in plan.

“...one of the ISC Year 2024 Examination Centres has reported the Question Paper packet of the forthcoming ISC Year 2024, Psychology Examination, lost. In view of the above fact, the ISC Year 2024 Psychology Examination, scheduled for Wednesday, 27th March 2024, has been postponed. The examination has been rescheduled for Thursday, 4th April 2024, 2pm. You are requested to kindly disseminate this information to all concerned,” reads the notice from the council to the heads of the ISC examination centres.

The school-leaving exams, which started on February 12, was to be over on April 3.

The principals of several school said psychology was the last paper for many students. The postponement extends the exams and the stress by more than a week.

“There is a stress in stretching your preparations for an examination, especially when it is rescheduled the previous evening. The students were mentally equipped to write an exam on Wednesday, which got disturbed,” said Damayanti Mukherjee, principal, Modern High School for Girls.

Psychology is not taught in all ISC schools in Calcutta.

But at several prominent schools, between 30 and 50 students on average write the psychology paper in the ISC exams.

“As soon as we received the circular, we sent emails to the students. They have been informed about the change,” said Rupkatha Sarkar, principal, La Martiniere for Girls.

Students across institutions sounded upset.

“This is not just disappointing but it makes us angry, too. Students across the country or even outside have to pay for the irresponsibility of one centre,’ said Archi Adhikari, a Class XII examinee.

“Wednesday’s exam was supposed to be my last ISC test, but now it has been significantly pushed. My previous paper was on March 20 and I had had enough time for psychology. It is arduous to go through the chapters over and over again,” said another Class XII student, Ritisha Bagchi.

The change will also upset the travel plans of many students and their families.

Many teachers said they were “shocked” that questions papers in a board examination could be “lost”.

“The conveners, who are school principals, are accountable if a question paper packet is lost and this should not have happened,” said Seema Sapru, principal, The Heritage School.

The question papers of all subjects reach the conveners much before the exam dates.

The principal of each school, or a person authorised by the principal, and the supervising examiner, who is from another school, collect the question papers and deposit them in the bank.

The question papers of a particular subject are withdrawn from the bank on the day of the exam.

“That a question paper packet was lost should ideally have been reported to the authorities when all the papers arrived. Secondly, the schools are supposed to arrange private transport, and not depend on public transport, to take the question papers to the bank and bring them from the bank to the school. So, how and where can the packet go missing?” said Terence John, principal, Julien Day School Kalyani.

No student from the school has psychology as one of the papers.
Some schools will have to make logistical arrangements because of the postponement.

“The ISC exams at our school were to get over on April 1, after which our session break was to start. The invigilators who were on duty on Wednesday might not be available on April 4. We will have to make fresh arrangements and write to the convener about it. But we will manage,” said Damayanti Mukherjee, principal, Modern High School for Girls.

“A fresh set of question papers to be used for the ISC Year 2024 Psychology Examination, scheduled for Thursday, 4th April 2024, will be sent to the Convener of your school, shortly,” the circular said.