The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education on Thursday announced a “blueprint” that provides details on chapter/topic-wise questions and marks in each subject factoring in the reduction in the syllabus necessitated by the Covid pandemic.

The state government had last month pruned the syllabuses for the students of Classes X and XII, who will write their board exams next year, as in-person classes could not be held because of the pandemic.

The blueprint uploaded on the secondary education board’s website details how many multiple choice questions, very short questions, short and explanatory and essay-type questions each paper could have in next year’s Madhyamik, the dates of which have not yet been announced.

The truncated syllabuses had been posted on the board’s website on November 26.

“The pattern of questions set on the basis of the truncated syllabus should help the examinees prepare themselves for the next year’s board examinations,” said Kalyanmoy Ganguly, the president of the board.

The guideline on English states what types of questions could be set from the reading (seen), reading (unseen), grammar and vocabulary, and writing sections. The guideline on math details the types of questions likely to be set for arithmetic, algebra, geometry and mensuration.

An official of the board said the syllabus restructure committee set up by the school education department and the board’s subject experts had finalised the guidelines. The syllabuses of the two classes were reduced following the committee’s recommendation.

The board has sent copies of the blueprints to the heads of all institutions affiliated to it.

Saugata Basu, the general secretary of the Government School Teachers’ Association, said: “We want the board to publish two to three types of model question papers so candidates could prepare better for the exams,” Basu said.

Schools have remained shut since the third week of March and the government has yet to announce when they will eventually reopen.

A board official said it had been proposed to the state government that next year’s Madhyamik be held from June 1 to 10. “The dates have been suggested keeping in mind that the pandemic is going to continue over next few months and the Assembly elections are likely to be held in April and May,” the official said.

“We are not aware of any such proposal,” said Partha Karmakar, the deputy secretary (academic) of the secondary education board.