The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) on Tuesday clarified that it could conduct tests to enable students to improve their scores in the cancelled ICSE and ISC papers “one to two months” after the declaration of the results of the two board exams.

The results of the ICSE (Class X) and ISC (Class XII) exams are likely to be declared by July 15.

The tests in the papers that were pending when the board exams were suspended in March, because of the spread of Covid-19, were cancelled on June 26.

The circular issued by the council on Tuesday reads: “The CISCE would like to clarify that…. These examinations would be conducted by the CISCE within a period of 1-2 months from the date of the declaration of the results, subject to the containment of the Covid-19 Pandemic and the overall prevailing conditions in the country….”

The council had earlier said that it would conduct exams in the cancelled papers “in the near future” to give students the option to improve their marks in the subjects.

The heads of many schools complained to the council that there was confusion among students since there was no clarity about when the exams would be conducted.

The schools had sought a clarification from the council in this regard.

In its Tuesday circular, the council also clarified: “...After the declaration of the ICSE/ISC Year 2020 results, this option (to appear in the exam) will be given only to those candidates, who are not satisfied with their results and would like to improve their marks in particular subject(s) for which the examination was not conducted.”

The council has said it will adopt a methodology for assessing ICSE and ISC examinees in the papers in which the examinations have been cancelled.

The council had informed the schools on June 26 that the remaining papers of the ICSE and ISC had been cancelled. “If the situation is deemed conducive, in the near future, the CISCE may give an option to candidates to write any or all of the remaining papers of the ICSE/ISC Year 2020 Examinations at a later date whereby the marks so obtained by the candidate in that written examination(s) shall be considered as their final marks,” the council had said in a circular on July 26.

The council in its circular on Tuesday also directed the schools to keep the question papers of the examination which have not been conducted in their bank lockers. The question papers are likely to be used for conducting the improvement examinations.

The heads of all schools have been asked to inform the students about the clarification.