COVID-19: Optional exams to improve performance in class 12 boards to be held in September, says CBSE

The optional exams for improvement of performance in class 12 board examination are proposed to be held in September, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said on Thursday.

The results of the exams, which were cancelled in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, were announced last month on the basis of an alternate assessment scheme.

Compartment examination for class 10 and 12 are also being planned in September while dates for the exams will be announced soon, the board said.

"Optional examination for class 12 students whose result has been declared based on the assessment scheme and wish to improve their performance, are proposed to be conducted in September, along with the compartment examination for both class 10 and 12 students. Dates will be announced soon," CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj.

"The marks obtained by a candidate in these optional examinations will be treated as final for those who have opted to take these examinations," he added.

While the regular candidates have been asked to approach their respective schools, the private candidates are required to apply directly using the link on the board's website by August 22.

"A candidate will be examined only in the syllabus as prescribed for the year of examination. Students must go through the eligibility and pass criteria as well as curriculum for the year of examination and scheme of studies carefully before filling the form," Bhardwaj said.

Girls outshone boys by nearly 6 percentage points in the CBSE class 12 examination results declared last month.

The overall pass percentage increased by 5.38 points this year. While 83.40 per cent students cleared the exam last year, 88.78 per cent students cleared it this year.

According to the four-pointer scheme, marks have been awarded on the basis of marks scored by a student in his or her best performing subjects.

According to the assessment scheme, students were divided into four categories. The first had students who sat in tests for all their subjects; their results have been declared on the basis of their performance in all the papers.

Students in the second category had appeared for more than three subjects. They have been awarded marks for subjects they did not appear for based on the average of the marks obtained by them in the three best performing subjects.

The board identified a third category of students who appeared in only three subjects. For them, the average of marks obtained in the two best performing subjects has been awarded in the subjects whose examinations were not conducted.

The students in the fourth category were mainly from the February riot-affected northeast Delhi region, where exams had to be postponed. The results of these students have been declared on the basis of their performance in the subjects they took the test for, besides their performance in internal or practical project assessment.

The board also decided against announcing a merit list this year in view of the exceptional circumstances.

The number of students scoring over 95 per cent in class 12 exam this year is more than double the 2019 figure of 17,693, the CBSE said.

This year, when the examinations were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the figure more than doubled, with 38,686 students scoring above 95 per cent.

Similarly, the number of students who scored above 90 per cent also increased from about 94,000 students in 2019 to almost 1.6 lakh this year, it said.

(Photo Credit: PTI)