More Time to Write CBSE Summative Exam

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked schools to provide 30 minutes extra time for Class IX and X students to complete their exams. This move will help to reduce exam stress. Class 9 and 10 will have to undergo summative assessment (Term-1) in the month of September 2010.

At present these students are allowed to take three hours to write their exams and, henceforth, they can write for half an hour more. The CBSE believes that this would help the students concentrate more on the questions and write answers at their own pace.

In a circular issued to all schools on August 2, Mr M.C. Sharma, controller of examination, CBSE, said that schools needed to have flexible timings for exams in order to cater to the different pace with which students responded to questions. Timing for the exam may vary from three to three-and-a-half hours depending on the student’s ability to answer the question paper, said the circular.

Last year, the CBSE had introduced various examination reforms, including continuous and comprehensive evaluation. However, several students had opposed it stating that instead of reducing their workload, it increased pressure. Mr Sharma said students studying in Class IX and X would be internally tested during examination.