CBSE Term Exam 2022: Exam pattern confuses students, teachers; Divides opinion

CBSE Term Exam 2022: The Central Board of Secondary Education introduced two term exams this year for Class 10 and Class 12. The board split the academic year into two terms with separate exams at the end of each. The first term was conducted in November-December and included objective-type questions. The second term is expected for March, but the final date is yet to be announced. It will have both short and subjective-type long questions.

However, students and teachers have had mixed reactions over the format.

MRG School, Rohini, Principal Anshu Mittal told IE Online that two different patterns in one academic year was an uphill task.

The second term is short and changing the students’ mindset, and style of answering is tedious, she said. A healthy amalgamation of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and subjective questions is important as some subjects and concepts can be assessed only when the teachers can read what the student writes.

However, Pacific World School, Greater Noida, Headmistress Awani Singh believes that the multiple-choice format allowed the students to warm up for competitive exams. The MCQ pattern is comprehensive and allows a student’s concept clarity to be assessed. This format prepares the students for what lies ahead in competitive exams, she said.

However, most academics agree that the format for one academic year should remain the same.

Pacific World School TGT, English, Amandeep Kaur said introducing two formats and bifurcating the syllabus in the same session had been difficult for both students and teachers. The teachers have had to transform their teaching methodology to adapt to the format.

Many students preparing for the second-term exams are also not inclined towards the transition. Riddhima Magon of Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School said she had been taught to write long answers throughout her school life. The board’s sudden decision to shift to an objective-type paper and then reverting to subjective is making the process a game of catch.

Abhay Hari, a Class 12 student from Jingle Bells School in Bareilly said the MCQ format seemed easier while preparing but he did not like it once he took the exam. MCQs reduce the ability to apply understanding and creativity in a subject like business studies, where the examinee and the examiner can have different but correct strategies to approach a problem.

Talking about the transition, Abhay told IE Online that he did not think it was wise to introduce two formats in a single year, adding that it had added to the stress instead of reducing it.

Yash Goel, a science student from Delhi Public School, Indirapuram, said he liked the MCQ format since he had been preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination, which had prepared him for the format. He added that it was a good exercise before competitive exams.

Anushka Khanna, a Class 10 student from St. Francis School in Bareilly found the MCQ pattern difficult during her preparations but gained confidence after appearing for it. However, she believes there were better chances of scoring good marks in the subjective paper compared to the first-term format. She told IE Online that including both formats in the same year would help the students learn to deal with both types of assessment, adding that it was a good idea.

Asked about the trending #cancelboardexams2022 on Twitter, Anushka said she did not want the exams to be cancelled because they had worked hard for it. She added that the exams should be conducted online if offline mode was not possible.

Prisha Khandelwal, a Class 12 student from Bal Bharti Public School, Pitampura, said the MCQ format had reduced the burden of rote learning but had also destroyed the habit of framing and writing long answers. She supports the demand to cancel the exams because the students, she said, had been given a short time to prepare for a difficult set of chapters.