CBSE puts schools in a fix

Hyderabad: The CBSE has left its affiliated schools in the lurch over the conduct of the Problem Solving Assessment (PSA) test for Class 9 students this year. The board has not collected the exam fee for the test this time and hasn’t announced any decision to scrap the exam either, creating confusion.

Sources say the test has been scrapped, and this would affect the students’ final grades. The board had scrapped the PSA improvement exam for Class 10 students. This meant the previous year’s (Class 9) PSA scores will be taken into consideration, and this means students will not get a chance to improve their scores. Such a provision had been given in the previous years. Some CBSE school principals who approached the CBSE regional office in Chennai have been told by officials that the PSA has been scrapped. Publishers haven’t brought out guides for the PSA this year, though the test is usually held in November.

PSA was being held by CBSE in all subjects for Class 9 students, in place of the Formative Assessment-4, and it sought to test the analytical and logical reasoning skills of students. “This year, the CBSE hasn’t collected the PSA exam fee of Rs 100. CBSE school principals are confused in the absence of an official announcement,” said a CBSE school principal.

Schools are debating if they should themselves conduct the Formative Assessment-4 or the CBSE has an alternative plan. Students of Class X are also at a loss because PSA improvement facility for them has been scrapped.

“We are awaiting a final word from CBSE. There is no column to enter PSA improvements marks of Class X students,” said N Naveen Reddy, chairman of the Hyderabad Sahodaya Schools Complex.