HYDERABAD: CBSE students will be asked application-based, out-of-the-box and case-study questions, which are not taught in class where they will have to ponder over and figure out the answer. Those following the SSC syllabus in the state can get the benefit of practice papers sent by the government before the exams, said principals of CBSE and SSC schools.
Students are always anxious regarding their preparation methods and seek guidance, especially those from CBSE schools. The board has yet again changed its paper pattern and students will be asked several “competency-based” questions.
What students want the most during exams other than important questions and blue print is the support from parents and teachers in making them understand a few concepts and not de-motivate or discourage them.
A Class 9 CBSE student, Jeevika Mehta, said that subjects that are considered “easy,” like English and Hindi, are where students lose most of their marks. “Classwork has no relevance regarding these two subjects as questions are invariably out of the classwork. We can at least manage the questions asked from poems and literature chapters as we have to read the lessons many times to understand the concept. However, we lose a lot on marks in grammar and comprehension. No worksheets are given and we spend an hour on one comprehension, especially in English, which takes away all our marks,” she said.
A Class 10 CBSE student, Vidhi K., said that she was nervous to write her board exams as she and her friends were always disappointed after writing the English and mathematics pre-boards. This is because there is hardly anything from the textbook.
“A lot of logical thinking in all subjects requires a calm mind and a lot of time which we do not have. They can directly ask what is taught. But they want to twist every question, which is very difficult,” Vidhi said.
However, a student from the same school said that if the concepts are understood well, and if students pay attention to the examples and practical classes, all questions become easy to answer.
Students said that sometimes many teachers give too many important questions, which add to their pressure. Also they expect a reward-based system from teachers and parents. A Class VII student said that during their weekly tests, her teacher gives chocolates to the top three students as a move to motivate them.
Each school has a different paper pattern. The papers are set by schools except for class 10 and 12, which are boards. Several schools ask what is taught from the textbook and others ask application-based questions, parents said.
They felt that asking application-based questions is helping the child grow and think out of the box, which is essential for their all-round growth. However, some said that it would be better if questions were asked from the syllabus as students are already studying a lot of concepts. They said that most parents give attention to entrance exams for those writing 12 board exams. The change in CBSE paper pattern is adding pressure.
