Maharashtra: HSC students from previous years await class improvement exams

While these students have been registered by the state board for Class 12 exams and had also received hall tickets in March this year, the scrapping of exams has left such students without results

Days after the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) announced results for Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC-Class 12), students who had applied solely for the class improvement exam are stuck in limbo. While these students have been registered by the state board for Class 12 exams and had also received hall tickets in March this year, the scrapping of exams has left such students without results, unlike the other Class 12 students.

HSC students celebrated after checking their results online at Vashi on August 3. (HT PHOTO)

“Class improvement exams are generally for students who want to better their score to be eligible for higher education courses. Many are medical, engineering and architecture hopefuls, in need of a better score in order to be eligible for the all-India entrance exams. This year, while exams for fresh and repeat candidates were scrapped and results were announced based on students’ performance through the year, class improvement students have no choice but to appear for the exam,” said Unnati Jha, one such candidate. Unnati cleared her HSC exam in March 2020, and scored 73.5% in her exams, but needed 75% or more to be eligible for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains exam. “I’ve studied very hard past one year only to be able to give the HSC exam again and better my score, but with no exams in sight, I am worried about losing another precious year,” added Unnati.

Rajvi Pandya, 17, had scored 64% in her HSC exam held in March 2020 but her overall score in Physics-Chemistry-Biology was below 50%. “This made her ineligible for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG), the all-India medical entrance exam, so she had applied for the class improvement exam in December 2020 itself and also received her hall ticket in March this year for the exam which was scheduled for April 2020. Once exams were scrapped, other repeat candidates seem to have got results but those who applied for class improvement are still stuck,” said Ujjwal Pandya, her brother. Many like Rajvi have approached the state board but to no avail.

Due to rising Covid-19 cases plaguing several parts of the country this year, most school education boards decided to scrap their Class 10 and 12 board exams and instead assess students based on their performance in the current and previous academic years.

In the first week of July, state minister for school education, Varsha Gaikwad announced that HSC results this year will follow a 30-30-40 pattern, giving weightage to a student’s performance in Class 10, 11 and 12, respectively. She also stated that students who wish to improve their scores will get to appear for physical exams which will be held in the near future depending on the Covid situation. No date or information on these exams has been announced yet.

“We are aware of this situation and the fact that many students are waiting to appear for these exams to better their scores. The board is working on it and a detailed program will be announced very soon,” said a senior official from MSBSHSE.