About 40% of ICSE students scored 80% and above in the best-five average in the Class 10 board exam this year, compared to 12.2% of SSC students.
These marks are crucial for FYJC admissions, which have seen many tussles between SSC and non-state board students.
While detailed SSC data was available when results came out two weeks ago, an analysis of ICSE data was posted online on Wednesday by a blogger, who accessed the results unofficially.
It showed that 2.3% of SSC students scored 90% and more, compared to 13% of ICSE students.
Following complaints that ICSE students always dominated merit lists in top junior colleges, the state had introduced a percentile system to ‘normalise’ marks of students across boards in 2008, then in 2009 brought in a 90:10 reservation, and the bestfive policy in 2010, all of which were challenged in court.
Although the proportion of students getting 90% or more is higher in ICSE, the total number of students doing so is more in SSC.
“Different boards competing with each other to increase the proportion of 90% scorers each year is like an arms race which serves no purpose, except to artificially spike cut-offs,” said Prashant Bhattacharji, data science professional and founder of the Learning Point website, who accessed and analysed 1.39 lakh of the total 1.41 lakh results.
{{/usCountry}}“Different boards competing with each other to increase the proportion of 90% scorers each year is like an arms race which serves no purpose, except to artificially spike cut-offs,” said Prashant Bhattacharji, data science professional and founder of the Learning Point website, who accessed and analysed 1.39 lakh of the total 1.41 lakh results.
{{/usCountry}}“The real challenge is that we have limited seats in good colleges. Some sort of proper calibration is required to identify how one compares a person who scores 85% in ICSE with someone who scores 85% in CBSE or a similar figure in a state board.”
Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary of ICSE, said he was in a meeting when contacted, and did not respond to subsequent calls.
However, principals said they wouldn’t read too much into this for admissions. “The number of SSC students is so high, it won’t make much difference,” said Jyoti Thakur, junior college vice principal, Jai Hind.
“I don’t think it will affect cut-offs.”