Errors in Class 5 scholarship papers; state to look at plaints

Weeks after several errors surfaced in the question papers for the state’s Teacher Eligibility Test, students, parents and experts have now pointed out similar mistakes

Weeks after several errors surfaced in the question papers for the state’s Teacher Eligibility Test, students, parents and experts have now pointed out similar mistakes in the Class 5 scholarship exam papers. The exams were conducted on Sunday.

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Students were stunned to see that for several questions, the correct answer was not a part of the options given. In some cases, the question itself was wrong. For instance, for a question on the duration Diwali sale, the duration of which was printed as ‘10/10/2017 to 10/10/2017’, implying that the offer was only valid for a day, had seven, eight, 10 and 17 as options for answer.

“Children were not just confused, but also demotivated to take their exams after they spotted so many errors in the question paper. Many did not know which option to mark as all the options were wrong. Care needs to be taken to ensure that such errors do not occur in an important exam like the scholarship exam,” said a parent.

Tukaram Supe, commissioner, Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE), which conducts the exams, said they have received several complaints. “We are reviewing the objections and will take a decision on what needs to be done soon,” he said.

Experts said it was disappointing to see the casual approach of the education department towards such exams.

“Even after the criticism over TET, they are still making the same mistakes. It shows that they are not serious,” said a principal.