SSC exams from tomorrow: Students set to give their best

More than 3.91 lakh students from Mumbai division, which includes Thane, Raigad and Palghar, will appear for the state secondary board (Class 10) exams that begin

More than 3.91 lakh students from Mumbai division, which includes Thane, Raigad and Palghar, will appear for the state secondary board (Class 10) exams that begin on Tuesday. The exams will be held at 1,024 centres in the division.

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Sandeep Sangave, secretary, Mumbai divisional board, said that several flying squads and sitting squads will be deployed for strict vigilance.

“We have asked our squads to be cautious, especially in sensitive centres where cases of malpractices have been reported in the past. The board is completely prepared to ensure a smooth conduct of examinations,” added Sangave.

The board has deployed six flying squads and several sitting squads this year. In a first, it has also decided to not entertain requests from private candidates who asked for a last minute centre change citing various reasons. “Only genuine medical requests have been catered to.”

This year, 2,795 students with special needs have registered for the exam. The board has granted special permissions such as allotting extra time, nod for a writer to most of these students.

Students would once again have to write only 80-mark exams in languages and social sciences as 20 marks are reserved for oral exams.

In 2019, the board had scrapped oral exams which brought down the scores of students significantly. “We are hoping that a reversal in the policy would bring down stress that students undergo before these papers. Last year, many students had called citing stress about writing a 100- mark paper,” said a counsellor manning the board helpline.

Those who wish to address their exam related queries can call on the board’s official helpline numbers while students who feel stressed about writing their exams can call any of the counsellors listed by the board for guidance.