87% of Class 10 CBSE students opt for board-based examinations

The percentage of city students opting for the Class 10 CBSE board exams has jumped to 87% as compared to 66% last year. Despite school-based exams being considered equivalent to board exams in the CBSE system, an increasing number of students are opting for the latter.

The percentage of city students opting for the Class 10 CBSE board exams has jumped to 87% as compared to 66% last year. Despite school-based exams being considered equivalent to board exams in the CBSE system, an increasing number of students are opting for the latter.

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5,419 students from 41 CBSE schools in Mumbai have registered for the board exams that begin on Friday, while only 809 students will appear for the school-based exams.

The number of students app-earing for school-based exams last year was close to 1,100. In Maharashtra, 26, 857 are appearing for the board exam this year, as compared to 21,000 last year.

The school-based exams, introduced three years ago to reduce exam-related stress, does not seem to be a popular option among students.

Geeta Balgangadharan, principal, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Panvel, said, “We have very few takers for school-based exams this year. Around 50 students from our school are opting for the school-based exam as parents feel they can only take an exam seriously if the assessment is done by the board.’’

Gangadharan said there is no reason why students and parents should look down on school-based exams, because though evaluation is done internally by school teachers, control over the entire process has been retained by the CBSE.

The board sets the question papers, provides the marking scheme for evaluation and appoints moderators to check papers.

The results of both exams are declared simultaneously and the marksheets are also common.

However, students are not convinced. Many fear the scores from such exams will not be accepted by institutes of higher education. “I prefer the board exams because I think I will have more options for further studies,” said Tulika Chanda, a Class 10 student from Vile Parle.