Class 12 HSC exams: 8% increase in pvt candidates

Nearly 35,000 candidates in the Mumbai division will appear for the Class 12 HSC exams as private candidates this year. Private candidates are those who are not affiliated to any junior college and appear for the exams independently.

Nearly 35,000 candidates in the Mumbai division will appear for the Class 12 HSC exams as private candidates this year. Private candidates are those who are not affiliated to any junior college and appear for the exams independently.

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The number of students appearing privately has gone up by about 8% this year, from 32,297 last year to 34,800 this year.

“I am surprised the number is increasing,” said Laxmikant Pandey, board chairperson.

He felt that more students were leaving school after Class 10, joining coaching classes and appearing for the exam independently.

Candidates can appear for the Class 12 exams privately even if they have not cleared their Class 11, according to a rule introduced a few years ago.

“With the recent changes that have been introduced in the syllabus, it appears that more candidates are failing in Class 11, which is why they appear for their Class 12 exams privately,” said a junior college principal.

Choosing not to enter a junior college allows students who drop out or work to re-enter the mainstream education system at their convenience.

“Sometimes parents don’t want their children to repeat a year, and prefer if their children give the examination privately,” said Uma Chaudhary, principal, Amulakh Amichand B Vidyalaya in Matunga.