HSC students can take their own log books to exams

The decision has been taken as students had complained that the log books supplied by the board during the exams conducted in February 2014 were riddled with minor errors.

In the approaching Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams, students will be allowed to carry their own books with logarithm tables for Physics and Maths papers. However, they will have to get the log books approved by their supervisors, prior to the examinations.

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The decision has been taken as students had complained that the log books supplied by the board during the exams conducted in February 2014 were riddled with minor errors.

“I am relieved that I will get to carry my own log book. The books given by the boards are generally in poor condition, torn in places and with pages falling out,” said Saurav Shirke, a student from Virar who will be appearing for the exam in September.

A circular issued by the Mumbai division of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education on Wednesday (MSBSHSE) said that students will be allowed to carry their own log books when they appear in the HSC September-October exams, starting on September 26. The rule will also be extended to the HSC exams conducted in February-March.

The circular states that students can use their own log books for any subject that requires their use. But books containing any other information besides the log tables will not be allowed, said Laxmikant Pandey, divisional chairperson of the state board.

“Supervisors at the exam centres will reserve the right to stop a student from using his or her own log book, if it is found to have answers, illustrations, mathematical formulae or any other information not related to the log table,” said Pandey.

However, teachers said that it will be difficult for supervisors to check each and every student’s log book. “There are at least 50 students per classroom in some exam centres,” said Rajesh Pandya, teacher, Fatima Devi English High School. “The supervisor does not have a lot of time before the exam to check every child’s book. Students could use these books to cheat in exams.”