Jr college cut-offs may rise

Prathamesh Jain scored a perfect 100% in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams, declared on Friday. Two of his classmates also scored 100%.

Prathamesh Jain scored a perfect 100% in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams, declared on Friday. Two of his classmates also scored 100%.

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The Best-Five formula, coupled with the extra 25 marks for playing state-level sports, have given the SSC students an edge over the ICSE and CBSE students.

The city’s highest Class 10 ICSE score this year is 98.6%.

The SSC students’ advantage is likely to be reflected in the merit lists of coveted colleges. “Best-Five and sports marks push up scores. It resulted in more SSC students getting into our college last year as compared to the previous years,” said Kirti Narain, principal of Jai Hind College in Churchgate.

This is the second year that students have availed the Best-Five scheme that allows them to drop one subject while arriving at their average score. The SSC schools had also encouraged their students to take up a sport. “I expected to get 100% because I took up fencing,” said Jain, who scored 100%.

At least 1,077 SSC students in the Mumbai division have got the extra 25 marks. While ICSE students too get 25 marks for sports, many have complained of difficulties in availing the scheme through the district sports offices (see box).

College principals said the trend of inflated marking was visible across all boards. Swapna Durve, vice-principal, Mithibai College, said “Cut-offs will be higher, and it is unlikely to go below 90% in good colleges.”