CHENNAI: Setting a new example for other boards, the school education department to give marks for attendance and field visits in the plus-1 public exam which is to be conducted for this academic year. Of 10 marks allocated for internal assessment, the students who have more than 85 per cent attendance will get 3 marks in each subject. For field visits, assignments and projects they will be awarded 2 marks. The internal exams will have 5 marks.
In the previous announcements, the department has reduced the plus-1 and plus-2 exam subject marks from 200 to 100. Within the 100 marks, 90 marks will be awarded for the written exam and 10 marks for internal assessment. School education minister K.A. Sengottaiyan released the government order which has the details of new evaluation pattern and model question paper for plus-1 exam here on Friday. The plus-1 public exam paper will be a lot tougher as 30 per cent weightage given to higher-order thinking skills. It will have 20 per cent of applications-oriented questions and 10 per cent of creative questions.
As per the government order, the plus-1 question paper will have only 30 per cent questions testing the knowledge (memory based). Remaining 40 per cent questions will test the understanding of concepts. “This evaluation pattern and model question paper will move the students from the rote memory system to creative learning,” said G. Arivoli, director, State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT). On giving marks to the student’s attendance, he said “One of the main complaints of the teachers is that the students are not regular to the class. If students know that they can score 18 marks by coming to school regularly, the attendance will increase and in turn, it will result in better learning outcomes.”
The new question paper pattern also has done away with the essay type questions. The paper will have one mark, two marks, three marks and five marks questions. “We have referred as many as 16 boards and no board has the essay type questions. The reduction in the total marks also necessitated in removing the essay type questions,” officials said. Students have to answer all the 20 one mark questions. Of the two marks and three marks questions, they have to answer a minimum of seven questions with one being the compulsory question. In the five marks, the questions will have the internal choice.
“The compulsory questions will make the students read all the lessons,” officials explained. For the subjects which have practical exams, the written exam will be conducted for 70 marks. SCERT is also planning to do away with the blueprint which allows the teachers to select the lessons and teach. Students who could not clear the exam will not be detained in plus-1. They can write their arrears while studying in plus-2.
