Chennai: To replace rote learning in state board schools, the Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE) has informed all the schools that the upcoming plus-1 and plus-2 board exams will contain up to 20% questions based on creative and higher order thinking skills.
In the existing pattern, the board exam question papers have knowledge and understanding based questions with exception of one or two application-oriented questions.
“To prepare the students to face new challenges, the directorate has introduced several changes. In the current academic year, the plus 1, plus 2 board exams will contain up to 20% questions based on creative and higher order thinking skills,” the DGE said in a circular.
It also urged the teachers to prepare the students mentally to read the entire book instead of a few selected chapters in order to do well in the board exams.
Following the allegations that the students were tutored only in selected chapters, the directorate has already abolished blueprint in class 10 and plus 1 board exams last year.
But, the plus 2 exam was conducted based on the blueprint.
“Despite the fact that plus 2 board exams were conducted based on the blueprint, the directorate has received many requests from various sections including teacher associations, teachers and parents for awarding grace marks in the plus 2 board exams,” the DGE has pointed out.
Even though the plus 1 students did not have any blueprint they performed well in the board exam proving that to score good marks, the students need to study entire book, the circular said.
In the absence of the blueprint, weightage for the chapters will be divided equally among all the chapters in the book.
The schools likely to receive the model question paper for plus 2 exams in the first week of July.
It also further noted that the students appearing for board exams will have to write the question number along with answers in multiple choice questions section to get full marks.
While welcoming the new move of the directorate of government examinations, the school headmasters said bringing higher order thinking skills will help the students to do well in competitive exams.
“It will be the first step in abolishing the rote learning in schools. Students and teachers will find it difficult for first two years as there was no creative question asked in the board exams. But, we need such type of questions to prepare our students for future,” said K.John, headmaster, Thiru.Vi.Ka Higher Secondary School, Shenoy Nagar, Chennai.
CBSE is asking 10% to 20% creative questions and questions based on higher order thinking skills. Educationist P.B. Prince Gajendrababu asked the government to create opportunities to learn creatively in classrooms before asking creative questions in the exams.
After revaluation, 55% students get revised marks
Around 60% of students who have applied for revaluation of their plus 2 answer scripts got their marks revised this year.
The directorate of government examinations has released the plus 2 revaluation results on Thursday. “Of 2,600 students who have applied for revaluation this year, 1,455 students had their marks revised this year,” the Directorate of government examinations announced.
Around thousand students had upward revision up to 25 marks and remaining students got downward revision of marks. A source said many students got lesser marks in Maths subject. “As many as 20 marks reduced in Maths subject this year. Many students got fewer marks in subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology as well,” the source added. However, when enquired DGE officials said that there was nothing unusual this year and marks variation was similar to last year.
The number of applications for revaluation has witnessed a steep fall by 35% compared to last year due to various reasons including Neet based medical admissions.
