Computer-based test likely for classes 9-11 students

CHENNAI: With confusion still prevailing among schools over the calculation of marks after all students were declared pass without examinations, the State government is working out possibilities of conducting computer-based tests, especially for students of State-run schools, to allocate marks based on their performance.

Last year, when the Class 10 students were declared all-pass, their individual marks were calculated based on the attendance and performance in the quarterly and half-yearly exams.

This year, however, even after schools were reopened, attendance was not made compulsory. Also, except for very few private institutions in cities, most schools have not conducted any revision test as the teachers were busy completing the portions for board exam students.

Noting that the government had announced that it would soon issue guidelines for calculating marks, a senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next that the authorities were now discussing the possibilities of conducting tests for the students at the computer labs of Staterun schools.

The government’s move to hold such tests for government school students to decide their marks came after feedback from parents, teachers and academicians that conducting test was the only way to calculate marks.

“The test might be computer-based, and students would appear for it at their respective schools. The private schools will be instructed to conduct the test on their own and submit the marks to government so that mark sheets could be prepared for them, too,” the official said.

Pointing out that the government had already conducted computer-based assessment tests for students of State-run schools, the official said same objective type method test would be adopted this test, too.

However, the official added that the test would be conducted only after seeing how much portion was covered by the government schools. “The questions would only be based on the portions covered,” he said.

“Headmasters and teachers will be instructed to furnish weekly updates about the portions that have been covered so that the decision could be taken on conducting the test,” he added.

Last year, when the Class 10 students were declared all-pass, their individual marks were calculated based on the attendance and performance in the quarterly and half-yearly exams