Pre-boards begin at CBSE schools
Students practise answering questions in new exam format
CBSE schools across the UAE have started conducting pre-board exams in preparation for the final tests that are scheduled in mid-november.
India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) recently shared the date sheets for Grade 10 and 12 exams, both of which can be downloaded from its official site.
This year’s tests will be divided into two terms. Each set of exams covers 50 per cent of the curriculum.
Muhammad Ali Kottakkulam, principal of Gulf Indian High School Dubai, said their preboards are scheduled to begin today. “Students need to be taken through the new process of answering the multiple-choice questions (MCQS) on OMR sheets, both manually and by filling in the bubbles. They are basically thrilled to be exposed to a different sort of assessment practice,” he said.
The board exams at Gulf Indian High School are expected to begin on November 15, with main subjects scheduled from November 24.
“Schools will serve as examination centres. External observers deputed by the CBSE will monitor the conduct of the exams. The encrypted question papers sent to the school will be printed on the campus itself. The board exams will be conducted only at the site, and OMR sheets need to be scored at the school on the same day and the marks uploaded to the CBSE (system),” Kottakkulam said.
Term 1 exams will be 90 minutes long, while those for Term 2 — scheduled in March-april
2022 — will be 120 minutes.
Bushra Mansoor, head of secondary at Springdales School Dubai, said: “Our second preboards have already begun, as we anticipated that the final boards would start by mid-end of November. With minor subjects starting in mid-november, our assessment roadmap was spot on.”
Students are being tested on their comprehension, inference and analytical skills rather than ‘mere recall’. “The MCQS with reasons and assertions require focus and test the students’ ability to confidently assess their own knowledge. Teachers have been trained on how to guide pupils,” she said.
The board has urged students not to panic and instead concentrate on their preparation.
Deepika Thapar Singh, CEO and principal of Credence High School, said: “Students are well prepared and any change in the pattern of assessment must be welcomed as it is well thought through by the authorities.”
The multiple-choice questions with reasons and assertions require focus and test the students’ ability to confidently assess their own knowledge.” Bushra Mansoor
Head of secondary, Springdales School Dubai