Most states favour shorter duration for Class 12 exams

Almost all states and Union territories (UTS) on Tuesday told the education ministry that the Central Board for Secondary Education’s (CBSE) Class 12 examinations should be held, with most favouring shorter duration tests for the 19 major subjects.

Only Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal opposed holding examinations till all teachers and students were vaccinated. There were also differences over when the examination should be held. Some flood and extreme rainfall prone states such as Bihar, Assam and Uttarakhand want the examination to be held after the monsoon season.

The Union education ministry had given the states and UTS time till Tuesday to decide on the CBSE class 12 exams and choose one of the two options.

The first option was threehour examination for 19 major subjects in month of August. The second was 90-minute exams with students having to appear only in one language and three elective subjects from July 15 to August I and then from August 5 to August 26.

The exams will be 90 minutes long and will feature multiple choice questions (MCQ). Results for both options were proposed to be declared by the end of September.

The education ministry officials had said the idea was to start a shorter, new academic year from November and to reduce undue stress on students and parents. The ministry had said that cancelling the exams was also an option provided most states recommended that.

Among a few states that have suggested cancelling the examination was Delhi. “If the Centre and state governments work together, it would take 3 to 4 weeks to fully vaccinate teachers and students of class 12. Following vaccination, the ministry can arrange for examination as per option B,” Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia wrote to the Union education ministry on Tuesday.

Punjab school education minister Vijay Inder Singla backed Sisodia’s suggestion and preferred option B. “All students appearing in Class 12 board exams and teachers, both government and private, should be vaccinated before the board exams begin,” he said.

West Bengal also wanted the examinations to be cancelled. An official of the state education NEW DELHI: