Class 12 students from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said they saw stars when they began writing their mathematics paper in Bangalore on Wednesday, describing it as tough and that several questions were out of syllabus.
Students spoke to The Hindu mentioned that they were demoralised after attempting the paper. One, who had hoped to get a centum, said: “I’m not even sure if I will get 70 now. After preparing for an entire year, I was unable to solve several questions. We were accustomed to a particular pattern and we were taken aback when we saw so many tricky questions out of the textbook.”
Parents write
A group of parents of students from the Kendriya Vidyalaya, Hebbal, have written a letter to the Regional Officer, CBSE Chennai Region, urging appropriate remedial action.
The letter, a copy of which is with The Hindu, states that the paper deviated from the standard pattern of the previous years. “Most of the questions given were not regular problems and twisted and were beyond the capacity of an average child,” the letter stated.
Yagati Keshava Murthy, a parent, said the tough paper would cause a drop in the overall percentage of the student, affecting ranking in competitive exams like JEE, Common Entrance Test. “CBSE students will be at a disadvantage as compared to students of other boards. We want the board to take appropriate action and help our wards to meet their aspirations,” Mr. Murthy said.
Meanwhile, sources from the CBSE Regional Office in Chennai told The Hindu over the phone: “A group of subject experts meet routinely after an exam to discuss the paper and the evaluation process. We will forward the letters and grievances that we receive from parents to them so that they can be examined.”
