Test held for classes IX, XI for the first time; class XI results not yet out
The results of the class IX Problem Solving Assessment test, conducted by CBSE for the first time for classes IX and XI this year, were sent to individual schools on Friday.
According to CBSE officials, Chennai was one of the four regions where the results have been declared. The test, which will substitute the Formative Assessment 4 (FA 4) component, carries a 10 per cent weightage in the overall marking scheme.
Though the Board had provided students with sample papers, there was no set syllabus. The paper tested students on aspects such as creative thinking, critical thinking, problem solving and communication.
Students who wrote the examination in February and are yet to hear of the results said they found the paper interesting.
Harsh Munoth, a class IX student said that he was quite anxious before the paper, despite the school having given them training because the scores will reflect in four subjects — maths, science, social studies and either English or Language in the FA 4 component. “I really enjoyed the test. Though we faced only one exam, it tested us on four subjects,” he said.
However, some schools said that since the test was conducted for the first time, and the concept was still new to students, the students’ performance has been varied.
V. Suma Padmanabhan, principal, Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School, said that while the results threw up some individual surprises, it was not very exciting on the whole as the Formative Assessment is a component where students score well.
“While there are students who have scored a 9 on a 10-point scale, most students have scored between 6-8 points. Many have fared well in English and science, while maths might be a disappointment to them. Usually, students get A1s and A2s in the FA,” she said.
TMJ Padmanabhan, principal, Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya, Avadi said thatstudents in the school have largely scored above 60 per cent. At another school in south Chennai where 176 class IX students took the exam, the highest was 8.89 on 10. However, some of their scores hit rock-bottom too.
“Teachers were saying that students needed more preparation because it is a new format. The lowest score was recorded in social studies. But students have the opportunity to sit for the exam next year and improve their scores,” an official said.
The 90-mark paper, which had 60 multiple-choice questions, tested students on quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis and language conventions.
The PSA score will reflect in the FA 4 scores of the four subjects and will be carried forward to the FA 4 of the next academic year.
The class XI PSA results are yet to be announced.
It is good that CBSE is trying to bring lot of changes in the
educational system but cbse should realize that these changes are more stressful for the students rather than reducing their burden. The
public and the teachers will agree with me that CCE is running in many
schools with lot of confusions. Rather changing the whole system cbse
could have incorporated to asses the overall development of the
students with the internal assessments. These assessment marks could
be calculated along with the term marks. For example 20% internal and
40+40 external written paper. I feel the children are becoming Guinny
pigs to test the changes.
Being a student of class ix i feel that PSA should not be taken for fa4.
I don't get the point how CBSE will test us for social too as there was
nothing related to social in the paper. If suppose i score well in maths
and really bad in science then on what basis will they take the mark if
they took average for the subjects . I think this mark should not be
carry forwarded to class x because many might be good at the written
test rather than this. I think this method is totally baseless.
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