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The Central Board of Secondary Education answers questions relating to its examinations from The Hindu readers. Readers are welcome to send in questions primarily to those relating to Class X and XII examinations to cbsehelp@thehindu.co.in, which will be forwarded to the CBSE. Please clear the following doubts on Class X English paper. For Notice, is there any rule that the word NOTICE should be written above the school name? Should the date of the Notice be below the title or above it? Are both acceptable? Should the notice be signed with a signature or only with sd/- ? While writing a letter to the editor should it end with ''Yours truly'' only? Will there be questions on preparing or designing brochures, posters, itinerary or presentation of arguments for a debate? Different schools seem to hold different views and the guide books add to the confusion. Anju George & Diya Susan, Trivandrum First of all you should procure a copy of the Marking Scheme x Class X, 2006 from the Regional Office, CBSE, Chennai. It has all the answers to your questions. However, brief replies are given below to your queries: You should write 'Notice' and place your notice in a box. The word 'Notice' may be written either above or below the school name. The date should be below the title. However, from the examination point of view both are acceptable. Usually the question carries the name of the person sending the notice. You can sign accordingly or just write sd/-. Both are acceptable. You can use 'Yours truly' or 'Yours faithfully' as complementary close in all formal letters including letters to the editor. Brochure, poster and itinerary will not be tested in examination. But you may be asked to write a speech expressing your argument on a topic. Will there be diagrams to be drawn in Social Science board exams? How many diagrams would appear in the Science board exam? What type and for how many marks? Celestine Preetham There is very little probability of asking the candidates to draw diagrams in the Social Science question paper of the Board. But diagrams like pie diagram, etc., may be given in the question paper for interpretation by the candidates. There is no fixed weightage of marks assigned to diagrams in the question paper in Science. A candidate is required to draw the diagram wherever asked for. A labelled diagram generally carries half or one mark in a question. I want to know if the syllabus for Class X (batch 2008) has changed and, if yes, from where to procure the changed syllabus. Rupashree Yes. The syllabus for March 2008 Class X examination has changed completely. The Board has published the document Secondary School Curriculum, 2008 Volume I. This document includes the detailed syllabus in all subjects. The same is also available on the CBSE website www.cbse.nic.in. What are the deleted portions for Class X board exam? Ajesh Surendran There are a few sub-topics in Class X syllabus in Science which have been deleted for March 2007 Examination. The detailed Circular no. 25 dated May 24, 2005, which is still on the CBSE website, reflects all these deletions. Please provide some study techniques and tips on how to get interest in reading and how to remember. Sakthivinayagar If you have been making notes in your classes and writing assignments, it will greatly help you to go through them as you prepare for your examination. Reading your own work will give you satisfaction, improve your self-esteem and also make you self-aware of the areas in which you should improve. Begin by preparing very short answer and short answer questions lesson/topic- wise. Similarly in Mathematics, start with simple sums and problems in any area that you find easy. When you work out simple, short questions and sums, your confidence will increase and success is always a good motivating factor which will in turn make you interested in studies. Good memory comes by concentration and training. Unnecessary tension and anxiety about performance may impair your memory because such factors affect concentration negatively. So, first of all, auto-suggest to yourself that you are positive and you are capable of learning effectively. Remember that your first priority is learning and performance will take care of itself. Prepare a workable learning schedule and follow it with sincerity and application. Prepare fresh notes as you read and revise your lessons. Practise map work in Social Science and drawings and diagrams in Science and Mathematics. Besides providing variety to your work pattern, such practice will improve your retention and memory. In languages, practise reading and writing exercises with interest. Also revise your workbooks and literature readers. Spend some time with friends and go for short walks to relax. You may also do meditation exercises in the morning to improve your concentration. I am in Chennai and I want CBSE textbooks from Class I to X. Please tell me the procedure for obtaining them. Muhammed Ishaq CBSE does not prescribe textbooks for classes I to VIII. All the schools affiliated to the Board are required to follow the syllabus and course materials that are based on the National Curriculum Framework prepared by NCERT. CBSE prescribes NCERT textbooks in different subjects for Classes IX and X. In some subjects such as English Communicative and Sanskrit Communicative and Education in Disaster Management as part of Social Science, CBSE publishes its own course materials. You may get the list of NCERT textbooks from the NCERT website www.ncert.nic.in and for CBSE publications you may visit the CBSE Regional Office at Chennai. Certain diagrams given in the text such as that of the human heart are not clear. Our teacher has given us clear diagrams from other sources. If we are asked to draw such a diagram and prefer the one not from the text, will we lose marks? Does the syllabus for the science practicals (objective) exam include the experiments of class IX? When answering essay type questions, should we write all the points that answer the question even if this results in our exceeding the word limit? How do we know which are the precise points that the CBSE expects from us? Some of our teachers ask us to strictly adhere to the word limit; others tell us to include a maximum number of ideas. Which approach is correct? Urmila C. Class X, Kochi No, you will not lose any marks, provided the diagrams are scientifically correct, neat and properly labelled. No, it includes only the experiments for Class X practical syllabus. In most cases, the number of points is already given in the question itself and students should try their best to minimize the length of their answer within the specified word limit. In case the number of points is not specified in the question, then the answer of the essay type question should be given in six points with key word underlined and briefly explained. Try to stick to the word limit - it will help you organise your thoughts and present them effectively. However, do not be unduly worried about it. Usually students are not penalized for exceeding the word limit in long answer questions. In telegrams you should follow the word limit or else you may lose marks. CBSE has revised the syllabus of Class X and XII for the academic year 2007-08. But the revised syllabus is not available on the websites of CBSE or NCERT so far. Last year, due to non-availability of books, many CBSE students were put to hardship. Please upload the syllabus at least on the site for reference. Chief Coordinator, IIT-JEE/MED.ENT./AIEEE The CBSE Secondary School Curriculum (Classes IX & X) and Senior School Curriculum (Classes XI & XII) 2008 are available on the CBSE website. NCERT and CBSE are making every effort to make the new textbooks available in adequate quantity to all schools. The new textbooks will also be available on the NCERT website and they can be downloaded. I am a Class XII student. This is concerning the English paper. Can I use colours and visuals in notices, pamphlets and posters? Felicia Katherine Ruben If it is relevant and appropriate, you may use colours and visuals, but generally no weightage is given to such aspects in a language examination. If we take two Class XII students of the same calibre, one studying under CBSE and the other under the state board syllabus, the former will get lesser marks compared to the other in the final examination, thanks to the strict compliance of maintaining certain higher standards by the CBSE. All these days, this difference in standards was offset by the Common Entrance Test (CET) conducted for admission to various professional courses. If CET is abolished, the student of State Board will have a definite edge over CBSE student. I suggest the CBSE can also relax in awarding marks in the Class XII final examination and maintain a level playing field for their students. Otherwise, CBSE students will try to migrate to state board schools after Class X. T.C. Parthasarathy, Chennai CBSE has its own standards of quality and it cannot compromise on these standards. Further, a level playing field for students cannot be created by relaxing examination criteria. You should know that marks need not necessarily be a true reflection of a student's competence or ability. Every state has the autonomy to introduce changes in education to achieve equity and equality for its people. Similarly every individual has the freedom to choose the educational system on the basis of her/his needs and judgment. Are Class XII students allowed to use the science data book (commonly known as the logarithm book) during the Board exams? Some schools provide the book whereas some provide a sheet containing the logarithm tables only. Many students find it difficult to remember all the details regarding the periodic table, values of certain constants, etc. There are different types of science data books. The students are allowed to carry ordinary logarithm tables for calculation work in the examination. However, the other science data books containing variety of information, say SI units, values of constants, etc. are not allowed. The required information is generally given in the question paper itself. Why are there so many syllabuses - CBSE, State, ICSE etc.? Why not merge everything into one and call it as a common syllabus, that is, Secondary Education Syllabus? Why should there be any difference in the subjects being taught? It seems in Andhra Pradesh, Maths is excellent; for Physics, CBSE is very good, and for Chemistry, ICSE syllabus is better. This sort of variation in syllabus causes confusion among students and parents. A Delhi student should not be different from a Chennai/Mumbai student. This sort of thinking will bring about lot of changes in the whole study pattern so that so many entrance examinations after Class X / XII can be done away with, and the results in the Class X/XII examinations should speak for themselves. This is possible if the syllabuses are common.
R. Rajagopal,
As you may be aware, according to the Constitution of India, Education is a concurrent subject, that is, both the State Government(s) and the Central Government can legislate on all matters relating to education. Our national leaders and thinkers, in their wisdom, realised that in order to cater to the vast diversity of our country and to address the local needs along with national and global needs in education, there has to be adequate scope and flexibility in education. A rigid and uniform pattern for all the students of the country will neither be advisable nor healthy for nurturing the diverse human resource of the county. That is why the National Curriculum Framework prescribes the broad parameters to be followed by all states in school education with sufficient autonomy for them to address the local needs and requirements. This is the reason for the existence of many syllabuses and many boards in our country. Such a rich variety is indicative of the vibrant diversity of our country in all spheres of life. So it is a little unwise to expect that a student from Chennai should not be different from a student from Mumbai. Of course they will differ but it does not mean that they cannot both progress and achieve their potential. It is healthy to have multiplicity of educational systems. As for educational standards, they are determined by numerous factors and not by the syllabus or examination alone. Just as in other fields of life, in education also, a number of stereotypes have crept in, leading to certain perceptions. Your suggestion for reducing the number of entrance examinations after Class XII is indeed a sound one and the issue is already receiving attention from the appropriate authorities. Are we allowed to use coloured pens, except blue, in the examination? Amit Jyoti Sandhu You are allowed to use blue or black colour pen in writing your examination. You can also use pencil to draw diagrams, underline, highlight, etc. Please provide details of the books published by various publishers in the country for Class X and XII. At the time of preparing for examinations we intend to make use of these publications. It will be like a crash course which helps to score percentage of marks. Sudheendra CBSE prescribes only NCERT books for classes IX and X and recommends NCERT books for classes XI and XII. So the Board does not maintain the list of textbooks by private publishers. From which orbit do satellites transmit signals and why? What will happen if the structure of R.B.C. becomes biconvex? Ashoka Sarma Telephone and television signals are transmitted back by satellites in Equational orbits. Such satellites are called Geostationary satellites. The time period of these satellites should be equal to the time period of rotation of the earth. Due to decrease in the surface area, the oxygen carrying capacity of the cells will be reduced. I have applied for improvement exam-2007, but till now I have not received the admit card. I have been frequently calling the regional office and they tell me that I will receive it within one week. This process has been continuing for the past one month. In case I do not receive the admit card, what should I do to appear for the exam? Anang Pillai Admit cards have been dispatched. You must have received it by now. If you have not received it yet, please contact the Regional Officer, CBSE, Chennai, at phone number 044-26161100.
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