The Karnataka government has now decided to change the format of question papers for the class 10 state board. The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) has decided to make these changes to discourage learning by rote and improve quality of learning.
The Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) Examination Question Paper will be changed for the 2019-20 academic year and the examination board is now notifying schools to take necessary measures to prepare the students for the final exams, which will be held in March 2020.
Currently, the papers carry 40 subjective and objective questions. According to officials with the KSEEB the total number of questions will be reduced from 40 to 38. The question paper will have application questions, KSEEB officials say. The number of two-mark questions will be 16 to 8 and the three-mark questions will be increased from 6 to 9. In addition, new five-mark questions will be added.
Earlier this year, the board had consulted with a team of experts from the Azim Premji Foundation, which recommended certain changes in framing questions and also the format of SSLC question papers.
“The team studied several question papers that were set over the last few years. They found that the way the questions were framed encouraged learning by rote. This was a change they recommended. Children must learn how to apply what they have learned. The new questions will encourage logical thinking,” said V Sumangala, Director of KSEEB.
The KSEEB has also notified schools to change learning methods and adopt innovative methods using technology. “See, generally, marks are allotted based on whether students have written down certain key words in the answers. The new format will judge the answers based on the quality of writing, the content, and how well the student has grasped the subject. This is to avoid learning by rote,” she added.
The KSEEB also intends to discourage mass duplication of answers by bringing in the new format. “The key word format had resulted in duplication of answers. Teacher would encourage children to write specific answers and learn by rote so that they would not lose out on marks. The new format will emphasise on writing skills, application of topics and reasoning,” the official added.