As schools affiliated with the state board in Karnataka held the first of SSLC preparatory exams on Monday, students in some institutions were given question papers in the old format, resulting in confusion.
The state exam board has now ordered that a re-examination must be conducted.
The problem started when the State Headmasters’ Association, which prepares questions for some schools in these preliminary exams, followed the old question paper format which had a combined questionnaire and answer booklet.
The same was questioned by the Karnataka State Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) and its director ordered the Headmasters’ Association to hold fresh exams, reported The New Indian Express.
“The aim of conducting preparatory exams is not just to make students familiar with the content but also the pattern. Otherwise, what is the need of such exams,” said a board official, according to TNIE.
The old exam pattern was to be discontinued from 2017 onwards after the KSEEB issued a circular in December, 2016.
The Hindu report quoted Philomena Lobo, Director (Secondary Education), Department of Public Instruction as saying, “We have instructed the officials not to allow the preparatory exam paper set by the State Headmasters’ Association, which has supplied an old pattern question paper. Only the new pattern will be allowed.”
Even the Deputy Directors of Public Instruction and the Block Education Officers were alerted throughout the state.
“Cancellation of the exam will create a lot of anxiety among students,” said D Shashi Kumar, General Secretary of the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka.