With no updates on school resumption, students worried about exam practice

Unlike regular times, this year SSC students have had no practice to appear for the three-hour offline paper. File pic/Pradeep Dhivar

The government has declared the tentative board exam dates, but students and teachers are worried about practising for them. After almost an entire academic year of online learning the board exams are to be held offline. But with no clarity on when schools are likely to reopen, students are missing out on practice sessions; under regular circumstances, each student appears for at least two prelims - one in school one at the coaching classes - before the board exam.

Amid the pandemic, the education sector has suffered a major hit, and the most affected are those who have to appear for board examinations this year. They have had no practice to appear for the three-hour offline paper.

'Nothing is clear'

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations are to be held in the month of April and May respectively. "But schools and colleges are closed until January 15 in Mumbai. And what happens thereafter is yet not clear. We have just two months in hand. Most of the syllabus is completed and we have had doubts solving sessions too, online. But the important aspect of board exam is also time management, and gaining the judgment of the marking system. The prelims would have helped us. But with no school there cannot be prelims," said Suvrat Desai, a std X student from Dahisar. Adding to it, an HSC student from Andheri, Kimaya Lad said, "The practice of taking an exam is very important. At the same time, for students of science, practice for practical sessions is equally important. Paper-solving I can practice at home with help from old paper sets, but there is absolutely no way to get hold of practical experiment experience at home."

Generally, by January most students have prelim exams held in schools, as well as in coaching institutes. So even if a student misses out on one, he/she gets a practice session at the other. "But this year we have no option of holding prelim sessions. Most of us are providing students with question papers online which they can use to practice appearing for the exam at home and send us the answer sheets for evaluation. Students and parents are requesting us to hold prelims in batches so that students get practice. But that cannot be done," said Sachin Karnavat, president of Maharashtra Coaching Class Owners Association (MCOA).

"The entire academic year has been in online format for these students. Now these children will be heading out directly for their board exams. The pressure is going to be high," said Anubha Sahai, president of India Wide Parents Association.