Class 10 CBSE board exams in major subjects began in several schools in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, with the social science paper.
Owing to the pandemic, the board had announced earlier this year that the 2021-22 academic year would be split into two terms, and that a board exam would be conducted at the end of each term. For these exams, at the end of Term 1, the board has come up with a new format wherein students have to take up a 90-minute paper with multiple-choice questions.
“Since students have been trained in this pattern over the last few months using sample question papers, the format did not pose much of a challenge to them. Most of them found the social science paper easy,” said P.G. Subramanian, principal, Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram.
Several students had their own schools as their exam centres and the exam began at 11.30 a.m. While there were concerns raised about the rains in Chennai and several other places across Tamil Nadu over the last week as well as water logging, schools said that they had been prepared in the event of students turning up late and that they would be given extra time if needed.
Geetha Nair, a social science teacher from Paavai Vidyashram, Namakkal said that the paper was a standard one and that it was fully based on the NCERT textbook. “While children had initially had apprehensions about the new format, revision tests were conducted with OMR sheets to familiarise them. Several students today were able to complete the paper much before their exam time ended,” she said.
The evaluation for the papers is being carried out on the same day in schools, under the supervision of an external observer.
For class 12 students, the board exams in major subjects is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
