KOLKATA: After CISCE published its Class XII boards results, along with that of Class X, on Saturday, college and university principals felt applicants to undergraduate courses would have a level playing field this time.
All the details of ISC results were yet to reach and CBSE was yet to publish its Class XII results, but going by whatever information available, candidates from no particular board were likely to get an advantage over the others during admissions, college heads pointed out. Also, this year’s ISC results saw considerable improvement from last time, with a significant number of students scoring 90% and above.
After HS results were published, of the 8lakh-odd candidates, only 9,013 students were found to have scored 90% and above this year. Last year, after some boards papers had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, the West Bengal Council for Higher Secondary Education devised a marking method that led to almost 31,000 students scoring 90% and above.
CISCE and CBSE, however, did not adopt the same pattern of marking, as a result of which far fewer number of their Class XII students had scored over 90%. This gave the HS students an obvious advantage when it came to qualifying for college cut-offs. This time, principals said, such a situation of one group getting an edge over the others was not likely to arise. The competition might get skewed only if after all ISC details were available, it was found that an astounding number of candidates had bagged 90% and above, they pointed out.
CISCE this time did not publish any merit list as the board exams were suspended due to the pandemic. Candidates were evaluated, based on several factors, including weightage to their Class X boards scores, Class XII boards project and practical scores and Class XI annual exam marks. “We are yet to get the details of ISC results but the number of students scoring 90% and above has definitely gone up this time than last year,” said the principal of a south Kolkata college. “If it a very high percentage of ISC students happen to score 90% and above, there might be some competition for UG admissions. Last year, HS students had an advantage over other boards as a large number of them scored above 90%. We are waiting for more details to emerge.” The principal pointed out that ISC students had done well in mathematics, physics, sociology and history this time, but English marks had not improved much.
Many top colleges and state-run universities have already decided to consider the applicants’ Class X board marks as that was the last proper exam taken by the batch seeking undergraduate admission. Such a step had to be taken as there had been no exam and no proper assessment of individual subjects; moreover, the government made it clear that no entrance test or interview could be held to screen students during pandemic. At Jadavpur University, teachers have even written to their vice-chancellor, seeking permission for some kind of a screening process so that the education standard was not compromised with and the university’s autonomous status was honoured, too. The authorities are yet to take a final decision.
Colleges, like Lady Brabourne, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira and Scottish Church, said they would factor in Class X boards marks. Some others, like St Xavier’s, Maulana Azad and Jaipuria, will admit students, based on their Class XII marks. “We had earlier discussed about considering candidates’ Class X marks, but when all the boards already included that score, we decided not to,” said Subhasis Dutta, principal of Maulana Azad College.
