The Karnataka government has allowed the Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board (KSSEAB) to conduct three annual exams for classes X and XII in an academic year by scrapping the previous system consisting of main and supplementary Pre-University College (PUC) I exam. The decision of the state government is expected to increase the average board pass percentage in state schools. This will allow the students to better their performance and choose the best score in the three exams.
To appear in the first and second annual exams, students will need to ensure that they have an attendance of 75%. After the completion of each exam, the marks scored by the students will be released in the Digi Locker system.
As per the tentative schedule, the first, second, and third exams for class XII will be conducted between March 1 and 25, 2024; May 15 and June 5, 2024 and July 12 and 30, 2024 respectively. Whereas for class X the first, second, and third exams will be conducted between March 30 and April 15, 2024; June 12 and 18, 2024 and July 29 and August 5, 2024, respectively.
Speaking to Education Times, an official from KSEAB, on the condition of anonymity, says, “The decision to conduct three annual exams for classes X and XII will be implemented from 2023-24 and it is in the academic interest of students. Several students faced difficulty in passing the main and supplementary PUC exam and had to waste one year.”
Every year about 8 lakh students register for the PUC main exams, normally 75% of students pass while in the supplementary PUC exam, only 35% of the students pass, which is concerning for the state. “Several students could not get through both exams and had to wait for one year to appear in the next exam session, this amounted to waste of a year. If the third exam is conducted after a gap of three months, the remaining section of the students would also be able to clear the exam without losing a year.”
G Sridhar, founder, Deeksha PU College, Bangalore, says, “The present system of the main exam and one supplementary PUC exam does not have an option for students to better their performance in board exams. The supplementary exams are quite delayed and generally helpful only to those students who have failed the main exam. As per the new format of three exams, students will get the second attempt soon after the results of the first exam are announced. This will create a remedial exam ecosystem, and help student with an opportunity to improve their marks in more than one subject in the second attempt to better their board performance.”
“With this provision of a second attempt soon after the first attempt, students will have a larger scope of improving their overall score. The provision of three exams is equally beneficial to class X students. For instance, if a student scored low in Maths and missed the cut-off for the science stream, he or she will have the option to improve score in the next exams and joining a stream of their choice”, adds Sridhar.
To appear in the first and second annual exams, students will need to ensure that they have an attendance of 75%. After the completion of each exam, the marks scored by the students will be released in the Digi Locker system.
As per the tentative schedule, the first, second, and third exams for class XII will be conducted between March 1 and 25, 2024; May 15 and June 5, 2024 and July 12 and 30, 2024 respectively. Whereas for class X the first, second, and third exams will be conducted between March 30 and April 15, 2024; June 12 and 18, 2024 and July 29 and August 5, 2024, respectively.
Speaking to Education Times, an official from KSEAB, on the condition of anonymity, says, “The decision to conduct three annual exams for classes X and XII will be implemented from 2023-24 and it is in the academic interest of students. Several students faced difficulty in passing the main and supplementary PUC exam and had to waste one year.”
Every year about 8 lakh students register for the PUC main exams, normally 75% of students pass while in the supplementary PUC exam, only 35% of the students pass, which is concerning for the state. “Several students could not get through both exams and had to wait for one year to appear in the next exam session, this amounted to waste of a year. If the third exam is conducted after a gap of three months, the remaining section of the students would also be able to clear the exam without losing a year.”
G Sridhar, founder, Deeksha PU College, Bangalore, says, “The present system of the main exam and one supplementary PUC exam does not have an option for students to better their performance in board exams. The supplementary exams are quite delayed and generally helpful only to those students who have failed the main exam. As per the new format of three exams, students will get the second attempt soon after the results of the first exam are announced. This will create a remedial exam ecosystem, and help student with an opportunity to improve their marks in more than one subject in the second attempt to better their board performance.”
“With this provision of a second attempt soon after the first attempt, students will have a larger scope of improving their overall score. The provision of three exams is equally beneficial to class X students. For instance, if a student scored low in Maths and missed the cut-off for the science stream, he or she will have the option to improve score in the next exams and joining a stream of their choice”, adds Sridhar.