School board exams start

NEW DELHI - Thousands of anxious students were seen making their way to examination centres across the capital Wednesday for the start of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) examinations.

While students were doing their last minute revisions, parents and teachers accompanying them were seen giving tips.

\”I am really tense. I keep forgetting my theory definitions although I have revised it so many times before. I guess I will feel confident only after seeing the question paper,\” said Sarita, a Class 12 student outside a south Delhi examination centre.

Over 1.6 million students are sitting for the CBSE examinations at over 5,500 centres spread across the country and abroad. This year 902,517 students of Class 10 and 699,129 of Class 12 will appear for the exams. Of these around 20,000 are students from Gulf countries.

While Class 12 Science students appeared for the Physics examination, the Class 10 students had their instrumental and vocal music (Carnatic and Hindustani) examination Wednesday.

Around 113,651 students of Class 12 and 56,208 of Class 10 across the country will appear for the ICSE and Indian School Certificate (ISC) exam starting this month.

In Delhi and the national capital region, which includes Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad, some 29 schools follow the ICSE format for Class 10 exams and 18 follow the ISC format for Class 12. Nearly 1,874 students sat for the ICSE English language exam Wednesday.

Some residential schools in the capital held prayer meetings for students appearing for the board exams.

\”Before the start of the exams we hold a prayer meeting in the school and students chant the \’Saraswati Mantra\’. The teachers give a pep talk to students to help them overcome stress before the examination,\” said a psychologist-cum-counsellor with a residential school in south Delhi.

A few children have taken up the optional Music subject in Class 10.

\”I have been learning music since the age of three. I have sung at various competitions and kacheris. Me and my parents thought I should get a formal qualification so I am appearing for the Class 10 Music exam. I am prepared. I know the syllabus quite well,\” said Veena of the Mother\’s International School.

Some parents accompanied their wards to the examination centres and were seen giving last minute tips.

\”My daughter has studied well and I am pretty confident that she will score well. I have told her that she should try and attempt the entire paper and manage time well,\” said Sidharth, father of a Class 12 student.

From last year, the CBSE initiated the new grading system in Class 10 to take pressure off students who are appearing for the annual board exam. The performance of the students throughout the year is assessed via a grading