Examinees at a loss over anomalies in HSLC 2015 question papers

By Pabitra Pran Bhattacharyya

With many anomalies in question papers the 2015 HSLC examition is filly over. It has became a practice or rather a habit for SEBA to conduct HSLC examition with many  flaws and discrepancies. It has been observed that there is always the same promise from SEBA to conduct the examition perfectly. But despite its promise of flawless conduct of examition, anomalies and discrepancies have been rife every year . It really puts a question mark over the very credibility of this institution. This year too it put up both wrong and out-of-syllabus questions in General Science, Social Science, English, History etc. It is the primary duty of the paper setters and moderation to set questions according to the syllabus of the subjects, prepare comprehensive marking scheme for question papers and have regard for value points and distribution of marks. For instance, the distribution of marks in Social Science paper by SEBA itself is 25, 12, 28, 12 respectively for Geography, Economic, Political Science portions of the subject. But the questions were set with 23, 8, 15, 34 marks respectively allotted to Geography, Economics, History and Political Science portion of the subject. Surprisingly no question has been set from the Economics, Geography and Economic development and intertiol monetary institution.

It is clear enough that the question setter and moderation has flouted the entire scheme for distribution of marks and have put with jeopardy the fate of lakhs of students. By putting questions from out of the course book, SEBA has put a great many of students at a loss. Serious students who read their course books are upset to find questions outside their syllabus. This is because there may be infinite number of questions that may be asked from outside the course book.

SEBA is very often to blame for under marking, failure to ensure the uniform evaluation of asnwer scripts, while in long-answer-type questions even if an examinee gets the answer right, a SEBA evaluator will award at least 1 or 2 marks less. This type of evaluation is always in sharp contrast with CBSE evaluation process and that is the reason a student appearing for HSLC examition under SEBA always scores less mark than a CBSE student of same merit. It is the same fact that makes History as a subject less scoring and results in aversion among students to take up History. Even the brilliant student having avid interest in History will go for Computer Science or other altertive. In order to do justice to innocent young learners, SEBA may take-up following measures:

1. Award marks where several answers are possible, like in English translation where the child’s attempt and approach is correct.

2. Full marks may be awarded where questions are from outside the syllabus.

3. Award marks where the question itself is wrong

4. The Head Examiner being responsible for uniform evaluation of answer scripts, should be informed of any discrepancies, anomalies, suspected use of unfair means in the examition and other such irregularities.