Divya Nair
Students who appeared for their first class 12 Higher Secondary Certificate exam on February 21 in Mumbai complained of inconvenience due to poor co-ordination among authorities at the exam centre. Illustrations by Uttam Ghosh
Over 13 lakh students from Maharashtra began their class 12 Higher Secondary Certificate exam on February 21 this year.
On the first day of the exam, students from different parts of Mumbai complained of stress and nervousness while some others also faced inconvenience because of the poor co-ordination among authorities at the exam centre.
Kartik Bokade who reached the New Era Junior College centre in Ulhasnagar at 10.30 am -- half an hour before the scheduled time of the exam -- says that when the gates opened at 10.30 am, there was a stampede-like situation.
"Students were pushing each other to climb the stairs. Every one was in a hurry to find their rooms and the authorities were helpless. They could not manage the crowd well," says the science aspirant from RK Talreja College, Ulhasnagar.
Kartik further pointed out how students at his centre were provided with the question paper 10 minutes after 11 am but were asked to submit the answer sheets on time.
"We were given the answer sheets only 15 minutes before the actual time of the exam. The supervisor said she will give us the question paper after the bell rang. But there was no sign of the bell. Finally, the examiner gave us the question paper at 11.12 am. We had already lost 12 minutes. We thought may be they will provide us with extra time. But the supervisor was very strict. She took away our answer sheets exactly at 2 pm. Most of my friends could not even complete the paper," he explains.
Reader Invite: Dear Readers, How did you cope with the pressure of board exams? Do you have last-minute study tips or stress-busting strategies that could help students and parents beat the nerves?
Send in your advice to getahead@rediff.co.in with 'Board Exam Tips' in the subject line and we will publish the best entries right here.
Click Next to continue reading
'We were asked to take off our shoes outside the examination hall'
Vignesh Nair who appeared for his paper at the KV Pendharkar College centre in Dombivli found it "strange" when the supervisor asked them to take of their shoes outside the examination hall.
"We were asked to take off our shoes outside the examination hall," says Vignesh, an Information Technology student from Model College, Dombivli.
There were also students like Amey Ambade who had a stress-free experience on the first day.
Amey says he could not believe his eyes when he held the English paper in his hands because it was exactly as he had imagined it to be.
"It's strange that the English paper was just as I had expected it to be. The passages and the essay topics were very easy. I was so happy that I even wrote a poem in my essay on Health and Happiness," says the computer science student from Birla College, Kalyan.
'If the supervisor provides the question paper late, you have every right to demand extra time'
Another student from the same college, Kirti Shilwant shared Amey's views and further added that the examiners were co-operative at her centre.
"I was really nervous because it was the first paper. Also the pressure to perform is higher in class 12. But the examiners were very co-operative. We were provided with the answer sheets half an hour in advance so we had adequate time to paste our bar code stickers and relax before the exam," says Kirti, an electronics student who wants to be an engineer and is also preparing for the Joint Entrance Exam this year.
When queried about what students need do when they face inconveniences at the examination centre, Prajakta Aloni, an economics teacher from New English Junior College, Thane, who is supervising the centre, advised that they must immediately report the problem to the supervisor in their room or approach the principal, if need be.
"If the supervisor provides you the question paper late, you have every right to demand extra time. But it has to be reported immediately and students in the said exam hall must co-operate. Usually, examiners provide the answer sheets and question paper after the school bell rings. If there is a delay, students must report it to the centre. Also, if they find someone cheating or copying in the exam, it must be reported," adds Aloni.
Reader Invite: Dear Readers, How did you cope with the pressure of board exams? Do you have last-minute study tips or stress-busting strategies that could help students and parents beat the nerves?
Send in your advice to getahead@rediff.co.in with 'Board Exam Tips' in the subject line and we will publish the best entries right here.
Comment
article