Now, 3-4 mock tests before SSC exams

Mumbai: Looks like the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) is adamant about preparing the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) students thoroughly before their final exams arrive.

Instead of one preliminary examination before the board exam, students are going to get three to four mock tests for practice. Parents and teachers are positive about the new format, as it will relieve students from last moment nervousness. This will be the first year that SSC students will attempt a 100 marks paper instead of the 80 marks in addition to internal examinations.

A senior official at MSBSHSE said, “All the practice question papers have been uploaded on the e-Balbharti website along with solution sets on YouTube. We have given the liberty to all schools to use according to their students’ preferences. Thou-gh we don’t have a compulsion on how many mock tests should be conducted, it will benefit the students at large if they do it three to four times in school.”

Several parents are conducting these tests at home for students to help them get used to the lengthy exam pattern. Sudama Kale, a Juhu-based parent, said, “Every weekend, we take one mock exam of just two subjects so that there is no pressure on my daughter and she gets the hang of writing the paper for three straight hours.”

Ranjan Dubey, a teacher, said, “Earlier, it was only prelims and semester exams but now there are three to four extra exams and we teachers are expected to conduct, supervise and assess the papers. However, looking at the situation, we, in our school, have divided the work for the sake of our students. Also, at the PTA meeting, we have asked parents not to put the entire burden on schools but do some of the work at home instead.”