CBSE will set papers at two difficulty levels: Mathematics standard, the kind students currently face, and mathematics basic.
New Delhi: Students who worry their fear of mathematics will bring down their overall Class X score can now breathe easy.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided that from the academic session beginning 2019, students who don’t wish to pursue math after Class X will face an easier board exam paper than those who enjoy the numbers and calculations.
In effect, the board said in a circular Thursday, it will set papers at two difficulty levels: Mathematics standard, the kind students currently face, and mathematics basic, the easier one.
“The Board has decided to introduce two levels of examination in mathematics for the students who are going to appear in the board examination for the academic session ending March 2020,” the CBSE said in the circular. “The same shall, however not be applicable to internal assessment.”
Also read: CBSE plans to make it easier for class 10 students to pass board exams
The standard level will be meant for students who wish to pursue mathematics at the senior secondary level. Students will be able to mark their choice while registering for board exams.
However, classroom lessons and the syllabus will be the same for both sets of students, so they can make an informed choice when the time comes.
The change in pattern was suggested by a committee of experts appointed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development to make lessons in mathematics, a notoriously tough subject in popular opinion, easy at the school level.
The committee had submitted its report last year.
The change is only being made for Class X, and the examination pattern for the subsequent two classes will stay the same.
What about those students who are appearing for their exam in March 2019? They have been used as guineas pigs. They are the first batch who had board pattern exam in class IX suddenly. They were used to the CCE pattern and suddenly this was dumped on them. It was very stressful. Now again they don’t get the benefit of getting an easier Math paper even if they are not pursuing Math in XI and XII. Why this step sisterly treatment?