Students stumped by out-of-syllabus questions in CBSE English exam

According to their syllabus, students can choose between studying Invisible Man and Silas Marner.
Image of Plus Two students writing their board examination used for representational purpose (File Photo | MK Ashok Kumar/EPS)
Image of Plus Two students writing their board examination used for representational purpose (File Photo | MK Ashok Kumar/EPS)

HYDERABAD:  In a major goof-up, questions in two sections of the CBSE Class 12 Core English exam on Saturday contained questions from two novels when the board’s syllabus required students to read just one of the two stories. Stumped students are now pleading with the board to not put them at a disadvantage and make amends for the mistake by awarding them compensatory marks.  

According to their syllabus, students can choose between studying Invisible Man and Silas Marner.
However, all the choices in questions 11 and 12 were given from one novel each, making students answer questions from both novels. “Question 12 was about Invisible Man, which we studied, while question 11 was from another novel. We thought we would have to attempt questions from both novels, but the Principal at our centre asked us to write “question out of syllabus” under question 11,” said a student who did not wish to be named. 

School management officials TNIE interacted with said students needn’t worry thinking that they would lose marks as the mistake was the CBSE’s. The principal of a prominent school in the city on the condition of anonymity said, “The CBSE will understand and come up with some solution, I am confident. However, as of now, we don’t know if additional marks will be given to students.”

CBSE asks schools not to talk to media
Interestingly, soon after the goof-up, CBSE shot off an email to all schools instructing them not to speak to any media over the issue, even if they are contacted in this regard. A few students Express spoke to said that their principals had instructed them against speaking to reporters

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