CHENNAI: Expect lesser centums in Class X Board exams this year as answer scripts of centum scorers will be subjected to three layers of scrutiny for the first time in recent years.
This move comes in the backdrop of several examiners caught up in the revaluation mess-up last year and criticism faced by the school education department for awarding record number of centums two years ago. Nearly 1.15 lakh students scored 100 out of 100 in science in 2015-16 and many even managed to score centums in language and English.
Consequently, the department took a cautious effort to keep this trend under check. Reportedly, a circular was sent from to all the schools asking students not to depend heavily on ‘book-back’ questions (at the end of every chapter) frequently asked in board exams. Accordingly, the question papers too were also not a piece of cake for students this year.
Fine tuning this process further, the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Government Examinations (TNDGE) has instructed evaluation centres not to be generous in awarding centums, particularly in language papers. More than 150 centres have been set up across the State to evaluate answer scripts of nearly 10.3 lakh students who took up the SSLC board exam this year.
Every centre comprises six assistant examiners, one scrutiny officer and one chief examiner. Every assistant examiner was assigned the task of valuating close to 24 to 30 answer scripts on a daily basis.
“We were instructed to reduce marks even for minor spelling errors this year and avoid awarding centums to language and English scripts as far as possible,” said a assistant examiner from Namakkal, requesting anonymity.
Answer scripts of centum scorers will be cross-checked and evaluated again by the scrutiny officer and chief examiner before being sent to the camp officer. It will reach Chennai where a monitoring committee will revaluate them for the third time.