AGARTALA: A recent study conducted by NCERT has revealed that the latest Class X and XII question papers of Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) had the highest proportion of difficult questions among the state boards in the country.
Called the performance assessment, review, and analysis of knowledge for holistic development (PARAKH), the NCERT report highlighted significant disparities in the difficulty levels of Madhyamik and higher secondary board exams across India. Based on an analysis of English and Maths question papers from 17 state boards, the report underlined that TBSE students faced the most challenging examination with 66.6% of tough questions.
TBSE was followed by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education with 53.57% of tough questions. Goa, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal were among the top five with 44.66%, 44.44%, and 33.33% difficult questions respectively, the report revealed.
The report indicated that Chhattisgarh students fared relatively better as their exams included a good percentage (47.62%) of easy questions. In contrast, Goa’s exams consisted solely of difficult and medium-level difficult questions, with the latter making up 55.34%. Maharashtra state boards had an equal distribution of easy, difficult and semi-difficult questions.
The PARAKH study also analysed question papers from boards in Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE).
The report evaluated the cognitive demands of question papers, identifying the proportion of questions testing rote memory versus understanding. The findings have flagged concerns over the disparity in the difficulty levels of board exams across states. While some argued that challenging exams promote academic rigour and identify top talent, others expressed apprehensions about the potential negative impact on students’ mental health and overall learning experience, it underscored.
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Read MoreHe is a seasoned journalist and the Times of India correspondent based in Agartala, Tripura. He has been reporting on political, social, and regional developments in northeast India and is one of the oldest TOI man on the ground.
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