\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{longtable}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\begin{document}

\title{``Should I take the Board Conducted Exam or Not''}
%\author{Sharat Chandran}
%\date{28 September 2010}



\maketitle

\setcounter{tocdepth}{3}
\tableofcontents
\vspace*{1cm}

Note: The following are observations in my individual capacity, and
looks at the issue from the ``output'' (end result) point of view.
Comments welcome.  Please send email.


\section{About the New Scheme}
\label{sec-1}

Which is better? Opting for board exams or school exams?

It is the choice of the child, the parent, and the family.  

Can you explain briefly what exactly is the new scheme?

60\% of the scholastic performance is evaluated by school. For the
final session ending exam SA2 (which covers only a part of the Xth syllabus),
there is a choice for a student to write either the school evaluated SA2
exam or the Board evaluated SA2 exam.  (This is simply one part of the
entire CCE scheme).

\section{Report Card}
\label{sec-2}

 
In the old pattern, there was a Std. X marksheet issued by Board.
What is the new pattern?  

The pattern for report card is available at the CBSE web site and
reproduced here.

\centerline{\includegraphics[width=10em]{ReportCard.pdf}}


Note that the report card devotes considerable space to non-scholastic
achievements

I noticed that the report card does not anywhere specify that the
student has taken the board conducted exam.

At this time, we can only assume that you are right.  The Board has
clarified

    At the end of Class X, all candidates (irrespective of whether
    appearing for School Conducted SA2 or Board Conducted SA2) shall
    be issued same ``Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
    Certificate of School Based Assessment'' prepared, printed and
    signed by the Board.

Notice the use of the word ``same''.

If there is no difference in the report card, then how will anyone
know that the student has written the board conducted exam?

Note that, with the introduction of CCE, 60\% of the total of 100 is
already evaluated by the school.  In other words, the Board has
already entrusted the majority of the task of evaluation to the
school.  It would not make too much sense if the Board decides to
delink itself from CCE reforms, and claim a special status for one of
two question papers it has set.  The reform process cannot be hijacked
by the body proposing the reforms.  Note that the SA2 question paper,
whether school evaluated or board evaluated, comes from the Board, and
so does the marking guidelines.

If no one is going to know the difference, why should I write the
board conducted exam?

It's a choice given to you. 

What roll number will be listed on the report card?

The Board will allot the roll number to all students regardless of
what option they may choose (school-conducted SA2 or otherwise).

After the school based exams, will the school send marks to the board,
or will the school send grades to the board?

Since the final grade and report card is being administered by the
Board, it makes sense for the school to upload the marks.  Consider a
student who has got A2 in Maths till March, and in the board written
SA2 secures 96\%.  The final grade is a weighted combination of 60\% of
A2 and 40\% of 96\%.  It would make sense for the marks to be available
to the board at this time to get the final grade.

Will the FA1 and FA2 and SA1 be ``counted'' for people who opt for the
board?

Yes.  CCE is for all children whether they opted for board conducted
examination or not. So FA3 and FA4 is also counted.

One final question. What was displayed on the report card issued by
Board last year (in report card issued in March 2010)?

Only grades were printed on the report card, marks were not printed.


\section{Admissions}
\label{sec-3}


I am from a Kendriya Vidyalaya school and my school has XIth. If I
take the board conducted exam can I be ASSURED of joining a KV school?

Since KV is giving the choice to the student, it is incumbent of KV to
admit a student regardless of which choice (School SA2 versus Board
SA2) the student has exercised.    The stated policy of KV schools is
to enable automatic admissions to all children previously in the KV system.


Will the Board issue marks?

One of the central ideas of CCE is to move away from marks to
grades.  

If marks are not issued, how will cut offs be administered?

KV Schools were instructed last year (admissions for 2011 at eleventh
level) to admit all KV children as per normal, automatic readmission
guidelines.  Grades were used as a filter for those opting for, say,
the Science stream.

What if I wanted to transfer to another private CBSE school?  Will it
make a difference if I write the school evaluated SA2?

The admission policy of a particular private CBSE school, or for that
matter any IGCSE or IB or ISC school is tailored to that school.  It's
a private school after all. They may seek a variety of information
about the applicant regardless of what appears on the report card. 

Why does the CBSE circular talk about ``leaving the board''? 

It seems clear that the CBSE is encouraging schools to administer the
Xth exam to destress the board exam tension.  This, indirectly,
answers the question.

The KV school system has embraced this concept. It is important to
delink the admission guidelines of KV, and other private schools.  The
KV system of about 1000 schools is large, and diverse and its
admission guidelines are binding on KV affiliated schools.

However, CBSE cannot, it'd seem, impose admission guidelines on
private schools. Nor cannot it, one can imagine, immediately force
private schools to conduct SA2 since the Board has been conducting
board exams in the past. While some private schools might force ALL
students to write the board conducted exam, others might force
ALL students to write school conducted exams.

The gesture of the KV Sangathan (to destress Xth board exam tension)
should not be confused with a choice available elsewhere.

What if I wanted to transfer to another government endorsed school,
say affiliated to the State Board. Were there children who got
admission to Maharashtra Board (for example) last year using the
online system? How did they decide the equivalency?

The working of the Maharashtra Board and the affiliated colleges is
known to them.  However, marks were not officially given to the
children or their parents/guardians. However, marks ``appeared''
automatically when the online forms were filled.  Presumably CBSE
board shared the marks with an official agency such as Maharashtra
board.

What were the cutoffs for admissions  to Std. XI in KVIIT last year?

The original guidelines were on 16.06.2010: \centerline{\includegraphics[width=10em]{OriginalAdmissionGuidelines.pdf}}


The revised guidelines appear here: \centerline{\includegraphics[width=10em]{RevisedAdmissionGuidelines.pdf}}





\section{Other Tests}
\label{sec-4}


Will schools use the Students Global Aptitude Index (SGAI) to admit
students to XI?

Since the exam is optional, it would not be imposed on govt schools
such as KV. Private schools may do their own thing.  Note that the
idea of asking children to write three exams (the SA2 exam, the
optional aptitude exam, and the proposed optional National Proficiency
exam) is likely to impose burden on children.

The aptitude tests are optional, and the CBSE board will conduct its
first ever aptitude test on January 15, 2011.

What is the National Proficiency Test? When will it conducted?

The details are awaited, and it is a pen and paper test.  Some details
are available in the list of circulars.


\section{Relevant Circulars from Board}
\label{sec-5}


Aptitude Test: \centerline{\includegraphics[width=10em]{Aptitude62.pdf}}


National Proficiency Test: \centerline{\includegraphics[width=10em]{NationalProficiencyTest56.pdf}}


Key Circular on Exams: \centerline{\includegraphics[width=10em]{ExamsCircular44.pdf}}


First Summative: \centerline{\includegraphics[width=10em]{FirstSummative42.pdf}}


Faqs on CCE: \centerline{\includegraphics[width=10em]{faqs_on_CCE.pdf}}




Keywords: CBSE, CCE, Aptitude test, Proficiency Test, SA2, Summative,
Formative, Board-conducted, School-conducted
board exams, grading system, optional board exams

\end{document}
