Hyderabad: Class 10 exams for students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) began on a tough note, with many students and teachers in Hyderabad claiming that the maths paper was both more difficult and lengthier than usual.According to them, similar concerns were aired by students across India after writing the paper on Feb 17. Some teachers said that even toppers struggled to answer all the questions within the three-hour duration. They wondered if the intention behind the difficulty level was to push more students towards compartment or improvement exams in the second board exams.Incidentally, this is the first year of CBSE rolling out its two boards system. As part of this, students will have to appear for all subjects in the first board exams, but can take a fresh test — for subjects they did not fare well — in the second board, to improve their scores. “There was no reason to make the maths paper, especially the basic one, so tough. It looks like CBSE authorities want more students to write the second board exam,” claimed Shiva K, a maths teacher. Teachers also pointed out time constraints in answering the lengthy paper.Simi Nagi, principal of Delhi International School, Kompally said that it would have been ideal to give students at least 20 more minutes to finish the paper. “It looks like the board made a group of teachers solve the paper and assumed that the time would be sufficient for students too,” she added.‘Will raise issue with board’Teachers said they will raise the issue with the board, as they are mandated to offer feedback after every exam. Students too are hoping the board makes note of the concern. “I followed all my teachers’ instructions while preparing for the exam and was confident of a high score. But the moment I saw the paper, I was shocked. There were barely any questions from the textbooks or from previous years’ question papers. My paper has been a disaster,” said Manideep K, a class 10 student from the city.Another student, Pavan B, said that basic maths was much tougher than the standard one, a subject opted by those who want to continuing studying it in higher classes. “I was expecting over 95. After writing the exam, even 70 seems difficult,” he rued. ‘No reason to worry’Meanwhile, some teachers, in an attempt to pacify candidates, asked them not to lose hope. “Those who did not perform well should not worry. They will get another chance in the form of the second board exam. They should not allow one bad performance to affect their entire board exams,” said Ch Rekha Rao, who heads a CBSE school in the city.
