Not must anymore, students still prefer taking boards

CHANDIGARH: Even with the CBSE planning to phase out board exams from next year, 10,171 students out of 14,451 CBSE students in the city are taking Class 10 board exams under the continuous comprehensive examination this time, while only 4,344 students have opted for school tests.
According to school principals, parents prefer that their children taking board exams given that it is a traditional way of testing.
''All children in my school are taking boards exam this year as this was what the parents preferred. A pro forma was sent out by the CBSE and the parents were allowed to choose whether they wanted their children to appear for the board exams or for school exams and they preferred the boards.
It is traditional way of testing and since these children will only be appearing once for these exams, most only considered it right to go for it, despite the school test being easier,'' said Madhu Bahl, principal, KB DAV, Sector 7.
Children also preferred to stick to the board exams instead of school-based exams, as they might want to seek transfers to other schools.
''I have a handful of students, who are going in for boards as they will be taking transfer to some other school. 98% of our children our taking school exams though as this will become the norm form the coming year,'' said DAV Model School, Sector 15, principal Dr Rakesh Sachdeva.
''In my school, 90% of the students are going in for exams, while other are going in for board based. Those going in for board based
exams are planning to shift that is why they have opted for it,'' said HS Mamik, chairman of Vivek High School, Sector 38.
''I am taking the board exams as it is the traditional method of testing and also because I want to shift. Only a few of my friends are opting for school tests. There's no difference between the two except that for board exams, we have to go the centre and the schools can prepare their own examination as per CBSE guidelines,' said Rohan Singh, a student of Class X.
From next year, students will only take school exams with the CBSE planning on phasing out the board-based exams.