Mumbai: All apprehension about the new assessment scheme used to declare the results of the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Class 10 and the Indian School Certificate (ISC) Class 12 board exams was set to rest on Friday. City schools achieving 100 per cent results said the new marks imputation formula had benefited students although exams were cancelled on account of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Students said they were afraid their final scores would be affected as they were unable to attempt some papers as exams were cancelled. Varun Lulla, a Class 10 student of Children's Academy, Ashok Nagar in Kandivli said, "I was scared at the beginning when my exams were cancelled and there was too much of going back and forth on whether or not our exams would be held. But I think the new marking scheme added to my final score."
Class 12 student Riddhi Shah said, "I was scared because I could not attempt two of my papers, which were my scoring subjects. But I am happy that the board came up with a viable marking formula that boosted my final scores."
Khwaish Billore, a Class 10 student of Vibgyor High, Goregaon west, who secured 98.8 per cent, said, "I studied regularly in a systematic pattern by solving previous exam and prelim papers."
Authorities of city schools affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations claimed the new marking scheme has proven beneficial to students. Meera Isaac, principal of The Cathedral and John Connon School, Fort, said, "Our students have performed very well this year and have cleared with a 100 per cent passing result. Both students and the council have done the best that could be done in a crisis situation."
Rohan Bhat, trustee of the Children's Academy Group of Schools, said, "Even though some exam papers were cancelled and there was a new marking scheme introduced this year, there is not that much difference in the average pass percentage compared to last year. The results are good and students have scored high marks." Paul Machado, former principal of Campion School, Fort, also said, "The new marking scheme benefited students this year."
This year, a special marking scheme was used to calculate marks for those subjects for which exams could not be held. Marks were allotted on the basis of internal assessment and 'best-of-three', meaning the three highest-scoring subjects (for which exams had taken place) were counted while the internal assessment of the papers, which could also include project work, were added.
