The State Government has decided to introduce examinations in the first year of Plus II from the current academic session. Till now, exams were being conducted only in the final year.
The Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) has taken this decision as part of its ongoing reforms in higher education.
Plus II students would now have to sit for annual examinations both in the first and second year. The final results would be announced by adding the total number of marks obtained by the students in the first and second year.
While the CHSE has taken a final decision in this regard, the approval of the Examination Committee and Syllabus Committee is expected very soon.
As per the decision, Plus II students, in the first year, will appear in the annual examinations, which will have objective, multiple choice questions. The students would write their answers on an OMR sheet.
In the second year, there will be both objective, multiple choice test and a subjective test. However, the total number of marks for the examinations in these two years is yet to be decided.
According to Bijay Chandra Rath, member of the Fact Finding Committee, the Committee had proposed to the Higher Education department conduct of annual examinations of Plus II first year comprising 100 marks and the final year examinations as per the existing pattern.
“Apart from this, the Committee has also proposed introduction of semester and internal tests in the Plus II streams and introduction of CBSE pattern of syllabus in place of the existing syllabus,” he added.
CHSE chairman Prof Basudev Chhatoi said the Council is all set to conduct examinations for the first year of the Plus II course from the current academic session.
“As per the decision taken by the CHSE, the annual examination in the first year should be of 50 marks. The duration of the examination should be one hour. We have expressed our inability to conduct the examinations of three-hour duration for 100 marks as it would be difficult for us to manage the examinations,” Chhatoi said.
Notably, the Higher Education department had formed a fact-finding committee to suggest reforms in the higher education in view of the poor performance of the Odisha students in all India entrance tests and annual Plus II examinations.