CBSE Term 1 Exams 2021: Schools struggle with seating arrangements & printing machine

Question papers will be supplied in an encrypted mode for all the CBSE examinations which are to be conducted from November 16 to 29 and again from 26 December onwards.

To ensure adherence of COVID-19 norms while conducting CBSE Term-1 exams, the Delhi government has directed schools to allow only 12 students per class. But, it is not possible with such large number of students. To follow social distancing, many schools are making seating arrangements for 18 students in one class, said Harish Chand, Vice Principal, Government Co-ed Secondary School, Jungpura B.

“Our school is not the CBSE exam centre, however, there are schools who have to make arrangements for up to 700 students with just 30 rooms. So, it is quite challenging. As far as the safety of the students is concerned, they have been asked to wear masks, carry their own water bottle and hand sanitizers to ensure protection against the COVID-19 virus, he added. Unlike students of private schools, government school students will not be writing the exams in their own school, but in other test centres.

“We made copies of the OMR sheet sample that we received from CBSE and made our students practice the same. We also conducted a special class online to resolve their queries and make them understand the process,” the vice-principal said.

Meanwhile, the major problem that schools are facing is with the photocopy machines. As CBSE Term 1 exam will comprise multiple-choice questions with the students marking their answers on the OMR sheets, the Board organised a mock drill for the schools in printing the OMR sheets and question papers. “We have installed an extra photocopier. As the exams in my school are scheduled only on Wednesday for a minor subject, so we don’t think we will face much problem. Problems may arise during important subjects like Hindi or English. We are trying our best to stay prepared,” said AK Jha, principal of Government Co-ed Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Sector 8, Rohini. The Central Board for Secondary Education, CBSE 12th exams commenced on Tuesday and on Wednesday the Board commenced exams for CBSE 10th. Question papers will be supplied in an encrypted mode for all the examinations which are to be conducted from November 16 to 29 and again from 26 December onwards.

Schools will be able to download question paper Forty-five minutes prior to the day’s exam. The exams will begin at 11:30 am instead of the regular 10:30 am.

Talking about her preparation for the board exams, Akansha Rathi, a Class 10 student of Summer Fields School, Kailash Colony, said, “Commencement of offline classes really helped. The introduction of multiple-choice questions and OMR didn’t affect us much as our school is trying best to make us prepared for the same. Also, the school is making all efforts to ensure safety for students against COVID. The seating arrangements are done following social distancing, masks and sanitizers are mandatory, so it is a relief for us.”

Teachers are busy doing preparations for board exams. We have made arrangements of stock extra ink cartridges, photocopy machines and papers to print OMR sheet and make them available timely, said Surrender, registrar official of DAV Public School, Pitampura.

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