Hyderabad: New, old pattern question papers throw school students into a tizzy

Hyderabad: As the Summative Assessment - II exams began for classes I to class IX on Wednesday,class VIII students were tormented by receiving the old pattern of General Science - paper I (Physical Science question paper) and new question paper pattern for Biology.Even after the Education department announced that the question pattern for classes VIII to X will be revised, the class VIII students received the same old question paper pattern. A few physical science teachers alleged that it is total failure of the board, as when they change the question paper pattern for classes VIII to X, how they can prepare question papers based on the old pattern in January when it was announced.

"We made students practice the new question paper model, but the Biology paper was of new pattern; Physical Science was in the old pattern. This has created confusion among the students in the examination hall.

Bhaskar Rathod, science teacher of a private school, said, "Already the government clearly stated that the question paper of Mathematics, Science and Social Studies changed that in part A that is long answers questions. There are choices that too only internal; rest of the paper will not have choices, pointed out students. Even after giving guidelines and committing such mistake that clearly tells that it the failure of the department officials, after the question paper was prepared, it was not crossed checked by senior officials."

"After receiving the old pattern paper the students were in a puzzled state, as in the morning the Biology paper was is in a different pattern and Physics paper was in another.Half of the time was wasted in explaining to the students regarding pattern confusion. Not only students, even teachers got confused seeing the question papers. This happened because of improper monitoring," said Saifullah Khan, a government schoolteacher.

"Our General Science question papers confused us, as Biology paper was in new pattern and Physical Science paper was in old pattern. Even most questions of Physics part were very difficult, said Arun Rao, a class VIII student of a private school. The same was stated by Shreya, a class VIII student of a government school.