Grading system and question pattern reduce Cheating

Updated on: Thursday, March 15, 2012

Until recently furtive glances at slips of paper by students to come up with the right answers were common during exams. But with the new grading system and the change in the character of questions asked, exam malpractices appear to have taken a dip.

students are now saved the anxiety of being declared failed and are instead classified under nine grades depending on their performance in the SSLC examination. This and more probing questions during the exams, appear to have done the trick.

Johns V. John, secretary, Board of Examinations says, “There is a substantial dip in exam malpractice as the nature of questions under the new pattern don’t call for direct answers from the textbook. They instead test the application skills of students who need to think to arrive at the right answers, leaving little scope for copying.”

Deputy director of education, Ernakulam, M.D. Murali too says that the five squads working in the region have not come across any serious case of copying in the first three days of the SSLC examinations this year whereas nearly 10 cases were recorded the last time.

“We made 12 school visits since the start of examinations three days ago, but have rarely caught anyone copying. Since the introduction of the grading system there has been a substantial dip in malpractice. Now our focus is more on seating arrangements, tallying of question papers after distribution, ensuring ban of mobiles inside the exam hall and clearing out trespassers,” he says, adding a physical check on candidates is rarely carried out now.

School principals agree that students don’t appear to be cheating as much as before, but reveal that the methods used have become more innovative now.

“The age of carrying bits of paper with answer tips written on them may have gone, but now we are noticing a new trend of students writing answers on the inside of their rubber chappals just before entering the examination.

Gracy Joseph, principal, SRV Vocational Higher Secondary School says we look out for students removing their footwear and keeping it at a readable distance. It is easy to erase the answers by tightly placing your feet on them.”

Annie Deleela, principal, GHHS, North Paravoor, also says that while the new pattern of questions may not be simple, it does not stop all students from cheating.

“We usually look out for communication through gestures and so on among them,” she says.

Helping the schools keep watch on the students are the over 50 examination flying squads which have been deputed to carry out inspections at all examination centres this year.

Grading system and question pattern reduce Cheating

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