The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) commenced the Standard X and XII board exams for the 2024-25 academic year yesterday, with more than 42 lakh students set to appear for the papers. The exams are being conducted at 7,842 centres across India and 26 other countries worldwide. According to the board, a total of 24.12 lakh students will appear for the Std 10 papers across 84 subjects, while 17.88 lakh Std 12 students will write papers in 120 subjects.
This reflects an increase of 3.14 lakh students over last year’s total count of 38.85 lakh across both grades. On Saturday, Std 10 students wrote the English (Communicative) and English (Language and Literature) papers, while Std 12 students appeared for the Entrepreneurship exam. Many students found the English paper easy. Maulik Shah, a Standard 10 student, told mid-day: “The paper was easy, but I had concerns about the word limit. The answers were much longer than the allowed word count. Also, one question was out of the syllabus, but since it was optional, we didn’t have to attempt it.”
The Standard 10 exams will conclude on March 18, while the Std 12 papers end on April 4. To help students manage exam stress, CBSE has launched its annual counselling service. A team of 66 trained professionals, including psychologists, principals and special educators from CBSE-affiliated schools, will provide voluntary support.
SSC exams start next week
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Board is gearing up for the Std 10 (SSC) exams, scheduled from February 21 to March 28. The Std 12 (HSC) exams are currently underway and will conclude on March 18. In the Mumbai division, 3.58 lakh students are set to appear for the SSC exams this year.
