SSC exams: Fail 2 subjects, still move up!

The framework for evaluating students in the new school curriculum has been finalised as per the recommendations of the National Curriculum Coordination Committee (NCCC), with written tests accounting for 65% of marks and activity tests accounting for 35% of marks in SSC.

As per the finalised evaluation system, one can get admission to HSC even if he fails two subjects in the SSC exam. He will not get a certificate but will get a mark sheet. To get a full certificate, he will have to pass exams for the two subjects.

The evaluation method was given final approval in an NCCC meeting held at the Ministry of Education on Monday.

Acting chairman of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) Prof Md Mashiuzzaman told the Daily Sun, “Today's (Monday’s) meeting has decided on the proposed structure of the examination system according to the new curriculum. As a result, the weightage of the written part of the collective assessment of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination is 65%, and the weightage of the activity-based part is 35%.”

Sources present at the meeting said the assessment will be done through written examination along with project-based work, problem-solving activities, assignments etc. Assessment will also include inquiry, demonstration, model making, presentation, experiment, planning etc.

According to NCTB sources, in order to maintain the standard of examination and impartiality in evaluation, the written tests will use the same answer sheets as the ones currently used in public examinations. After the exam, the education boards will publish the results simultaneously.

The total time for written and activity-based tests will be five hours. According to the new curriculum, the name of the public examination held at the end of the 10th grade will remain the same as it is now – the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination.

This exam will be held under the education boards.

Earlier, in a meeting held in the secretariat and chaired by Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury in May, the evaluation method was discussed and a preliminary decision was taken. That was finalised on Monday.

Sources present at the meeting said students participate in tests on five specialised subjects in the public exams of Madrasah Education Board and Technical Education Board, each. Textbooks for all other subjects have been written in light of the new curriculum, but books for these subjects have not been written yet. That is why these subjects will be tested in the creative test method for two more years.