Parents worried expecting mid-session changes in Odisha Plus-II exam pattern

Bhubaneswar: Parents of Plus II students have expressed displeasure over plans of the Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Odisha to change the pattern of Plus II second year exam to be held in 2019.

Parents rued that students, who took admission in 2017, will face difficulties while preparing for exams if the pattern is changed in the middle of the academic session.

They claimed that students have been preparing for the exam on the basis of a pattern given by the CHSE for the past one and a half years and any change will adversely affect the performance of their children.

"In 2017 the council had finalised the mark distribution on the CHSE website and students have prepared accordingly. Any change in mark distribution during the Plus II second year exam in March 2019 is not acceptable," said one aggrieved parent.

Expressing similar views, guardian of another student stated, "Students will suffer the most as only six months are left to prepare for the CHSE exam. If CHSE had such plans to change the pattern, it should have implemented the same from the beginning of the session."

Voicing concerns, parents met the Plus II exam managing committee member Bhujabal Majhi and submitted a memorandum.

According to sources, Majhi has assured parents that the exam committee will consider the matter seriously and take concrete actions.

Undoubtedly change in exam pattern will create problems for students, said Majhi. "Therefore, I will raise the matter before the committee and do the needful," he added.

Meanwhile, a CHSE official has said no final decision has been taken to change the Plus II exam pattern yet. However the change will be beneficial for the students, he added.

"Question pattern will remain the same. For different marks the number of questions will remain the same," said Prabodh Kumar Panda, deputy exam controller of CHSE.