Change in answer script for CBSE class XII English paper

• A4 size sheets
• Orientation will be portrait, instead of landscape (i.e. answers will be written along the shorter side, instead of the longer side)
• Sheets will be ruled, as before
• Space for each answer will be clearly demarcated on the answer script. Answers must be limited to the space provided. Major problem if you make a mistake and need to cross something out, or if your handwriting is just too big.
• OMR (optical mark recognition) cover sheet for roll number and name. Remember to get an HB pencil (assuming it is a pencil OMR), or a blue/black ballpoint pen (if it isn’t).

Note for students of DPS Vasant Kunj : This has been confirmed by Meeta Kumar ma’am, our English HoD, who confirmed this from DPS, Rohini, who received a circular from CBSE. Our school will receive this soon, and a copy will be uploaded onto the school website soon.

Those are the bullet points for you. Feel free to close this tab/window if you’re not interested in a short rant (short, because preparing for a Physics final is several times more important than ranting about the CBSE and its experiments on us, the guinea pigs). The basic gist of it is that, barely 2 weeks before the English board exam (AISSCE/Class XII/the last one you’ll give) is due to take place [11th March, for those of you who are forgetful/least bothered, which also happens to be my birthday (Woohoo)], the CBSE has deemed it prudent to take the decision to change the answer script for the English paper. It is widely acknowledged to be good manners/common sense to give at least one year’s notice, so that teachers are able to provide ample opportunity for students to get comfortable with a new format.

To be honest, this is nothing new, considering CBSE’s past track record. Something similar happened two years ago, when I gave my 2009 AISSE [the class Xth board {honestly, why can’t the CBSE come up with better acronyms than AISSE and AISSCE, which are so interchangeable by the unwitting soul (OWL and NEWT are so much better, in this respect)}].

(I see that you successfully navigated my nested parenthesis structure, good job)

The paper had an extra question. 18, instead of 17. Not a very significant change, but a change nevertheless. And something that the teachers did not have adequate time to prepare us for [OK, I know that’s taking it a bit too far (last time I checked, most class Xth students possessed brains, or an equivalent organ)]. Our school’s English department was lucky enough to learn about it in time to tell us. Other schools weren’t so lucky. Add to that the fact that my batch’s class Xth English result turned out so bad, and Meeta ma’am is convinced that the batch is jinxed.

Superstition aside, the English paper is probably the only one that I (and many students) will give, that is evaluated on a relatively subjective basis i.e. the marking scheme has value points, not word-to-word answers. Other subjects, such as math and the sciences, are relatively straightforward to evaluate. You missed a step? –0.5 marks. Simple. English, on the other hand, has always been a game of chance. But weirdly enough, the marking scheme instructions are so rigid, that this supposedly-subjectively-evaluated-subject turns out to be yet another farce. There are no opinion-based questions in the paper. It’s basically the same routine – swallow your books and barf it out on the paper. Except now, we’ve got an A4 sized barfbag with specific places to barf out specific amounts and content.

On another note, best of luck to all CBSE students out there. Make yourself, and people around you, proud.