Chennai: Class X CBSE students began their board exams on a rough note on Tuesday, with several candidates finding the math (standard) paper lengthy and complex.At an exam centre in Velachery, some students walked out of the hall in tears. Many of them said the questions deviated from pre-board examinations held in their schools. “A five-mark question on intersections and medians required a lot of time. I couldn’t complete the paper on time,” said V N Nihal, a student.Considering the difficulty level of the paper, many parents who were initially opposed to the idea of their wards taking the second voluntary board exam for improving their scores, changed their minds. “My daughter says she will only score 50-60 (out of 80). She wants to take up the group with biology and math in Class XI. She has to improve her scores in the second exam,” said N Shoba, a parent from Alandur.Teachers and principals also felt the paper was difficult compared to last year. “The difficulty level was moderate. There were a lot of competency-based questions. At our centre, I did not see students sulking. The response was mixed,” said Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram principal P G Subramanian. The first exam was held for math (standard) and math (basic) subjects. Students who took the basic test had a relatively easier day. Meanwhile, most Class XII students, who took their first exam in optional subjects — Biotechnology, Entrepreneurship, Shorthand (English and Hindi)—seemed happy with the paper.
