Chennai: Just three days after Class X CBSE students streamed out of exam centres in tears over a tough mathematics paper, Class XII students faced similar dismay on Friday after the physics exam.A lengthy paper , coupled with an increased emphasis on numerical questions, derailed students who had sailed through school revision and pre-board exams, as well as everyday tests in their tutorials. Students said that despite intense practice, the exam proved to be a different experience. “Pre-board models were nothing like this — today’s demanded far more time,” said a student from K S N Senior Secondary School.Several students found the assertion and reasoning type questions, three in total time-consuming. “One or two options could be correct , and we had to read the sentences carefully before answering. I panicked and got two of them wrong,” a student said.School heads admitted that weightage for competency-based questions has increased over the last few years in CBSE. “The paper was tougher compared to last year,” said Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram principal P G Subramanian. “It was lengthy, and some students may not have attempted all questions. Case study questions were long, and students needed more time. But all these should be expected in a standard paper. It reiterates that students have to be conceptually strong to score well,” he said.Other senior teachers agreed. The senior principal of Maharshi Vidya Mandir, Chetpet, Haribabu, said that usually difficult papers requiring students to think outside the box are reserved only for Class XII. “This year, it applied to Class X students too,” he said.
