UAE: Some CBSE Grade 12 students voice concern over delay in board exams, results

Some students from CBSE-affiliated schools in the UAE are expressing their concerns over the delay in the commencement of the Grade 12 board exams.

Although, a majority of them admit the exams, starting in April instead of March, has enabled them to be better prepared for it, they’ve also highlighted several challenges because of this delay.

Arif Abdul Salam, a Grade 12 student of Our Own Boys School, Sharjah, says, “There are several disadvantages, as the exams are beginning later this year as compared to pre-pandemic years. The JEE Main, that I and many other students are taking, will be held in two slots. I will be taking the exam on June 29. For many students, the exams will get over by mid-June. So, we barely get one-and-a-half to two weeks, to revise the humongous syllabus for the (JEE) Entrance exams that entails Grade XI and Grade XII syllabus.”

"Apart from this, the first term exams was purely MCQ (Multiple Choice Question) while the second term exams are subjective. The JEE includes the two-year syllabus which are all multiple-choice questions and numerical value questions. By now, we’ve forgotten the Term I syllabus, we’ve already been examined for that and it will not feature in the second term. But for the JEE, we will have questions from the entire portion. So, there are different challenges… pertaining to revision. We have to go through the Grade XI and the Grade XII Term I syllabus. And that too has to be done in a matter of two weeks only.”

Applying for foreign universities

Some students from the outgoing batch of Grade XII who are applying in foreign universities are also facing issues due to delay in declaration of board results and academic year.

Grade XII student, Irfan Mohammed, says, “I feel there are two ways of looking at this situation. The positive side is that we get more time to prepare for the board exams. In fact, the one-month study enables one to be better prepared for any entrance exams, like the JEE. If one utilises the time properly, then one can revise both Grade XI and XII syllabus that's required for the JEE. Additionally, I have already enrolled in a German language course which I might require in future as I go to university. I aim to utilise the extra time more effectively.”

ALSO READ:

• UAE: CBSE schools balancing two batches in Grades 10, 12 at the same time

• India: CBSE to conduct single board exam format next year

• UAE: CBSE students concerned about time management ahead of exams, say school heads

He adds, “However, having said this, the downside is a lot of universities, like the University of Luxembourg, and several others, will do the selection for applicants who’ve completed Grade 12 based on the final results. The CBSE board results will only come by August end or early September for our batch. So, those of us looking to join these universities we will have to wait for another year. But for many universities in the US and the UK, this is not a mandatory criterion.”

Grade XII student of DPS Dubai, Aoyishi Chakrabarti says, “When the exams stretch too much, the tempo is lost. After a point, students tend to lose patience and become sluggish. I have taken Psychology, therefore, my exams end on June 15, which is the last paper. While my exams begin on April 26, I have to keep up the momentum for nearly two months. Psychology is a subjective paper and requires a lot of preparation. I will have little time before I end my board exams and commence university life. I wanted to pursue some hobbies in between, but there will surely be a time crunch.Most students typically have some downtime before these two crucial phases of life."

• Newsletters
• Dubai