New Delhi: 

Although the ISCE is generally considered to be a student-friendly Board, the questions in most of their class 12 examinations were extremely tough for students to attempt.

This is a time when pedagogy is being constantly revised to make it less cumbersome for students, curriculum is designed to ease their burden and new-age methodology is being introduced to make course work engaging and less heavy for school students. This is also the time when the two primary Indian school education boards – CBSE and CISCE – seem to have a different blueprint for students and the future that beholds. With outright emphasis on the competency-based questions format that both Boards have employed for students appearing for their class 10 and 12 this year, one thing is loud and clear; while we steer clear from the rote learning methodology for good, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to make its implementation or transition a smooth one.

While the former has been put in place, it is the latter where we may have faltered. As was felt by some students who appeared for the ISC Maths paper held on March 3. Most students found the question paper to be lengthy, confusing and tough. “Even the MCQs needed a lot of thorough reasoning and calculations,” says Abhaya, from Ryan International School in Noida. He added that while the school had informed students about the increased number of CBQs in the paper, students couldn’t cope with the tough ask.

Critical thinking is good, implementation could’ve been better: Parents

The CBQs are not new for Indian school boards, the ISCE had introduced this a while ago but the weightage given to such queries was noticed to be much more than the previous years. “The CBQs were introduced to encourage critical thinking and application-based learning in students,” informed CISCE secretary Joseph Emmanuel. Most parents welcome this as a step in the right direction but there are a few who feel that the problem lies in the lack of planning around its implementation. “Unlike straightforward formula-based questions, CBQs require deeper analysis, logical reasoning, and multiple steps to arrive at a solution. Naturally, such questions take longer to answer. This should have been taken into consideration by the board,” agrees Poulumi Gupta, a maths teacher for a popular ISCE school in the Capital.

It is to be noted that the ICSE 10 and 12 grading system 2025 consists of grade points from 1 to 9, with the number 1 being the highest while 9 is the lowest grade point. Students who receive 8 or 9 GPs will be considered as failing students. There are different grading systems adopted by CISCE for external and internal exams. The introduction of Competency-Based Questions (CBQs) that too without the Board adjusting the allotted time (especially for class 12 students) left students scrambling to complete their papers. Parents, teachers, and students alike have raised concerns about whether this change was justified, given that academic careers and college admissions hinge on these crucial exams.

However, despite introducing this more time-consuming question format, CISCE did not increase the exam duration. This placed undue pressure on students, many of whom struggled to even attempt all questions, let alone double-check their answers. Like Abhay, there is Neeti Nigam, a class 12 student of Frank Anthony Public School who couldn’t complete the paper in time. she calls the timing unfair and unfortunate.

Is it an unfair disadvantage?

Students spend years preparing for a specific format, only to face a last-minute change without adequate time adjustments or sufficient practice.

Another Mother of a student who appeared for the test in a Noida-based ISCE school added that major changes in exam patterns should be introduced gradually, with proper adjustments to ensure fairness. “Either the duration of the exam should have been extended, or the number of questions should have been reduced to match the available time,” she gives her solution to the problem.

The ISC board examinations do play a crucial role in determining students’ higher education prospects, every mark here counts when competing for college seats, scholarships, and cutoffs. Many students who had prepared diligently for the exam found themselves unable to showcase their knowledge simply because time ran out. Parents have voiced concerns that this change was unfair, as students were not given enough practice or mock tests that simulated the new format under realistic time constraints. “Without adequate preparation, they were essentially forced to experiment with the new style during a high-stakes exam,” says a parent from Mumbai.

Education boards in India have to remember that exams are meant to test knowledge and skills —not just speed. A well-planned transition is necessary to ensure that students are evaluated fairly, without compromising their future prospects.

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