Ludhiana: The Political Science exam for Class XII students conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on Friday has sparked a wave of discontent among both students and teachers, with allegations of questions being out of syllabus and not in line with the sample paper format.
The discontent stems from discrepancies between the prescribed syllabus, sample paper format, and the actual questions posed in the exam. According to the subject lecturers, the absence of expected short-format questions further exacerbated the situation, leaving students grappling with unfamiliar formats and content.
Vinita, a political science lecturer at Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Cemetery Road, expressed dismay over the unexpected nature of the questions, stating, “Even bright students found themselves stumped. Notably, several chapters from the syllabus were reportedly not represented in the question paper, compounding the confusion among examinees. It will have an adverse impact on students’ overall percentages if the board fails to provide grace marks to compensate for the unexpected difficulty.”
In a typical 80-mark question paper, it is customary to include around 35 short-format questions, comprising fill-in-the-blanks and multiple-choice questions (MCQs). However, the recent Political Science exam reportedly featured only one fill-in-the-blank question and four MCQs, falling short of expectations and adding to students’ challenges.
“Boards do not publish their own textbooks, and those provided by private publishers failed to adequately cover the questions asked in the exam. The questions not only deviated from the prescribed syllabus but were also presented in a convoluted manner, posing significant challenges for students. Lecturers and district coordinators statewide have collectively appealed to the exam controller, Secretary of Education, and Education Minister Harjot Bains, requesting the provision of 10-15 grace marks to students.” remarked Baljit Singh, the District Coordinator of Political Science and a lecturer at Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Ghalib Kalan.
