Kolkata: The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) has announced a groundbreaking move. Starting from the next academic year, several new regulations will be implemented to bring transparency to the Higher Secondary examination evaluation process. The most significant among these are the introduction of O-M-R (Optical Mark Recognition) sheets and the publication of model answer keys after the exams.
What Are the New Changes?
- Use of OMR Sheets: Under the new semester system, the third-semester examination will consist of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), and students will have to answer on OMR sheets.
- Copy of Answer Sheets: Examinees will be able to keep a carbon copy of their marked OMR sheet. Students will also be able to view their OMR sheets on the council’s website using their login credentials.
- Publication of Model Answer Keys: After the examinations conclude, the council will upload model answer keys for each subject on its website. This will allow students to cross-check their answers, eliminating any doubts about the evaluation’s fairness.
Why This Change?
The President of the council, Chiranjib Bhattacharya, stated that this new system will help increase transparency in the evaluation process among students and guardians. Previously, there were often doubts regarding the assessment of answer scripts, leading to a tendency to request copies under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. It is hoped that this new rule will significantly reduce such complications.
Following the Precedent:
It is noteworthy that the system of providing OMR sheet copies and publishing answer keys has already been successfully implemented in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and the School Service Commission (SSC) examinations. Following that successful model, this initiative is now being taken to bring similar transparency to the Higher Secondary examinations.
When Will the New Rules Be Implemented?
These rules will be effective under the new semester system, which is being introduced from the 2025-26 academic year. Class XII students will get these benefits starting from their third-semester examination.
This new initiative is expected to receive a positive response from students, parents, and teachers. It will make the entire evaluation system more student-friendly and credible.
