HSC, SSC students to get extra time for exams

Students seen doing last-minute revisions for an exam at Don Bosco High School, Matunga, last year. File pic

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has said that SSC and HSC students will be able to avail the facility of extra time, which was introduced last year but could not be implemented. For every 80/100 marks paper, students will get an additional 30 minutes and for papers of marks 40/50/60, they will get an extra 15 minutes.

The state board had introduced the extra-time facility last year as students had lost the habit of writing considering studies were online. Unfortunately, it could not be implemented as the board exams got cancelled due to a rise in Covid cases.

Considering the one-hour gap needed between the two sessions, the board has added extra time at the beginning of the morning session and at the end of the afternoon session

However, this time the morning session papers which usually start at 11 am, will start at 10.30 am. For the afternoon session papers, the starting time remains the same - 3 pm, but the end-time will change based on the extra time students will get.

Confirming the same, Sharad Gosavi, chairman of Maharashtra state board, said, "Due to the pandemic schools were conducting classes online. Students have lost the habit of writing. Considering this, the extra-time facility was announced last year, so that students are not under stress to finish the papers. However, exams were cancelled last year. But this time students will be able to avail the facility.

Considering the one-hour gap needed between the two sessions, we have added extra time at the beginning of the morning session and at the end of the afternoon session." The board has also declared a detailed timetable for the Secondary School Certificate (SSC-Std X) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC-Std XII) examinations.

The HSC exam will be held from March 4 to March 30 and the SSC exam from March 15 to April 4. The detailed timetable can be accessed from the official website of the state board. In a few days, a printed one will be sent to all schools and junior colleges.