Kerala SSLC, Plus Two exams from March 3-26: Models to start on Feb 17

Thiruvananthapuram;The exam season has arrived, and both schools and the education department are in the final stages of preparation. Across Kerala, more than 16 lakh students are getting ready for their annual examinations.

The SSLC examinations this time will be conducted from March 3 to March 26, alongside the Higher Secondary exams. According to S Shanavas, extensive arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth conduct of both exams. The registration period for SSLC students was open from December 17 to January 1.

SSLC examinations: Over four lakh students to appear
A total of 2,964 examination centres have been set up across Kerala, with 4,25,861 students registered for the SSLC exams within the state. 682 students will be appearing from seven Gulf-based centres, while 447 students from Lakshadweep have also registered. The exams will commence daily at 9.30 am, and the distribution of hall tickets has already begun.

Ahead of the written exams, IT practical examinations are scheduled from February 1 to 14, followed by model exams from February 17 to 21.

To ensure the smooth conduct of exams across 2,964 centers, 26,382 teachers have been assigned invigilator duties. Valuation will begin immediately after the exams conclude, with 9,000 teachers deployed across 72 valuation camps from April 3 to April 26. The results are expected to be announced by the third week of May.

Higher secondary examinations: 11 lakh students to appear
The first-year Higher Secondary examinations will be held from March 6 to March 29, alongside the improvement exams for second-year students. Meanwhile, the final exams for second-year students will take place from March 3 to March 26. Practical examinations have begun as early as by January 22 and model exams will be conducted from February 17 to 21.

This year, 3,88,758 students will appear for the first-year exams, while 2,75,173 students will take the improvement tests. In the second year, 4,45,478 students are preparing for their final exams, bringing the total number of Higher Secondary examinees to 11,90,409.

According to Shanavas, 1,999 examination centres have been set up across Kerala and the Gulf. "The examinations in the Gulf will be conducted with local teachers, and question papers will be securely stored in strongrooms," he said. He also confirmed that the distribution of question papers for SSLC, Higher Secondary, and Vocational Higher Secondary exams has been completed across all educational offices.

A total of 24,000 teachers have been deployed for exam supervision and answer sheet evaluation.

Changes in computer-based examination
The SSLC examinations will be conducted in Malayalam, English, Tamil, and Kannada mediums. The scoring for the written examination and continuous evaluation varies by subject. For English, Mathematics, and Social Science, the ratio will be 80:20, while for all other subjects (except Information Technology), it will be 40:10.

The IT examination will have a total score of 50, with the theory component shifting from a written format to a computer-based assessment alongside the practical exam. The scoring distribution for IT will follow a 10:10:30 ratio for continuous evaluation, theory, and practical examinations, respectively.

For subjects with a maximum score of 80, the examination duration will be two and a half hours, while subjects with a total of 40 marks will have a 1.5 hour exam. The final grades, based on a nine-point scale, will be recorded in the School Leaving Certificate after excluding raw scores.

To qualify for higher education in the SSLC examination, students must secure a minimum D+ grade (30-39%) by combining the scores from continuous evaluation, the written test, and both practical and theory examinations for each subject.

Scoring pattern in Higher Secondary examinations
In Higher Secondary, the maximum score for each subject, combining both first and second years, is 200 marks. A student's grade will be determined based on the total score across both years. To qualify for higher education, a minimum D+ grade must be secured.

To achieve a D+ grade, students must obtain at least 30% of the total score across both years. Additionally, they must secure 30% in the combined theory paper scores over the two years to pass. For subjects with practical evaluation, this means students must score at least 36 marks overall and a minimum of 48 marks in theory papers. For Music, a D+ grade requires 30% in both theory and practical evaluations separately, meaning students must score at least 24 marks in each.