Results day for pupils in India's top exams

UPDATE: Live results of CBSE Grade 12 examinations

DUBAI // Thousands of Indian pupils across the country will be up early today to check their results for one of the most competitive Indian examinations.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Grade 12 results are expected to be released at around 8am according to the board's official website, www.cbse.nic.in.

More than 3,200 pupils from 27 schools in the UAE appeared for the month-long examinations in three streams - science, commerce and arts - in March.

The overall marks received in these examinations determine the pupils' future, as stringent university admission policies rely heavily on the results.

Most high-ranked universities will only consider candidates with cut off marks of about 94 per cent which makes the time before the results are declared extremely stressful for the families, said Neelam Upadhyay, principal of the Indian School Al Ain.

"There is naturally an anxiety among the students because it's tough competition to get into some of the best universities back home," said Ms Upadhyay.

"Many universities, especially the medical and engineering ones, are looking for the best, and nothing below 90 per cent is even acceptable."

CBSE officials have been trying to revise the system to ease the board exam pressure on schoolchildren. For the first time last year, the board replaced the numerical marking system with a grade point scale for pupils in Grade 10.

Kapil Sibal, the human resource development minister of India said they had to eliminate the unhealthy competition among pupils who were obsessing over every percentage point.

Though the system has been successfully implemented in Grade 10, it has not been introduced in Grade 12 yet.

Vineet Joshi, the chairman of the CBSE, said some reform would take time because of the slow acceptance to the new system.

"We cannot change the entire system immediately because parents and students need to be on board too.

"We are receiving their feedback and will move forward accordingly."

Kavya Chandrasekar, a science student who is expecting a grade of more than 85 per cent, said she would prefer marks to grades.

"I do not agree with the grades system because you do not get to know your exact marks.

"Everyone who falls between 80 and 89 per cent receive the same grade and that is not fair."

The pupil, who hopes to be accepted into an architecture school in south India, said she has "butterflies in her stomach."

"I have given all my entrance exams to get into a good university.

"Now, if I get the marks I want, I will get into the university of my choice."

aahmed@thenational.ae