EXAMINATION
During the year, the National Open School conducted two public examinations in May and December, 1993, and two computer marked assessments in June, 1993 and January, 1994. Total number of 1,52,495 candidates appeared in these examinations.
The examinations for the newly introduced 14 vocational courses were held for the first time during the year. 2,090 candidates appeared in the examinations for the vocational courses held in May and December, 1993.
Departmental set-up The Examination Department is headed by the Controller of Examina- tions, who is assisted by one Deputy Director and one Assistant Director. The department consists of the following sections:
i) Examinations (outside Delhi),
ii) Examinations (Delhi),
iii) Vocational Examinations,
iv) Answer Book Cell,
v) Marks and Migration,
vi) Confidential and Secret Section.
Examinations Delhi, Examinations Outside Delhi, Answer Book Cell and Confidential and Secret Sections each are under the charge of Section Officers. The Vocational Examinations, Marks and Migration and Confidential Sections each are under the charge of Desk Officers who are reporting to the Section Officers of Examinations (Delhi), Answer Book Cell and Secret Sections respectively. The Assistant Director was responsible for Examinations Delhi, Examinations Outside Delhi and Vocational Examinations Sections and reported to Deputy Director. The Answer Book Cell, Marks and Migration and Confidential Sections were directly looked after by the Deputy Director, who reported to Controller of Examinations.
Computer Marked Assessment (CMA) For the candidates admitted from July, 1990 onwards, Computer Marked Assessment was introduced in all the academic subjects at the secondary and senior secondary stages. The candidates were required to secure a minimum pass marks of 25% in the CMA in a subject before they could appear in the public examinations in that subject.
During the year, 8,916 students appeared in the CMA held in June, 1993 and 55,832 in January, 1994 in about 300 study centres (AIs) spread all over the country. The response sheets of the CMA were evaluated centrally by using optical Mark Reader as usual and the results were declared in a month.
Tutor Marked Assessment (TMA) As reported earlier, the CMA is now being replaced by the "Tutor Marked Assessments (TMA)", to be evaluated by the teachers of the study centres. The TMA will have 20 percent weightage in the final awards, following the earlier pattern of CMA.
Public Examinations Total number of 87,747 candidates appeared in May and December, 1993 examinations as against 62,014 candidates during May and Novem-
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ber, 1992 examinations representing an increase of 42% over the previous year.
52,453 candidates appeared in secondary and 35,294 appeared in senior secondary examinations during the year as against 38,190 and 23,824 respectively during the previous year representing an increase of 37 per cent and 48 per cent in the number of candidates appearing in secondary and senior secondary examinations respectively.
Examinations were held for May, 1993 and November, 1993 examinations in 163 and 136 schools spread all over the country. Of these 145 schools, during May, 1993 and 130 schools in the December, 1993 examinations were the examination centres for both Secondary and Senior Secondary Examinations. The total number of examination centres for the two public examinations was as given in the Table 7.1.
141 observers were appointed for May, 1993 and 97 observers for December, 1993 examinations to oversee the fair conduct of examina- tions.
Question Papers The question papers are set and moderated by a panel of experts as per the blue prints and the question paper designs supplied. The bilingual question papers (Hindi & English) are printed by confidential printers and despatched to various banks for their safe custody with utmost secrecy. The question papers of subject concerned are handed over to the Centre Superintendent by the Bank Manager on the date of the examination.
Answer Books Answer Scripts are received in the answer Book Cell from the examina- tion centres by hand in case of Delhi Centres and by post from others. These scripts are counted, compared with attendance sheets and forwarded to the Chief Secrecy Officer for Secrecy work after keeping a proper record. The Chief Secrecy Officer passes them for evaluation after secrecy.
Evaluation The answer scripts are evaluated at six evaluation centres in different parts of the country. The evaluation is done under the supervision of Coordinators appointed by NOS at each evaluation centre in accordance with a detailed marking scheme provided by the NOS. The marking schemes are finalised for each subject during standardisation meetings held on the day of each examination with six to eight subject experts including paper setters and moderators to ensure uniformity and objectivity in evaluation.
The evaluators are required to adhere strictly to the marking scheme provided to them to avoid any subjectivity creeping in. This is ensured by the Team Leaders/Chief Examiner through rechecking 5% of the scripts marked by each Examiner. The feed back proforma from evaluators, Team Leaders and Chief Examiners are received and analysed to ensure that the standards are maintained from year to year.
A total number of 1,94,594 answer scripts for May, 1993 and 63,034 answer scripts for December, 1993 for Secondary and Senior Secondary courses were got evaluated at different evaluation centres. 363 and 2,540 scripts were got evaluated for the newly introduced Vocational courses during the May, 1993 and December, 1993 examinations.
Results The award lists received from the evaluators are computerised by two different computer agencies. The two sets of data are then compared by the computer to ensure accuracy. Further, the results of a few hundred candidates are prepared manually, and compared with the result processed by the computer to ensure hundred percent accuracy. In spite of the
Table 7.1: Number of Examination Centres
Examination Centres May '93 Nov.'93
Combined for Secondary - Sr. Secondary 145 130
Secondary 15 4
Senior Secondary 3 2
Total 163 136
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complication and the increasing number of candidates, the NOS declares, the NOS declares the result of its all India Examinations within 8 to 10 weeks.
On declaration, results are communicated to the Accredited Institutions. The mark-sheets as well as the migration certificates of the successful candidates are sent along-with the result gazette. The marksheets of the candidates whose AIs have been discontinued are sent directly by post. The certificates of the candidates are printed within 2 to 3 months of declaration of results and sent to the AIs or directly to the candidates by registered post as the case may be.
Certification 13,571 and 11,642 students were certified in the secondary were certified in the secondary and senior secondary examination respectively during the year against 10,028 and 8,452 students in the previous year. The total number of students certified during the year rose to 25,213 from 18,480 in the previous year representing an increase of 36 per cent. Year-wise details of the students certified since January 1990-91 examinations are given in Table 7.2
Year-wise certification of the students is presented in Figure 7.1.
Performance The year-wise level of performance of the students certified since 1991-92 is presented in Table 7.3.
Of 13,571 students certified in secondary examination during the year, 44% obtained marks below 45%, another 44% above 45% to 60%, and remaining 12 % secured more than 60% marks.
Of 11,642 students certified in senior secondary examination during the year, 51% students obtained less than 45% marks. Of the remaining, 43% students secured above 45% to 60% marks and only 6% students got more than 60% marks.
Whereas the level of performance of the students in secondary examination was marginally low in case of secondary examination, the level of performance in the case of students of senior secondary examinations improved during the year. The overall level of performance for both the examinations taken together marginally improved during the year.
The level of performance of students in secondary and senior secondary examinations is presented in Figure 7.2.
Subject-wise pass percentages for secondary and senior secondary courses are given in Tables 7.4 and 7.5.
For secondary course, the pass percentage in Hindi, Home Science and Typewriting was above 60 per cent in both May and December, 1993
Table 7.2: Yearwise Certification of Students
Year/ No. of students certified
Name of Exam Secondary Sr. Secondary Total
1990-91
Jan-1991 5,050 3,730 8,780
Sub-total 5,050 3,730 8,780
1990-92
Jun-1991 5,388 5,185 10,573
Nov-1991 3,622 3,055 6,677
Sub-total 9,010 8,240 17,250
1992-93
May-1992 6,700 4,736 11,436
Nov-1992 3,328 3,716 7,044
Sub-total 10,028 8,452 18,480
1993-94
May-1993 9,140 6,700 15,840
Dec-1993 4,431 4,942 9,373
Sub-total 13,571 11,642 25,213
Total 37,659 32,064 69,723
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Table 7.4 : Secondary Course- Subject-wise Pass Percentage
Subject May 1993 December 1993
App. Pass% App. Pass%
Hindi 19,922 68.1 3,902 64.8
English 23,062 59.5 6,318 27.2
Mathematics 11,682 30.1 4,933 15.9
Science 13,499 42.7 4,862 19.0
Social Science 21,505 35.3 9,186 31.2
Economics 12,611 62.5 3,417 48.5
Commerce 4,549 49.9 1,400 35.0
Home Science (with Prac.) 9,190 66.5 2,423 52.8
Typing (Hindi) 359 82.2 71 71.8
Typing (English) 3,521 68.8 778 69.0
Table 7.5: Sr. Secondary Course - Subject-wise Pass Percentage
Subject May, 1993 December, 1993
App. Pass% App. Pass%
Hindi 12,197 69.3 3,303 69.8
English 14,503 61.5 4,409 24.6
Mathematics 2,594 38.7 1,092 19.1
Physics 2,884 38.8 1,468 26.4
Chemistry 2,650 36.8 1,484 24.4
Biology 1,787 56.5 636 40.1
History 8,530 45.9 3,535 37.8
Geography 2,966 59.3 1,192 39.6
Political Science 8,522 61.8 2,874 55.1
Economics 7,268 56.0 2,712 40.4
Commerce 2,891 66.4 874 52.6
Accountancy 2,280 44.1 929 33.2
Home Science 2,907 65.0 1,263 61.7
Typewriting (Hindi) 245 79.6 74 91.9
Typewriting (Eng) 1,707 83.2 474 88.0
Stenography (Hindi) 42 57.1 16 50.0
Stenography (Eng) 112 41.1 63 30.2
Sec. Practice. 607 71.3 181 68.0
examinations. The pass percentage in Economics was also above 60% in May, 1993 examination. Lowest pass percentage in the secondary course in both the examinations was in Mathematics followed by Science.
In senior secondary course, the pass percentage in Hindi, Home Science, Typewriting, and Secretarial Practice was above 60% in both May and December, 1993 examinations. The pass percentage in English, Political Science and Commerce was also above 60% in May, 1993 examination. The lowest pass percentage in the senior secondary courses in both the examinations was again in Mathematics followed by Chemistry and Physics.
Subject-wise pass percentage in secondary and senior secondary courses is presented in Figure 7.3.
Vocational Examinations During the year, the National Open School conducted its first examination in vocational courses at the accredited vocational institutions having full facilities for holding the vocational examinations. A total number of 2,090 vocational course students appeared in the two examinations conducted in May and December, 1993 out of which 1,266 representing 61% were declared successful and certified during the year. Coursewise details of the number of students appeared and passed in vocational courses during the year is presented in Table 7.6.
The overall pass percentage was highest in one-year community development courses (84%), followed by six-monthly courses (73%) and one-year other than community
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Table 7.6: Vocational Courses - Number of students appeared & certified
Course May 1993 Dec. 1993 Total
appeared certified appeared certified appeared certified pass%
1. One Year Courses
Package Course (PA/PS) - - 90 24 90 24 26.67
House Wiring & 64 - 229 96 293 96 32.76
Electrical Appliances
Motor & Transformer
Rewinding
Radio & Tape Recorder 84 - 264 190 348 190 54.60
Repairing & TV Repairing
Cutting & Tailoring 54 - 108 85 162 85 52.47
and Dress making
Library Attendant & 13 - 57 51 70 51 72.86
Library Clerk
Refrigeration &
Airconditioning - - 330 204 330 204 61.82
Sub-Total 215* - 1,078 650 1,293 650 50.27
2. Six Monthly Course
House Wiring &
Electrical Appliances 2 1 28 8 30 9 30.00
Motor & Transformer
Rewinding - - 17 8 17 8 47.06
Radio & Tape Recorder
Repairing 1 1 17 4 18 5 27.78
TV Repairing - - 24 22 24 22 91.67
Cutting & Tailoring 55 51 20 19 75 70 93.33
Dress Making - - 15 12 15 12 80.00
Library Attendant 4 2 2 2 6 4 66.67
Plumbing 23 18 78 50 101 68 67.33
Beauty Culture 79 64 123 94 202 158 78.22
Sub-Total 164 137 324 219 488 356 72.95
3. One Year Community
Development Courses
Paripurna Mahila - - 133 99 133 99 74.44
Jan Swasthya - - 176 161 176 161 91.48
Sub-total - - 309 260 309 260 84.14
Total
379 137 1,711 1,129 2,090 1,266 60.57
*Candidates appeared in the first module of the one year vocational courses.
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development courses (50%).
In one year, other than community development courses, the highest pass percentage was in the case of Library Attendant and Library Clerk course (73%) followed by Refrigeration and Air Conditioning course (62%). The lowest pass percentage was in the case of Package Course (PA/CS) (27%).
In six monthly courses, the highest pass percentage was in the case of Cutting & Tailoring (93%), followed by TV Repairing (92%), Dress Making (80%), Beauty Culture (78%) and Plumbing and Library Attendant courses (60% each). The lowest pass percentage was in the case of Radio and Tape Recorder Repairing (28%).
In one year community development courses, the pass percentage in both the Jan Swasthya and Paripurna Mahila was very high viz. 92% and 75% respectively.
Certification of students in various vocational courses is presented in Figures 7.4.
Marks & Certificates Marksheets and Migration Certificates are sent to all the AIs alongwith the results for distribution to the certified students. In case of unattached students, these are sent directly to them. Pass Certificates are issued to the students normally within four to six weeks of the declaration of the results.
Provisional Certificates and Duplicate Marksheets are issued to the student on request. Similarly, corrections in the name, father's name and date of birth etc. are processed expeditiously on request. Verification of the certificates is also done on request from other institutions and organisations for admission or employment purposes.
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