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CBSE had sent across a directive to all its schools to ensure that a geo-tagged and time-tagged group photo is clicked of the Class 12 practical exam students along with the examiners and observer for each practical board exam.
The CBSE board exams 2020 will begin on February 15 and Class 12 students are now appearing for their CBSE board practical exams in front of an external invigilator and also, an external observer. To curb malpractices in practical exams, CBSE has directed examiners this year to click a geo-tagged and time-tagged group photograph that includes all students, the internal and external examiners, and the observer.
While CBSE Class 10 students appear for their practical exams in school itself, which are conducted by their own teachers, CBSE Class 12 students have to face both an internal examiner from their school and an external examiner allotted by CBSE from a different school.
External observers in CBSE Class 12 practical exams
From the last year, CBSE has been also allotting school principals and vice-principals from different schools to appear as observers’ in the CBSE Class 12 practical exams being conducted in other schools.
These external observers have to ensure that the laboratories in the schools they visit are in proper shape and that the practical exams are being conducted correctly including the marks being entered and the practical exam question paper being set.
We had initially thought that CBSE observers will be coming for every practical board exam. But we received observers only for the CBSE Class 12 Physics and Biology practical exams this year, says a board examiner in a Kolkata school with over 20 years of experience.
CBSE makes submission of group photo compulsory
As per the CBSE directives sent to all CBSE schools for practical board exams, a group photo has to be clicked on the practical exam date that includes all the people involved — all students, the internal and external examiners, and the observer.
To curb malpractices, the group photo has to be geo-tagged and time-tagged, all the faces should be properly visible, and the laboratory should also be clearly seen in the background.
This group photo would need to be uploaded on a particular software provided by CBSE. To do this, additional information such as batch number, total batches, date and time etc. would also need to be provided.
Also, the CBSE board exam practical marks cannot be rectified once they are sent through the software.
Here is a photo of the discussed section in the CBSE directive sent to its schools:
