… this is the first time BCSEA is conducting the exams

KP Sharma 

The Bhutan Council for School Examination and Assessment (BCSEA) in the next two weeks will announce the time and distribute the standard operating procedure for the class 10 and 12 trial examinations.  

For the first time, the council will provide schools with trial examination question papers and assessment criteria for evaluation. 

BCSEA through two notifications in May stated that for the 2023 trial examinations, it will collaborate with relevant curriculum developers to formulate the question papers. 

The notification stated that the team would be responsible for the test components, model answer scripts, and the marking scheme. 

The notification stated that, unlike in previous years, BCSEA will be responsible for making the schedule of the trial examinations.

To maintain the confidentiality of the trial question papers, BCSEA will develop and distribute the SoP. 

The Director General of School Education, Karma Galay said that the primary purpose of this initiative is to establish uniformity and enhance data management.

He said that the standardised question papers would contribute to students’ readiness and familiarity for the final examination.

This initiative, he said, is expected to yield better outcomes for the education system as it helps in understanding both examination standards and the broader educational landscape in the country.

According to the director general, this approach would also address concerns pertaining to students’ results. “In cases where challenges arise with the main examination, we can use the trial examination’s result.”

He added that when trial examination questions were formulated by respective schools, it became challenging to compare the results.

BCSEA’s examination controller,  Kesang Deki Tshering, said that the council would ensure a comprehensive final evaluation before finalising them after teachers from various schools prepare the questions. 

The trial examinations for classes X and XII are supposed to be held in the month of October as per the plan.

Meanwhile, this initiative has garnered positive feedback from teachers. They say that when the questions are set by BCSEA, it eases their burden of establishing the questions, a time-consuming process that sometimes disrupts the daily academic routines.

Some said that they are relieved of the responsibility to gather trial question papers from other schools during their subject revision, as the uniformity of the trial questions does not ask for this need.