The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education has decided to award full 10 marks for the out-of-syllabus questions in the Higher Secondary mathematics examination and adopt a lenient approach during evaluation. The move comes amid concerns that the mathematics question paper was particularly tough this year.
Council President Chiranjib Bhattacharya said special instructions will be sent to examiners through the chief examiners to ensure fair assessment. The council aims to protect the interests of all 84,500 students who appeared for the mathematics exam and ensure they receive equal opportunity in the fourth semester.
Meanwhile, similar concerns have surfaced regarding the biology paper held on Friday. Subject teachers have pointed out that the council appears to be shifting its question pattern closer to the CBSE format, placing greater emphasis on applied and conceptual questions. As a result, many students accustomed to answering direct, straightforward questions in school exams reportedly struggled to adapt to the board examination pattern in the examination hall.
ALSO READ | Board exams underway, uncertainty looms over West Bengal Joint Entrance schedule
What are the teachers' complaints regarding biology questions?
In today’s biology examination, several questions left students confused. Question 1-A asked candidates to write two effects of “beta alcoholism” on the human body. Many general and average students struggled, as they are more familiar with questions on the harmful effects of alcohol addiction rather than the phrasing used in the paper.
In Question 4-B, students were asked to name the causative agent of filariasis. Teachers pointed out that council students are more accustomed to writing the name of the pathogen responsible for filaria disease. Even when translated into Bengali, the terminology can create confusion in interpretation.
Question 5-D asked what is meant by insertional activation. Biology teachers noted that this topic from biotechnology is not covered in most commonly available market textbooks. Similarly, Question 6 required students to name a pioneer species on bare rocks and explain how such a species helps in the establishment of later plant species. Teachers described these as applied or conceptual questions. Council students, they say, are generally more comfortable answering direct questions such as defining ecological succession and listing its stages.
ALSO READ | IIT JAM 2026 exam responses released by IIT Bombay; direct link and steps to check
Biplab Mandal, biology teacher at Ballygunge Government High School, said the council’s question setters are increasingly following the CBSE style. He expressed concern that students from middle-class and economically weaker families, whether in rural or urban areas, may not have access to expensive coaching centres. According to him, adapting to this new pattern based only on school teaching and local tuition can be very challenging.
Sougat Basu, biology teacher at Uttarpara Government High School, also said the influence of model question banks and coaching-centre materials was evident in the paper.
However, Council President Chiranjib Bhattacharya dismissed these concerns. He stated that even if school teachers set questions, moderation is done by college and university teachers to prevent leaks. He maintained that there was no unusual complexity in the biology paper.
