10,000 UAE students to sit for CBSE exams

Dubai: A total of 10,000 grade 10 and 12 students in the UAE are expected to take the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams this year.

The CBSE in New Delhi announced that the examinations will commence from March 1, 2016, for both grade 10 and 12.

The grade 10 examination will end on 28 March and for Grade 12, on 22 April.

The exams will be held in the UAE from 9:00 am to 12 noon at various centres to concur with the timings in India (10.30 am to 1.30 pm).

The examinations last for 3 hours with additional 15 minutes provided as ‘Reading Time’ to go through the Question paper. Extra time is allotted to differently abled candidates (with prior approval from the CBSE Regional Office).

Ashok Kumar, the CEO of Indian High School in Dubai, said for Grade 10, over 19000 candidates belonging to foreign schools all over the world, including UAE, are expected to take the exam. For Grade 12, the number of foreign candidates, including the UAE, is over 12000.

“In UAE alone, the estimated number of students taking the Grade 10 CBSE exam is above 6000 and for Grade 12, approximately over 4000 students. The CBSE Board follows an interdisciplinary approach where values are intermingled with all major subjects,” he said.

Commenting on the schedule, Kumar said the time tables for the grade 10 and 12 CBSE Board Examinations are student-friendly, balanced and well thought-out.

“The gaps between exams are adequate — so neither does it generate stress, nor is there a slackening of tempo. Due consideration has been made for subjects that students get more anxious about and these have been put later in the schedule.”

He also said the grade 10 date sheet completes the core subjects by the third week of March, giving enough breathing space to the students before they begin the new academic year and the grade 12 timetable takes into account the schedules of professional college entrance exams.

Principal of Delhi Private School in Sharjah, Vandana Marwaha, said the schedule is well balanced. “I had a look at the schedule and found that it was a well-balanced preparatory time as there is a three-four day gap between each exam in most cases. I wish all students the best of luck. They have been working all year towards these exams so they should believe in themselves and keep their cool,” she said.