QUESTION PAPER (PART I)
Dearfriends,
Yesterday Iwas just arranging the books of my son in the loft. I found a few
questionpapers bunched together of his Engineering examinations. Probably he
would havebeen referring them to conduct a test and interview some candidates
for hisfactory when he came on vacation last month. I kept them in a plastic
cover andput back.
PreparingQuestion Papers is an art. It not only require knowledge, but a skill
so thatthe calibre of the candidate is tested. It can be objective, descriptive
orbrief. Most question paper would havechoice. The choice can be for
descriptive or brief questions.
{My experiencewith Question Papers and functioning, as Lecturer examinations in
TrivandrumTelecommunication Centre will be nostalgic in Part 2}
It made me tothink about Question papers and answering. The result is this
posting.
Friends, Ithas got no serious content, but I hope it could sometimes give an
interesting nostalgicreading especially to those in theacademic line or to
those retired from it.
Sincerely,
Gopalakrishnan 22-9-2010.
Reposted on 25-1-2021 after editing and updatinginformation. R.Gopalakrishnan.
1. Printed Question Papers
I had printedQuestion papers from class VI. The teachers would prepare
question papers in hand. After proofreading it was printed. In middle schools
many teachers handling same subject,it was not known for the students, who
would have set the question paper. Printing was done locally for class V and
VI.
On theexamination day one teacher would bringquestion paper and distribute.
Mostly the teacher who has taught the subject. Answer paper had to be broughtby
students themselves to the examination hall.
Normally theparents would make out the margin, writestudents details (Name,
class section), subject and date. Normally a student would take one full
paper. It was sufficient.Parents would take care to give aclipboard to keep
the paper and write, two pens, a pencil, eraser and sharpenerand scale.
Pictures were drawn withpencil. For Mathematics paper folding was different
-length wise.
Classrooms wererearranged as examination hall removing screens, boards, and
giving more widthbetween desks. My father working as a peon in the school had a
tough work forthis.
There werethree examinations- Onapariksha, Christmas pariksha and Valiya
Pariksha(Examinations during Onam, Christmas and final).
For 7thclass the final examination was called public examination! Question
paper would come from AEO/DEO office for 7thclass. I do not recollect about
answer paper whether it was given in the schoolor I brought it now.
1.1 Black board written question paper
In earlierclasses of 4th and 5th the question for the examinationwas prepared
in hand. The question was written in the black board as well as readalso. We
had to put the question number and answer. We had to take our own paper pen
and pencilto write and draw. Aspecific time was allowed to answer the question.
Sometimes two orthree question would be written on blackboard at a time. So
the student not knowing the answer for a question need notblink. Normally the
teachers used tohelp poor memory students with someguidance. It was notall
pass days.
2. Eea chothyam padipichathalla (This question was not taught)
Normally someof the questions would not have been dealt in details to answer
in the printedtype of question paper from class 6.
For moststudents the problems would be there. Soon those days, if choice was
not there, two options were there. One was adifferent question would be given
to answer. Another marks for the question wouldbe divided to two other
important questions. Mostly a new question used to be dictated and students
used to write it.New question used to be written in black board also.
3. Display of results
When I wrotethe final examination of 8th class the result was published.
Onthose days there were three lists for each class- one passed students2.
Failedstudents. 3 School toppers. These were hand written on ruled papers.
Passed andfailed used to be underlined with red ink and in big capital letters.
I have gone tosee the result. My name was not there either in passed or failed.
I could notfail. But why my name is not there? There is heavy crowd also to see
theresult. I had leastthinking I could be a topper on thosedays.
My father wasworking in the school as peon. He was by the side of Headmistress
and teachersin the office room. I could not go to teachers also to raise my
query. While Iwas standing perplexed, a girl student came to me. She was my
admirer and thedaughter of a rich teashop owner at home. She smiled at me and
said- there is athird sheet there. Thereyour name is 2nd and mine is 4th.Mine
is 4th was with a little bit emphasising and proud and notpride. She added she
too wondered hername was not there in passed list, comforting me.
Gettingrelaxed I went to the third list. The first was Sri Surendra varma who
laterretired as Principal of Government College at Mandya in Karnataka. My
fatherbeing in the school never knew of it!!! Such was the secrecy maintained
onthose days. I told my father I am in toppers list. Head mistress was
oneMariamma. She smiled at my father and said” samikku itthiri
ascharyamayikkottennu karuthi” (Let you have a surprise- I thought). I do not
think Ihave taken proper food for next two days!!!
Update- Sri Surendra Varma isthe elder brother of Sri Sasidharavarma
representing Pandalam palace in Sabarimala issues.
4. Centralised Question papers
While I wasstudying in the high school name “class” got changed as “standard”.
I studiedin XI standard also. My study, which shaped my future, was in the NSS
Model highschool and College at Pandalam. The question papers were centrally
prepared andprinted at the NSS press atChenganassery. The question paper used
to be in colour. For differentsubject different type of colours were used. For
members not knowing about NSS,it is a major institution running schools and
colleges in Kerala. It is aprestigious institution.
Normallyquestion papers used to have a standard size of about 8”x 4” and
question usedto be there on both sides. Some times a 3rd page too used to
bethere. At that time there will be a fold for the 3rd page.
5. Question set by
At the bottomof the page after a linethere will be in slightly bold letters-
Question set by. Name of theteacher with school details would bethere. We
hadall admiration when the question is set by our teachers or knownteachers.
(It was aprestige to say our Koshi sir has set this question in Chemistry. Mr
Koshi wasa very famous teacher in Pandalam NSS High school. He was the only
teacherhaving his seat in the lab. He was in charge of school lab. Other
Physics andchemistry teachers used to give a list to class monitor to fetch
from lab.Koshi too was a rich teacher
In these typesof question papers, if I question was out of syllabus or anything
like that wehad no choices.
6. Answer papers from school
When I was inthe high school, the pattern of examination was different. Answer
papers were given from school. We had to pay examinationfee. I studied
fromstandard 8 to 11 by paying school fees.
We were guidedto answer those questions, which we may know better. While we
were writing additional papers weresupplied if necessary. The answer paperstoo
were printed to fill up columns like name, standard, subject, date etc. ontop
printed. A few papers were bunched together and supplied. This would havebeen
mostly sufficient.
7. Model Question Paper
Before myreaching SSLC there was selection examination. Those poor in the
result were barred from writing exam onthe year. This was to improve the
percentage of passing and keepingthe image of school. But it had psychological
effect on students. Many studentdiscontinued studies. Many could not prepare
for next examination also. On those days SSLC was the base formany
recruitments. This selection examination got discontinued after2 years. It was
introduced on experimental basis.
Update- My first employment was based on a recruitmentfor clerk I applied while
studying 2nd year BSC (BaseSSLC marks).
So when I wasto write the SSLC in 1960, there was the model examination and not
theselection examination. It was aimed to prepare well for regular
examination.Having lakhs of students appearing, it was advised how to enter
withoutforgetting registrationnumber and NO NAME ANY WHERE IN ANSWER BOOK. This
was new to us. Wewere tempted to write name always. We had to take hall tickets
every day andkeep on desk. Teachers doing invigilation would be checking hall
tickets and ask the studentto sign. They will have a counter check with their
copy when we received halltickets and signed. Onthose days signature meant name
written by hand mostly.
While we tookSSLC exam, the sealed question papers would be opened in the
common examination hall andgiven to teachers for distribution. Answer paper
would be distributed well before. These answer papertoo were printed for
entering details . When we give back the answer paper, thevigilance teacher
would check, whetherthe registration number is entered. He will not check with
student copy. It was for the student toenter correctly. As todayno entry in to
examination hall after half an hour. So we used to come and“prepare” in the
schools for examination
The questionpaper were having the year ofexamination and month. Normally March
and September. September exam was for thefailed students. They need not wait
till next march. They could either writefailed subjects or full. Unlesswritten
full, College eligibility was not there. But it was the day,with SSLC, type
writing and shorthand many got good jobs. Answering the failedsubject only was
called “Compartment system”
I had a cousinat native who joined with his pitman’s shorthand with speed in
Hindustan motorsat Calcutta as a stenographer and retired as a very senior
Manager and settledin native with posh car, bungalow and all after retirement.
It was a commonqualification. SSLC was sometimes called “School final”.
8. SSLC examination results in Newspaper
On those daysSSLC result was published in local news papers andHindu too would
publish results.Students on the verge never used to tell others their
registration number. Results would appear as registration numbers.
First classesused to be identified separately. SSLCbook had to collected after
three or four days from school after resultpublished . It had entry of marks
from 8th standard also.
9. Entry of marks in violet Ink
The marks were entered with violet ink onthose days. In this page registration
number name and school are entered. For nostalgia, I took my SSLC book.
There is an entry in top inbold letters – PASSED IN FIRST CLASS.
Below two lines- Eligible for a course of study inthe University of Kerala
subjected to age limits. The seal toois with rubber stamp and violet ink and
signed by secretary, board of secondaryexaminations, Kerala.
This system ofSSLC book continued till very late in Kerala. Where as my
daughter in lawstudied in Kerala is having SSLC book, my son and daughter
studied in Tamilnaduis having SSLC mark sheet.But violet ink is used for my
daughter in law also who passed SSLC in 1994.
Later when Iwas in Trivandrum I had the anxiety to see where is this board of
examination. It is at Vazhuthakkad.
10 College question papers.
While I was incollege all examinations were centralised whether half yearly or
quarterly oryearly. We had nosemester system at that time. Our classroom itself
was examinationhall. For all examinations we got question papers from
University. Collegeconducted examinations were called “Test papers”.
11. Partial examinations
We had to bevigil at all final examinations. Marks were counted for each
subject. Marklists were displayed in College notice boards. First year marks
were not counted for special subjects. Other topicslike regional language,
English etc they were counted. Examination wereconducted as paper 1, paper 2
etc. If subject like English, a student failed itwas common to write it after
all major examination so that main subject scoringwas not affected.
A close friend of mine who retired asProfessor of Physics in catholic college
at Pathanamthitta did so. He had slight regret when we were all
gettingemployed he had to complete the subject English for one mark less!!. But
beingvery clever he finished his MSc immediately after passing English with
highmarks on 2nd attempt and joined the college as Lecturer.
The only College examination done in the end was practical. It used to be after
all theory with a small gap. Probablythis was the only one examination where
questions were entered by hand in theQuestion Paper.
Let me continue furtherabout Question papers in my next posting. Only nostalgic
information in thatalso.
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