The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) has officially revised the marks distribution for vocational subjects in Class 11 and 12. As per the new directive, examinations will now carry 100 marks, equally divided between 50 marks for theory and 50 marks for practicals.
“The total marks for Higher Secondary Examination in Class XI (Semester I and Semester II) and Class XII (Semester III and Semester IV) for each of the Vocational subjects will be distributed in 50 theory marks (25 in each Semester r.e. Semester I, Semester II, Semester III and Semester IV) and 50 Practical marks which will be taken annually in a consolidated manner during Semester II in case of Class XI and Semester IV in case of Class XII,” the official notice informed.
Currently, 16 vocational subjects are offered under WBCHSE, including IT, Automobile, Retail, Security, Healthcare, Electronics, Plumbing, Construction, Apparel, Beauty & Wellness, Organized Retailing, Tourism & Hospitality, among others. Initially introduced in 2013 with just four subjects, vocational education has seen steady growth but has faced structural inconsistencies over the years.
Under the semester-based 9(2) regulation, students are required to pass in core subjects like Bengali and English, along with three others. However, vocational subjects selected as electives were excluded from the 'Best of Five' aggregate calculation. This created confusion and dissatisfaction among students and teachers alike.
Previously, vocational subjects had a 70:30 split in favor of practical exams. In 2022, the Council allowed students to select vocational subjects as electives from the 2023-25 academic session. However, this decision was reversed in September 2023, limiting them to optional choices only.
Despite the mark distribution update, no finalised syllabus has been published yet, and many students still await textbooks.
This revision aims to bring uniformity to vocational education, but students continue to demand greater clarity and timely resource distribution.
Download the detailed notice here.