Bhubaneswar, Nov. 16: The higher education department is initiating a number of steps to improve the performance of students in national-level competitive exams.

The latest in a series of initiatives is conducting a state standard exam (SSE) for Plus Two science students.

In the first phase, the state-wide exam would be conducted in physics and mathematics on November 25. Around 100 meritorious students will be selected to attend advanced training camps in the two subjects.

“The exam is open to Plus Two second-year science students of all government junior colleges in the state. Some colleges have even made it compulsory for their students,” said S.N. Mohanty, principal of BJB (Junior) College, which is organising the test.

Students would appear for the test at their respective colleges from 2pm to 4pm on the given date. There would be 40 multiple-choice questions, each from physics and mathematics covering all chapters from first and second years of the Plus Two syllabus. Wrong answers would attract negative marking.

“The state government feels that, in addition to classroom teaching, students should be provided guidance through advanced training camps by expert teachers as part of their preparations for the all-India competitive exams. Our aim is to create an awareness among students as well as their guardians about the importance of this standard improvement programme,” said Mohanty.

He added that similar tests would be held in other subjects and Plus Two first-year students will be included under this programme.

The 10-day residential advanced training camp in physics will be held at the Ramadevi Women’s College here from December 14 to 23.

For mathematics, it would be conducted at BJB (Junior) College between January 10 and 19.

The state government would bear the entire expenditure for the SSE and the camps. At present, the budget has been fixed at Rs 8.1 lakh, Mohanty said. Last month, the BJB (Junior) College had hosted the eighth advanced training camp for Olympiads and Other Exams, which was organised by the Orissa Chemical Society.

The camp aimed at popularising science, especially chemistry, among the younger generation. Fifty students from 12 higher secondary schools and colleges, who were selected on the basis of a state-level screening test, Olychem, participated in the camp.