Calcutta: The answer scripts of the 2018 ISC practical exams will be evaluated by visiting examiners at the school on the day of the test itself, the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) said on Thursday.

The practical answer scripts are at present assessed centrally at designated evaluation centres.

"From the examination year 2018 onwards, the ISC (Class 12) Practical answer scripts for the subjects physics, chemistry, biology and biotechnology will be evaluated by the appointed visiting examiner/s on the day of the practical examination at the school itself and not evaluated at centralised evaluation centres as was done till the year 2017 examination," a note released and signed by Gerry Arathoon, the CISCE chief executive and secretary said.

The system has already been in place for the computer science practical exam where the visiting examiner uploads the marks on the portal directly, principals of schools said.

The number of candidates appearing for ICSE this year is more than 1,80,000 and for that for ISC more than 80,000.

The council has reduced the pass marks for the ICSE (Class 10) examination from 35 per cent to 33 per cent and for the ISC (Class XII from 40 per cent to 35 per cent from 2018.

"The change in pass marks will be effective from the examination year 2018 and not from the examination year 2019 as communicated earlier," a CISCE official said.

The council had, in November last year, said the reduced pass marks would be effective from 2019 and schools had been advised to "implement the same pass mark criteria in internal examinations... from the academic year 2018-19" for classes IX to XII.