The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations has clarified that the annual exams of classes IX and XI in schools affiliated to it “are not board examinations”.

The council’s decision to set questions for the two exams is aimed at familiarising the students with the question pattern for their Class X and XII board exams.

The annual exams for classes IX and XI are to start on February 10.

“The council’s decision will compel the schools to finish their Class IX and XI syllabi on time and not drag them into the next class,” the principal of an ICSE school in Calcutta said.

A circular issued by the council to all ICSE and ISC schools last week read: “The Council has always prided itself of being a child-friendly board, would like to clarify and reiterate firstly that Classes IX and XI Annual Examinations to be held in February 2020 are NOT Board Examinations.”

A large section of students, teachers and parents had expressed the fear that the council, by introducing a common set of questions for classes IX and XI, was planning to test the students of these two classes.

Officials said the council had come out with the circular to allay such fears.

The council had first announced its decision to set questions for the annual exams of classes IX an XI in 2018.

It issued a clarification in September last year to allay fears among students and parents that the move would further increase the burden on students because the annual exams of classes IX and XI would be treated as board exams.

“Since the confusion prevailed, the council issued another clarification last week,” the principal said.

The latest circular urges the heads of all schools to dispel doubts from the minds of students, parents and teachers.

Why has the council decided to set questions for the annual exams of classes IX and XI?

“To help students get acquainted and familiarised with the correct pattern, format and type of question papers for the Board Examination, thereby assisting in reducing the stress while handling these subjects at the Board level…. To ensure proper preparedness and completion of the syllabuses in both Classes IX and XI….. To help maintain uniformity in all affiliated schools across India and abroad,” the circular says.

Although the 2,100-odd ICSE and ISC schools in the country will receive common question papers, the answer scripts will be evaluated internally. Individual schools will be required to publish their results, the principal said.