Telangana to see over 9 lakh students attempt upcoming Intermediate board exams

This surge in numbers, a staggering increase of over 13,000 students, is attributed to the extended deadline for exam fees.

ByDeepika Pasham

Published Jan 31, 2024 | 10:07 PM ⚊UpdatedFeb 01, 2024 | 1:03 AM

The Intermediate Practical exams begin on 1 February, while the theory exams begin on 28 February. (Creative Commons)

The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education has announced that a whopping 9,22,520 students are gearing up for the upcoming Board examinations, commencing on 28 February, along with practical exams starting from 1 February.

This surge in numbers, a staggering increase of over 13,000 students, is attributed to the extended deadline for exam fees, coupled with a late fee of ₹500. 4,78,527 first-year students and 4,43,993 second-year students will be attempting the exam.

Intermediate exams

B Jayaprada Bai, the Regional Joint Director and Controller of Examination, shed light on the logistics of this year’s examinations. A total of 2,032 practical examination centres have been set up, where the exams are to be conducted from 1 to 15 February, across two daily sessions — 9 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm.

As there is a clash with the JEE exam on 1 February, Jayaprada highlighted that students of Maths, Physics, and Chemistry appearing for the JEE exam will have the choice to write during the next day’s session.

Detailing the exam pattern, Jayaprada emphasised the completion of tables and batches for practical examinations. Question papers for the upcoming examinations will be available online and will be protected with an OTP. Notably, there will be no jumbling in practical examinations this year.

The Ethics and Human Values Examination, alongside the Environmental Education Examination, is scheduled for 17 and 19 February, respectively, from 10 am to 1 pm. Students can collect their hall tickets for these examinations using their college login.

District Examination Committees have been established for all 33 districts, with conveners conducting meetings before the commencement of practical examinations.

Also Read: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy hands over appointment letters to over 6,956 staff nurses

Mental health

Speaking with South First, Shruti Ojha, the Director of Intermediate Education and Secretary of the Board of Intermediate Education, says, “This year, there will be monitoring to ensure that the examination is conduct smoothly.”

Talking about the stress students face at this time, she says, “We are aware that students are stressed out. So, we have communicated instructions on how a study schedule should also have time for play and leisure activities. Aside from this, colleges must have a counselor who can listen to the students. Students can also reach out to Tele-Manas’ toll-free number 14416 or 1800-914416 for tele-counselling from psychologists and psychiatrists. District mental health clinics have also been set up in government hospitals in each district to provide personal psychiatrist consultation, free of cost.”

New exam

This year brings a new addition to the examination landscape with the introduction of the English first-year Final Practical Examination on 16 February.

Exclusive to students admitted in the first year for the academic year 2023-24, this test comprises four sections, including listening exercises where students transcribe the teacher’s speech onto paper and attach it to their practical record book.

Furthermore, students tackle passage writing and a “Just a Minute” segment, allowing them to expound on any topic of their choosing.

The theory English paper will account for 80 marks, with an additional 20 marks for the practical component. The success of this English practical test in a Bihar recently has prompted Telangana to implement a similar system.