Mangaluru: The CBSE’s first-ever second board exam for Class 10, scheduled in May, has seen a strong response from students in coastal Karnataka, particularly those dissatisfied with their scores in science and mathematics after the results were announced.School managements said nearly 35% of students who appeared for the board exam have chosen to register for the second exam, hoping to improve their marks and strengthen future academic prospects.At Little Rock Indian School in Brahmavar, Udupi, 100 of the 303 students who appeared for the boards have already enrolled for the second attempt. At Shree Gujarati English Medium School, 13 of the 28 students who took the exam have also registered. Lourdes Central School said around 60 of its 200 students are preparing to appear again.Educators said mathematics has emerged as the most preferred subject for the second exam, followed by science. Many students felt mathematics paper was both difficult and lengthy, while science too proved tougher than expected.Mathew C Ninan, director of Little Rock Indian School, said the registrations reflected students’ desire to improve their performance. “Already 100 students who appeared for the exam have registered for the second exam. They want improvement in their results,” he said.Fr Johnson L Sequeira, principal of Lourdes Central School, said students were using the gap before the May exam to prepare independently. “Out of 200 who appeared, nearly 60 students have planned for the second exam. They are preparing themselves,” he said.Ashwini A Shenoy, head of Shree Gujarati English Medium School, said some students had also joined crash courses to boost their preparation. “Out of 28 students, 13 have planned to appear for the second exam,” she said.Students said the second exam offered a valuable opportunity to recover from unexpectedly low scores. One Class X student said both mathematics and science had turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. “I expected good marks in these subjects as I studied well, and they are my favourite subjects. However, the results have left me unhappy as I performed well in all other subjects except these,” the student said.School authorities noted while students can seek re-evaluation of answerscripts, results of that process are declared only after the second exam is completed. They said many families therefore see the second exam as a more practical option.Teachers also said re-evaluation usually leads to only marginal changes in marks—just one or two points. In contrast, the second exam gives students a chance to significantly improve their scores. They also retain the flexibility to choose the better of the two outcomes, making the May exam an attractive option for many candidates.
