Madhyamik
Encyclopedia
Madhyamik is a centralised examination conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
at the end of 10th standard of school. It is the most popular 10th standard examination in India. More than 7,50,000 (0.75 million) students took the exam in 2006 and the number increases substantially every year. There was a drop of over 1 lakh
students in 2007. A wide range of reasons varying from dropouts to failure
in Class 9 has been suggested by the Board. However the number of students has touched a record 1,000,000 (1 million) in the 2011 Madhyamik examination. Compulsory subjects are first language
, second language
, physical science
(physics
and chemistry
), life science, mathematics
, history
and geography
.
Earlier, First Language had two papers of 90 points each, all others having one paper each of 90 points except Second Language and Mathematics, which had one paper each of 100 points.
As of 2011, the marks division has been 90 points each for all the compulsory subjects. In addition, corresponding to each paper worth 90 (rather than the full 100) points, the school is allocated 10 points for internal evaluation. One exception is when the examinee does not take the exam from any school, in which case there are 10 extra points in the written papers.
There is also an optional additional subject that can be chosen from those offered by the school among a huge selection allowed by the Board. The most common choice is Work Education + Physical Education
. Other popular choices include Mechanics
and Mathematics
(the almost universal choice of high-scoring students) and Book keeping (common among middle range students). Though the subject is optional, very few students fail to take it. If the points obtained in the additional subject are more than 34, 34 points are deducted and the rest are added to the Grand Total. For points equal or lesser than 34, no points are added to the grand total. Despite the presence of this subject, percentage totals are calculated in 800 and not 900 points, thus offering the chance to score more than 100%. As of late this method has been discontinued and students may take up an additional subject solely to gain knowledge. No points will be taken into account from this subject, a decision which has caused most to drop this subject.
Efforts are going on to calibrate the syllabus with the much easier and higher-scoring (but broader, including more topics but lacking in depth) national curriculum offered by the central boards ICSE
and CBSE. There have been suggestions that the Madhyamik should be taken on the syllabus
of Class 10 only as introduced in the Higher Secondary. The students of the current year (2011) are giving it like before, on the syllabi of both Classes 9 and 10. However, from 2012, it is going to be taken only on the syllabus of Class 10.
For Madhyamik 2007, the whole syllabus for all the subjects
has been changed to lessen the load on the students. There has both been some additions and some trimming done to all the subjects.
Students passing Madhyamik usually go on to take Higher Secondary Examination
.
West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education is the West Bengal state government administered autonomous examining authority for the Standard 10 examination of West Bengal, India. The examination for the 10th standard is called the Madhyamik Pariksha or secondary examination...
at the end of 10th standard of school. It is the most popular 10th standard examination in India. More than 7,50,000 (0.75 million) students took the exam in 2006 and the number increases substantially every year. There was a drop of over 1 lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
students in 2007. A wide range of reasons varying from dropouts to failure
Failure
Failure refers to the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. Product failure ranges from failure to sell the product to fracture of the product, in the worst cases leading to personal injury, the province of forensic...
in Class 9 has been suggested by the Board. However the number of students has touched a record 1,000,000 (1 million) in the 2011 Madhyamik examination. Compulsory subjects are first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
, second language
Second language
A second language or L2 is any language learned after the first language or mother tongue. Some languages, often called auxiliary languages, are used primarily as second languages or lingua francas ....
, physical science
Physical science
Physical science is an encompassing term for the branches of natural science and science that study non-living systems, in contrast to the life sciences...
(physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
), life science, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
.
Earlier, First Language had two papers of 90 points each, all others having one paper each of 90 points except Second Language and Mathematics, which had one paper each of 100 points.
As of 2011, the marks division has been 90 points each for all the compulsory subjects. In addition, corresponding to each paper worth 90 (rather than the full 100) points, the school is allocated 10 points for internal evaluation. One exception is when the examinee does not take the exam from any school, in which case there are 10 extra points in the written papers.
There is also an optional additional subject that can be chosen from those offered by the school among a huge selection allowed by the Board. The most common choice is Work Education + Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. Other popular choices include Mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
and Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
(the almost universal choice of high-scoring students) and Book keeping (common among middle range students). Though the subject is optional, very few students fail to take it. If the points obtained in the additional subject are more than 34, 34 points are deducted and the rest are added to the Grand Total. For points equal or lesser than 34, no points are added to the grand total. Despite the presence of this subject, percentage totals are calculated in 800 and not 900 points, thus offering the chance to score more than 100%. As of late this method has been discontinued and students may take up an additional subject solely to gain knowledge. No points will be taken into account from this subject, a decision which has caused most to drop this subject.
Efforts are going on to calibrate the syllabus with the much easier and higher-scoring (but broader, including more topics but lacking in depth) national curriculum offered by the central boards ICSE
ICSE
ICSE might be an acronym or abbreviation for:* International Conference on Software Engineering* International Contract Services Expo* International Center for Sustainale Excellence* Indian Certificate of Secondary Education...
and CBSE. There have been suggestions that the Madhyamik should be taken on the syllabus
Syllabus
A syllabus , is an outline and summary of topics to be covered in an education or training course. It is descriptive...
of Class 10 only as introduced in the Higher Secondary. The students of the current year (2011) are giving it like before, on the syllabi of both Classes 9 and 10. However, from 2012, it is going to be taken only on the syllabus of Class 10.
For Madhyamik 2007, the whole syllabus for all the subjects
Course (education)
The very broad dictionary meaning of the word course is the act or action of moving in a path from point to point . There are multiple meanings for this word, some of which include: general line of orientation, a mode of action, part of a meal, a mode of action, and many more. This article focuses...
has been changed to lessen the load on the students. There has both been some additions and some trimming done to all the subjects.
Students passing Madhyamik usually go on to take Higher Secondary Examination
Higher Secondary Examination
Higher Secondary Examination is a centralised examination that students in India take up after class 10 . All the State School Education Boards, CBSE, CISCE and NIOS conducts exams during the period of March-April every year...
.