SCERT puts NTSE mock test question paper, answer key online
The mock test was scheduled for Tuesday, but due to Bharat Bandh called by farmers, it was postponed to Wednesday
Hundreds of Class 10 students preparing for National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) were in for a surprise after finding the question paper and answer key of the second mock test on State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) website — ssa.org.punjab — a day before the exam.
The mock test was scheduled for Tuesday but due to Bharat Bandh call by the farmers, it was postponed to Wednesday.
The goof up by the council sent the school principals and teachers in tizzy after they started receiving calls from students regarding the question paper and the answer key on the website. As per the education department, 3,083 Class 10 students are expected to appear in the exam in 232 government schools in the district. The first mock test was conducted on December 3 in which 2,993 students took the offline exam.
The second mock test (mental ability test) was held on December 7 and its second part, scholastic aptitude test, was scheduled for Tuesday.
Teachers said on December 7, the authorities sent the answer key late due to which many of them couldn’t evaluate the answer sheets. This time, officials put the answer key online in advance. Later in the evening, the
question paper and answer key from the website.
As per sources, the SCERT director had issued a statement regarding the postponement of the paper later in the evening on Monday, and the official in-charge of uploading the paper was unaware of it.
Despite repeated attempts and messages sent to the SCERT director Jagtar Kulria, he was not available for a comment.
NTSE nodal officer Balwinder Kaur said, “We have received no instructions from the higher authorities regarding the question paper and it is difficult to comment anything right now.”
Meanwhile, the Class 9 social studies and Class 11 Punjabi exams scheduled for Tuesday will now be held on December 24.