Northeast Desk, 7th June: The Meghalaya government is exploring the introduction of a step marking system in the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) to enhance the fairness of student evaluations. Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma announced on June 6 that this proposed system would award marks for correct steps taken to solve a problem, even if the final answer is incorrect.
Currently, under MBoSE’s evaluation system, students receive zero marks if their final answer is wrong, irrespective of the correct steps they followed. In contrast, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) patterns already adopt a step marking system, awarding partial marks for the correct process, even if the final result is incorrect.
Sangma explained, “In the CBSE and ICSE patterns, if the process is correct but the final answer is wrong, the student will still get 4 or 3 marks.” He cited a mathematics question worth 5 marks as an example. Under the step marking system, students using correct formulas and performing accurate algebraic and numerical calculations, but arriving at the wrong final answer, would still earn 4 or 3 marks instead of zero.
The proposed change aims to recognize students’ efforts and their understanding of the problem-solving process, even if they make minor errors in the final calculation. This initiative seeks to align MBoSE’s evaluation standards with those of other major educational boards in India, thereby promoting a more comprehensive assessment of students’ skills and knowledge.
Read More: Meghalaya Power Minister Assures No Load Shedding Amid Cyclone-Induced Repairs