Examiners evaluating Higher Secondary language papers in English and Bengali have been advised to adopt a generous approach while marking and to grant full credit wherever responses merit it. The guidance from chief examiners emphasizes avoiding excessive strictness during assessment.

The fourth-semester examinations, which began on February 12 and conclude on February 27, are currently underway. The final results for the segmented Higher Secondary system will be calculated by combining students’ performances in the third and fourth semesters.

Council president Chiranjib Bhattacharjee clarified that evaluation methods are determined by subject specialists rather than directly by the council. However, he noted that the council intervened during the February 19 mathematics examination after questions beyond the prescribed syllabus appeared. Students who attempted those questions will receive full credit.

Several educators observed that after the publication of the third-semester Class XII results in November—when fewer students achieved the highest grade— evaluators were encouraged to avoid overly rigid marking. Of the 605,274 candidates who passed, only 0.48 percent secured the top “O” grade (90–100). Under the previous annual examination system, 1.07 percent of approximately 430,000 successful candidates had earned the highest grade.

Swapan Mandal of Narikeldanga High School stated that the appeal for leniency may be linked to concerns about students facing difficulties in college admissions if marking remains strict. He cautioned, however, that excessive flexibility could affect students’ preparedness at the undergraduate level.

In the fourth semester, candidates answer both short and descriptive questions. While the council conducts the third and fourth semesters, the first two semesters are organized by individual schools.

According to the revised examination pattern, some sections will now offer four questions instead of three, though students will still need to answer only two. This adjustment aims to provide greater choice, particularly for those who may not have completed the entire syllabus.

Education officials believe that the updated question format, combined with a more flexible evaluation approach, could result in an increase in top scorers this year.