Registrations for Class XII Pune state board exams drop, Class X enrolments go up

With registrations for the Class X and XII state board examinations coming to a close, a clear trend has emerged across the state — the number of students enrolling for Class XII examinations has seen a considerable drop, while Class X registrations have gone up by almost the same proportion.

Figures from the Pune divisional board, which includes Pune, Ahmednagar and Solapur, show that compared to last year, when 2,49,895 students had registered for Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Class XII exams, this year the number has dropped to 2,30, 983 registrations. A similar trend is being seen across the state. Compared to 14.2 lakh students who had enrolled for HSC, the number stands at 13.1 lakh only this year.

– Stay updated with the latest Pune news. Follow Express Pune on Twitter here and on Facebook here. You can also join our Express Pune Telegram channel here.

Comparatively, the number of students appearing for Class X has gone up proportionately. In 2021, 2,79,503 students have been enrolled to write the exams as compared to 2,58,204 students in 2020.

As far as the drop in HSC enrolments are concerned, experts attribute it to the junior colleges, coaching classes and hostels remaining shut for most of the year. Since students in Class XII have to choose a career stream for further graduate studies and many prepare for competitive entrance exams, they were forced to take a gap year owing to inadequate preparations. Academicians said this is especially true for students from rural areas, as they come to cities to enrol in junior colleges and coaching classes. As hostels were shut and classes were not happening, many such students have been forced to take a gap.

It is believed that a considerable reduction in syllabus, access to online classes and concessions in exams might be the reason for the positive trend in registrations for the Class X exams.