Exams!

The CBSE has made class 10 board exams optional from this year. Instead, there will be a grading system and students will be evaluated throughout the year.

Good decision, though belated, I should say.

As one whose formative years as a student always revolved around board exams, term exams, revision exams and other sundry exams, I know enough to tell you that the students who score well in these "board exams" are not really geniuses, not by a mile. And the ones licking their
wounds in the sidelines aren't duds either.

Last year, 2 pupils - the Dunce and the Whiz-Kid took their board exams.

The Maths question paper, on sighting which the whizkid revived like a watered flower, had quite the opposite effect on Dunce.

"Prove", demanded the question paper, "that in any right triangle, square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of squares the other 2 sides."

The Whiz, rightly recognizing this as Pythogoras Theorem, reeled off the proof, and went on to the next question.

The Dunce had a great respect for mathematicians in general and Pythogoras in particular. He thought it wouldn't be seemly to question Pythogoras' opinion in the matter of the hypotenuse. Dash it, a man of impeccable character, if that's the way he felt about the hypotenuse, he had to be right. So, he had never bothered to figure out the proof.

Sighing, he sets out to answer the question , in his usual, inimitable style:

"Given:" , writes the Dunce and copies down what is given in the question.
"To Prove:", he writes, and again dutifully copies the question.
"Proof:'', he writes and leaves a blank.
Then, leaving considerable space below the word, "Proof", he triumphantly writes "Hence Proved."

Pausing merely to think over whether the space provided would be sufficient for the examiner to fill in the "Proof" at some convenient later date, he takes out his pencil and double-underlines his words of wisdom.

Looking pleased at his "presentation", he happily sets out to answer other questions, in much the same fashion.

The question on algebra: "x² + 2x − 3 =5" has him flummoxed for a second. Then, recovering, he
proceeds to answer the "steps":
"x² + 2x = 5+3"
"x² + 2x = 8"
"x² = 8- (+ 2x)"
"x² = 8 - 2x"

- He carries on this way for some time, then unable to unmask x, he leaves the mystery at that, he goes on to solve other cases.

When their papers are marked, the Dunce gets 3 out of 5 for Pythogoras Theorem, (1 mark each for "Given", "To Prove" and "Hence Proved") and the Whiz gets only 2 ( for missing out on these).
The Whiz gets a zero for question on algebra, for simply writing"2", while the Dunce gets 3 out of 4 for the "steps".

The Dunce also gets 2 marks, ex-gratia, for neat presentation.

At the end of the day, the Dunce and Whiz both join the elite group of "Above Average" students.

PS: The Dunce will go on to get his engineering degree in some private college. The Whiz is all set to flee the country.