The Uttar Pradesh (UP) basic education department has pioneered the creation of question banks tailored for over 25 lakh students enrolled in classes 9 and 10 across more than 27,000 schools affiliated with the UP Board.
These question banks are strategically designed to bolster students' preparedness for competitive examinations such as engineering and medical entrances.
Collaborating with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in New Delhi, and the State Institute of Science Education (SISE), along with subject experts from various academic institutions, the state secondary education department spearheaded the development of these question banks for science and mathematics. The task of crafting these educational resources was delegated to the State Science Education Institute in Prayagraj by Vijay Kiran Anand, the former state project director of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, as reported by the news agency IANS.
According to Manjusha Gupta, the science coordinator at SISE-Prayagraj, the science question bank for classes 9 and 10 encompasses 12 and 13 chapters, respectively, with each chapter comprising roughly 70 questions. These questions span various formats, including multiple choice, very short, short, and long-answer questions, aiming to cater to different cognitive levels and skills. This compilation amounts to approximately 840 questions for class 9 and 910 questions for class 10, she added, emphasizing that the questions aim to solidify students' understanding of fundamental scientific concepts.
Similarly, Arvind Kumar Gautam, the mathematics coordinator at SISE-Prayagraj, stated that the mathematics question bank for classes 9 and 10 includes 12 and 14 chapters, respectively. These question banks consist of around 912 questions for class 9 and 1,064 questions for class 10 students. Gautam highlighted the inclusion of sample questions at the beginning of each question type to engage students and stimulate interest in the subject.