Maharashtra’s Periodic Assessment Test (PAT) has again run into a controversy with this year’s Class 7 mathematics question paper for Marathi-medium schools leaked.
The PAT exams — which aim to standardise assessments of students in government-run and aided schools from Classes 1 to 8 in three subjects: English, Marathi and mathematics — began on October 10. However, the question paper for Class 7 mathematics exam for Marathi-medium schools, scheduled for Saturday, was available online with answers a day in advance.
Initially, teachers thought it could be a hoax as the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT) , which conducts the state-wide exam, had assured stricter measures following repeated instances of paper eak in last year’s PAT exam. “But when the question paper was eventually distributed to students in classrooms, we were shocked to see that it was exactly the same (as the one available online),” said a senior teacher at a school in Mumbai.
“Last year too, there were instances of paper leak, following which the SCERT decided to take stricter measures. But it looks like nothing has changed,” another teacher said.
PAT was launched by the state government three years ago, with an aim to provide a standardised assessment tool. It is conducted twice a year, with centrally prepared question papers by the SCERT for three subjects English, mathematics and Marathi. Schools — government-run and aided — have to include these question-papers during term-end and final exams. Currently, PAT exams are scheduled from October 10 to 13.
When contacted about the paper leak, SCERT Director Rahul Rekhawar said, “The process to register an FIR against four YouTube channels was initiated last night itself.”
He stressed that considering the scale of the exams requiring question papers in three subjects for over 85 lakh students, it is not possible to conduct board-like exams. “YouTube channels indulging in malpractice have significantly reduced now due to the policy of lodging FIRs against them, leading to their closure with the help of cyber police. The aim of the examination is to sensitise teachers, students and parents about the level of studies expected at each stage of academic life.”
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However, teachers and schools, who have raised several concerns about PAT, once again questioned the state government’s rationale for a single statewide exam when authorities are repeatedly failing to conduct it properly.
Maharashtra School Principals’ Association’s Mahendra Ganpule said, “Paper leaks have become regular in PAT. Each year, action is taken against a new YouTube channel. But no effort is made to trace the original source.” Ganpule pointed out that PAT is meant to assess whether students meet basic learning outcomes at each grade. “But if papers are leaked, the collected data is false,” he said, adding that in the last three years, the SCERT has failed to release any evaluation report or offer schools guidance on corrective action after the exam.
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
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