Maharashtra’s periodic tests timetable out, exams to be amalgamated

Schools have been asked to plan and conduct examinations for all subjects ‘at their level’ except the PAT ones, according to the prevailing system. Representation Pic/By Special Arrangement

Maharashtra's School and Sport Education Department recently released the timetable for the upcoming statewide periodic assessment tests (PAT), which only evaluate students' proficiency in Mathematics, English, and Marathi (first and second language). However, the exams are now to take an amalgamated form.

According to a recent circular shared by the Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), schools have been asked to plan and conduct examinations for all subjects at their level, except the PAT ones, according to the prevailing system. The clarification would mean that students will not have to appear for tests based on the same subjects twice, over the same time period. However, principals and educators still remain sceptical of the move.

"PAT question papers are always set exceptionally. However, the truth is that they almost always leaked prior to the exams. From YouTubers to photocopy vendors, people manage to get hold of the papers a day before the test. Evaluating my Std V and Std VIII students only on the basis of this test does not seem to be in the best interest of either my students or the school," said the principal of a Dadar-based private aided school.

Unlike Std X and class XII board exams, a secure transfer protocol is not followed for PAT question papers thus far, principals claim. Furthermore, during the last PAT, which was held in April 2025, many schools around the state raised an alarm over insufficient question papers. Eventually, the school authorities had to photocopy the paper themselves and distribute it among the students.

"If we face a question paper shortage after combining PAT and mid-semester exams, a few schools may be singled out and might have to schedule retests. Oftentimes, schools break their backs and bear the cost of photocopying without filing a written complaint to avoid complications. This leaves the state administration in the dark about PAT implementation, too," said Mahendra Ganpule, former head of Maharashtra School Principals' Association.

The PAT is conducted biannually for school students to test the learning outcomes of the imparted teaching. Unlike the exams conducted at schools, the question papers are not based on a syllabus but test the students for their fundamentals. The PAT moderation helps the state determine the learning capabilities of students; however, execution has always been a challenge.

Road bump

"Keeping aside the execution, even the management of PAT has become a road bump. Despite planning out their annual calendar at the beginning of the year, schools have to modify it at the last minute to make way for these tests," said Jalindar Sarode, working president, Shikshak Sena, Maharashtra. "This also makes it difficult for schools to be accountable to parents and students. In our school, we have had to shift around the exam timetable since other subjects were scheduled on the days that the state plans on conducting PAT," he added.

This year, the SCERT has scheduled the PAT dates from October 10 to 13. Students from Std I to Std VIII from all government and aided schools are to be tested for three subjects. This year, the state has also released detailed guidelines for the smooth execution of PAT. When contacted, a representative from SCERT stated that conducting PAT this way was always the norm and the department always aimed for seamless execution of exams.

According the representative, UDISE+ data will be used, so a question paper shortage is not expected. "If there is any shortage, it will be due to wrong data entry by the school only. The instruction is given every year, and there is nothing new in that," the representative said.