According to a circular issued by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) recently, students appearing for their Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) board examination of 2013 will have to score at least 25 per cent in written papers for all four subjects including physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics.

As per the new rule, the examination papers will include questions to test the students’ knowledge and analytical skills rather than their rote learning skills. The circular also stated that instead of two papers of 40 marks each, these subjects will have a single paper of 70 marks.