December, the Month of Exams;

   It is again a beginning of a new month of the year. This time it is the last month of the year and yet it’s one of the most important months of the year too. Not for starting something new but to finish up the yearlong progress successfully. Farmers in central Bhutan would be reaping their toils from fields, the businessmen would be analyzing their net gain of the annum, banks would be computing their net profit of the fiscal year, government would be putting an end to their yearly plan and measuring their achievements, and schools would be putting an end to their academic year. But coinciding this day, it’s time for many students who are sitting for the board exams to prove their worth.

   I too sat for four such board exams conducted by the Bhutan Board of Examination and it all happened in the month of December. All Bhutan Class VI Examinations in 2001, Lower Secondary School Certificate Examination for class VIII in 2003, Bhutan Certificate for Secondary Education Examination in 2005, and finally Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate for class XII in 2007. So December becomes one of the most important months for the students appearing the board exams.

   For the class six students, it is just a beginning. It nurture the ability establish a base for writing big exams in their future, though it tests the yearlong learning of the student to promote them to the new grade. Class eight examinations would further foster the confidence of young students in facing questions which are set by unknown teachers. Having required to face the board exams, I use to pull my socks up before hand so that I can face the challenge in ease. Same would be the case with those who are doing today.

   Bhutan Certificate for Secondary Education Examination plays a vital role in the life of student. Having faced two board exams already, this exam is not about nurturing confidence of students in facing the exams. But it decides the subject of the students, which he/she will study. Required to get certain minimum percentage to get oneself qualified for continuing the studies in government schools, failing of which they will have to either stop their studies or find other alternatives. Studying in the private school would cost no less than Nu. 50,000, so it would be a great burden for fair weathered families.

   Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate is the final exam in the life of school goers. I call it the turning point of the life as our performance in this exam decides our life. No matter how well we performed in our lower grades, no matter how much we scored in the mid-tern and trail exams, the only thing which matter in the life of student is their performance in the BHSEC. Doing excellently in this exam would open the doors of opportunities. Annually more than 100 scholarship slots are offered by government and few more by the private sectors. Besides the colleges under Royal University of Bhutan would welcome warmly if we have a good result. Therefore the exam really matters in starting the threshold of our future.

   Unfortunately December is month of winter, which simply means cold. Students are to face the dual challenge; the challenge for exams and the challenge for the severe cold.