Pune: Students from Std II to VIII across state govt schools will appear for the state’s annual Periodic Assessment Test (PAT) in the last week of Nov, with the exercise aimed at checking learning outcomes in the first-term syllabus and helping teachers identify gaps and plan remedial teaching.
State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Maharashtra, has issued detailed instructions for PAT for the 2026-27 academic year, making it clear that the assessment is intended to improve classroom learning and is not a board-style exam.
“The main objective of the test is for teachers to understand to what extent students have achieved the expected learning outcomes and accordingly make necessary changes in the teaching-learning process and implement an action programme,” said Kamladevi Awte, joint director, SCERT, on Friday.
For Std II, the test will be of 30 marks, including 20 written and 10 oral marks. For Std III and IV, it will be 40 marks; Std V and VI will have 50 marks, while Std VII and VIII will have 60 marks. The written examination will range from 60 minutes for Std II to 120 minutes for Std VII and VIII. The PAT question papers will be supplied centrally by SCERT and are expected to be distributed between Oct 25 and Nov 5.
Based on the results, they will have to prepare and implement student-wise action plans so that learning outcomes improve by the second PAT scheduled for April 2027.
“These tests are not like the Std X and XII board exams and hence students should not be subjected to additional stress,” it stated. PAT will be based on the first-term syllabus, prescribed learning outcomes and basic competencies. The assessment will comprise written and oral components. The circular has asked schools not to create additional pressure on students. “For students, this means preparation will largely have to remain focused on understanding concepts and completing the first-term learning rather than special exam-oriented coaching. Teachers, meanwhile, will be expected to use the assessment to determine which specific learning outcomes individual students have or have not achieved,” added Awte. After evaluation, teachers will have to record marks against the learning outcomes mentioned on the first page of the test paper and enter the data through the Vidya Sameeksha Kendra (VSK) system. The circular specifically assures teachers that students’ marks will not be used for disciplinary action against them. Schools have also been directed not to conduct additional tests in first language, mathematics or English at the school level. Students absent during the scheduled PAT will be tested when they return to school. For students with disabilities, the headteacher and teachers will decide the appropriate assessment arrangements based on the nature of the disability, with support from special educators where required.