New question pattern for HS Sem-IV unveiled

Kolkata: With Semester-III (Part-I) of the 2026 Higher Secondary (HS) examinations now concluded, the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) has issued a fresh notification revising the question pattern for the forthcoming Semester-IV (Part-II) examinations.

Under the new formula, candidates will be offered double the number of alternatives for each required question within every topic or unit. For example, if a student needs to answer one question, two options will be provided; for two questions, four choices will be offered; and for three, six alternatives will be set.

A sample pattern released alongside the notification shows a total of 40 marks, comprising two short-answer sections—one carrying 2-mark questions and another with 5-mark questions—worth 10 marks each, plus a 20-mark descriptive section.

The Council clarified that the new arrangement supersedes all previous patterns and is intended to give students greater choice within each unit or topic. “In certain unseen questions in language subjects such as essays and email-writing, examinees may be provided with more alternatives,” the notification stated.

Teachers’ bodies have urged the Council to release subject-wise model papers well in advance. “This will help both students and teachers familiarise themselves with the new format and flag any practical difficulties ahead of the exam, instead of discovering them at the last moment as happened during Semester-III,” said Animesh Halder of the Secondary Teachers and Employees’ Association.The Semester-IV examinations are scheduled to be held from February 12 to 27, 2026, with papers to be conducted between 10 am and 12 noon.