CHAPTER 18: CH 18: WRITTEN TEST [2]

The examiner gave us our answer sheet along with a sealed question paper. We were then told to wait for a couple of minutes before unsealing it.

We both waited.

The big clock on the wall struck 10 am.

"Start!" came his voice...

As the test officially started.

Quickly unsealing the duct tape, the question paper spilled out of it. With slightly shaky hands mostly as a result of nervousness, I took a look at the paper.

On top of it were certain instructions regarding the time granted which happened to be 2 hours. Also the total marks were 70 and the combat would be rated out of 30.

So in total it was of 100 marks. Not unexpected.

Then my eyes fell on the next set of instructions. They were about the sections in which the paper had been divided.

"The Paper has been Divided into 4 sections.

Section A contains an essay and is graded out of 15 points.

Section B contains questions regarding history and has a maximum of 20 points.

Section C contains questions regarding Mana Flow. A total of 20 points granted in it.

Lastly Section D has problems revolving around real life problems on the basis of your post. This section has a maximum of 15 points.

A total of 70 points has been granted with a time period of 3 hrs. Please report to the invigilator if the paper contains any blotted out ink or blank pages.

This paper consists of 12 pages. Checking it is advisable."

The only sound I could hear was of my own breathing, each harsh and rougher than the last.

Then my fingers started shaking as suddenly hope drained out of me.

Frantically, I flipped on the pages with audible sounds and scanned the lines as my fingers landed on the Section A.

An essay.

Almost immediately, I flipped the pages again as this time I landed on Section C.

I read through the first question...

C.1. Explain the transparency of mana in bio matter.

What was this...? Is this what they say Mana Flow?

At this point, sweat dripped down my wet scalp and my tongue flickered to chap my dry lips.

I was too nervous. My heart ran erratically inside the ribcage as if trying to burst out of it.

I haven’t studied this subject...

And where is Vitalis and Terra Verde? There was not a speck of sign of those two subjects so far.

Did Azak lie to me? Or was it a mistake on his part...?

All of a sudden a smirk was heard across the room. Looking up from my own nightmare, I glanced sideways.

And there pretending to be busy with his own paper sat Reinhard. But his lips were curved into a sly, knowing smile. It was as if he was trying to say me I was done for.

Even the invigilator was looking at me with a frown on his forehead.

I realised that I must have looked like a heretic few moments ago. Composing myself despite the urgent situation, I moved back to the front of the question paper.

Section A.

At a glance, I could tell it was an essay. I read it.

Within a limit of 1000 words, explore the importance of community arrangement and discuss ways in which vice principals can build partnerships with parents, local businesses and other stakeholders to support student success.

I briefly looked over at the two occuapants of the room, one sitting on the chair and the other already writing.

’The topic isn’t half bad...’ I thought, suddenly remembering all the countless compositions we had been made to write in my English classes.

And it was of 15 points. Counting in that with the history section, I could fight for a total of 35 points easily.

I was suddenly struck with a thought. Quickly moving to the last pages, I read through few questions of Section D. My eyebrows shot up as I reached the end of the paper.

To say in simple words, Section D could be said to contain 10 mini-essays each awarding 2 points.

The clock was at 10:05.

’I have already lost 5 minutes...’ Opening the answer sheet, I started my own test.

Making a rough space on the ruled papers, I started outlining few points what would be the focus of my composition.

First point out the key points.

Community arrangement and student success.

Building partnership with parents, local businesses and stakeholders.

’Hmm... let’s establish connections among these elements.’

My thoughts accelerated. Countless possibilities suddenly swam at the edge of my mind.

Slowly I started grasping them one by one.

Why would community arrangement be required? To foster a seamless bridge between the academic life and the real world.

As they say - The more they see, the more they learn.

This is directly proportional to student success.

’I think I get it now.’

Now partnerships. Among the three mentioned, we could further subdivide them into two groups. One would be for parents and the other for the businesses and stakeholders.

Partnership with parents...of course so that they can better guide their children.

Wait...do they even have PTMs? Like Parent Teacher Meetings?

I found myself a bit confused as I debated on whether or not to include that point. Unnecessarily writing something that already exists would be making a bad impression on whoever checks it.

Ultimately I gambled on my luck and included the pont as well.

Now the partnerships with local businesses and stakeholders should be the game changer here. They can be made to fund for student scholarships as well as promote educational creativities while in exchange their own brand becomes known to other people.

And for that, the local businesses must be targeted. You can’t uplift the already uplifted afterall. Rather bait the locals to enter into pacts with us.

It’s a risk, but a risk with higher probability of success for them.

And with those, I began condensing the points into a detailed essay of close to a thousand words.