Secondary school public examinations in India represent a critical academic milestone and are often accompanied by intense institutional and societal expectations. Among these, Class 10 examinations conducted by different education boards function as high-stakes assessments that significantly influence students' academic trajectories. In the post-COVID context, these pressures have been further intensified by prolonged disruptions in learning, increased digital exposure, and noticeable behavioural and emotional changes among adolescents. This paper presents a conceptual and policy-oriented comparative analysis of the psychological implications of high-stakes secondary school examinations across three major examination systems in India: the Telangana State Secondary School Certificate (SSC) system, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ICSE). Drawing upon official examination schedules, district-level academic action plans, and existing psychological and educational literature, the paper examines how variations in examination structure, accountability mechanisms, and performance-driven targets shape distinct stress patterns among Class 10 students. The analysis highlights that state-level SSC systems, with a strong emphasis on single-exam outcomes and district performance metrics, tend to foster fear-based compliance and performance anxiety. In contrast, CBSE's standardized national framework and ICSE's academically intensive curriculum generate stress through competitive comparison, cognitive overload, and heightened perfectionism. The study further discusses how post-pandemic digital immersion, social media exposure, and reduced coping resilience interact with board-specific academic demands, increasing students' psychological vulnerability. The paper argues that an exclusive focus on pass percentages and institutional rankings inadequately addresses students' mental well-being and long-term learning outcomes. It concludes by advocating for a more psychologically informed assessment approach that balances academic accountability with emotional resilience, student well-being, and sustainable educational success in secondary education.
Manmohan Bandaru (Tue,) studied this question.