Meet Praveen Kumar

Praveen approached us on a cold December morning. He was dressed in a neatly ironed white formal shirt tucked into clean black coloured trousers. He wore polished brown formal shoes and a belt to match.

‘Good morning sirs’, he said. ‘I want to do my SSC from the Telangana Open School Society board. I am worried that I am too old to enroll for the examination, I am 54 years old and I have only completed my 7th or 8th class, I cannot remember. But I have no documents to prove that I have studied till high school’.

‘Good morning, you speak good English for someone who hasn’t completed his schooling’, we said.

‘Yes sir, I attended English speaking classes for a year’, he said.

‘What are your future goals?’, we asked.

‘I want to complete my graduation and move on to do my MBA, I am currently working as a marketing manager for USHA water filters. My job requires me to complete my SSC (10th) for a promotion’, he said.

We assured him that the Telangana Open School Society SSC examination had no upper age limit and that anyone above the age of 15 can write the examinations. ‘The TOSS SSC examinations are specifically for people like you who have missed out on formal education’, we said.

Validity of the TOSS SSC certificate

‘Are the certificates from Telangana Open School Society of same value as the standard SSC certification?’, he asked.

‘Yes, it is given in the prospectus that the Government of India recognizes the Telangana Open School Society SSC certificate as equal to the standard classroom certificate’, we said.

Information about TOSS SSC examinations

We explained that he would have to pick 5 subjects out of the subject pool. And that he could pick a maximum of two languages (minimum of 1) from Group A alongside 3 subjects from Group B. After referring him to the subject table on our website, he chose English, Hindi, Mathematics, Science & Technology and Social Studies.

‘You will have to pick a study centre which is convenient for you’, we said.

‘Oh, there are study centres?’, he asked.

‘Yes the study centres hold contact classes. You will have to attend 30 contact classes (PCP; Personal Contact Programme) and submit 3 Tutor Marked Assignments (TMA’s) for each subject you choose’, we said.

‘I don’t think I have the time to attend 30 classes sir’, he said.

‘Do not worry, the PCP’s are held on weekends specifically to meet the needs of working people’, we said.

‘It seems to be a very good way to get students on track’, he said.

We told him that the examinations are held roughly on March/April of every year.

Requirements for application to the TOSS SSC examinations

‘You will require a scanned copy of your signature, photograph and Aadhar card for application to the Telangana Open School Society’s SSC examination. You can apply online at their official website’, we said, linking him to telanganaopenschool.org.

‘Thank you for clarifying my doubts sirs’, he said. We shook hands warmly and watched him depart.

We wish Praveen Kumar all the best with his Telangana Open School Society SSC(10th) examinations.

Meet Anirudh Reddy

Anirudh came to us on a cool Wednesday morning. Dressed in a flamboyant pink shirt with a blue tie and white jeans he looked like a budding movie actor.

‘Hello sirs’, he greeted us cheerfully.

‘I was looking to enroll into the Telangana Open School Society SSC programme’, he said.

‘Yes Anirudh, we are here to help you’, we said.

After asking him about some details about himself and his future goals, we came to know that Anirudh, 25 years old, was working as a clerk in a medical store. His goal was to do his B.Com and one day open his own retail store.

‘Why retail store? Why not another medical store?’, we asked.

‘Well sir, to properly run a medical store, one needs to do a B.Pharm. I do not want to do a B.Pharm’, he said.

Tutor Marked Assignments and Study Centres

We explained to him that one needs to pass in a minimum of 5 subjects to pass TOSS SSC exam. We also spoke to him about contact classes, Tutor Marked Assignments (TMA’s) and study centres. He would have to pick a study centre which was close to his house (for convenience sake).

Validity of the Telangana Open School Society’s SSC Certificate

‘Sir, how do I know that this certificate is valid and recognized by the government?’, he asked.

‘All the details are in the prospectus. The government recognizes Telangana Open School Society’s SSC certificate as equal to a normal SSC certificate’, we replied.

Requirements for Application for TOSS SSC Exams

We told him that he would need only his Aadhar card for application to the TOSS SSC examinations.

‘Telangana Open School Society SSC exams are held every year on March/April, you can apply a few months before’, we said.

‘Okay sirs, thank you very much for your guidance, I will apply as soon as possible!’ he exclaimed, his smile broadening.

We wish Mr. Anirudh Reddy best of luck with his TOSS SSC exams.

Meet Supriya

‘Good morning sir. I am Supriya. And I have come for advice on applying to the TOSS SSC’, said Supriya, on a sunny Wednesday morning.

‘Good morning Supriya, can you tell us a little about yourself and your goals?’, we asked.

‘Yes sir, I discontinued my schooling at the age of 12 due to family problems. My father passed away and my mother needed help managing a family of four. Then I married at the age of 20 and became a full time homemaker for my child. Now I am 33 and I have more free time to pursue my goals. My goal is to at least complete my B.com’, she said.

Requirements and subjects for TOSS SSC

‘Okay Supriya, for Telangana Open School SSC course you will need to have your Aadhar card’, we said.

‘Which subjects can I choose?’, she asked.

‘You can choose from the subject pool given here’, we said, linking her to our website.

‘You can choose a maximum of two languages and minimum of two subjects from group B and one subject from group C, which is optional’, we said, pointing to the table given on our website.

‘Okay sir I think I will choose, Hindi, English, Business Studies, Economics and Accountancy’, she said.

Study centre

We explained to her that she would have to pick a study centre which was convenient for her. Preferably near her home.

‘Oh! There are study centres for TOSS SSC course?’, she exclaimed.

‘Yes, there are study centres to which you will have to submit your Tutor Marked Assignments (TMA’s). You will be writing your exams in the study centre’, we said.

Application to the TOSS SSC exam

‘Where can I apply for the TOSS SSC exam?’, she asked.

‘You can apply for the Telangana Open School Society SSC exam online at www.telanganaopenschool.org‘, we said.

We told her that the TOSS SSC examinations were held twice a year in two phases. Phase 1 is held from May to June and Phase 2 is held from September to October for the year 2023.

‘You can apply a few months before the examination date. Please keep an eye on our website for last dates for application to the TOSS SSC exams’, we said.

She thanked us and promised to call us once she passed her SSC.

We wish Supriya all the best with her future.

*We have translated the Telugu to English in this post for the convenience of the readers.

Enter Rajmohan

Rajmohan entered our office on a clear morning. He was wearing a green checked formal shirt and brown corduroy pants. He looked like a senior marketing agent to us.

‘Hello, my name is Rajmohan. I have come to you for advise on applying to, and writing the Telangana Open School Society SSC (10th)’, he said in Telugu.

‘Yes, Mr. Rajmohan, please sit down’, we replied.

Once he sat down, we asked him for details about himself and his goals. He was working full time as a senior travel agent at an agency in Mettuguda. He had discontinued his education at the age of 14 due to family issues. And his goal was to complete his SSC and eventually his degree (B.Com).

‘My agency requires me to complete my SSC, otherwise I cannot get a promotion as manager. So, when I came across your website on Google, I decided to come to you for advice’, he said.

Can write TOSS SSC examination in Telugu Medium

We asked him how comfortable he was with speaking English, he said that he could speak English reasonably well. He was accustomed to speaking English at his job as a travel agent. But he added quickly that English writing was not his forte.

‘You can write the TOSS SSC in Telugu medium if you want’, we said.

Beaming, he replied, ‘Yes, that would be very convenient for me, I do not have the time to take English writing classes now’.

Other details about study centres, certificate and study materials

We explained that he would need his Aadhar card to apply for the TOSS SSC examination. We also explained to him about the different subject streams and TMA’s and Study Centres.

‘You can write the exam in any study centre comfortable for you, it would be better to choose one near home’, we said.

‘I see, I will look it up when I apply sir’, he said.

Having clarified his doubts about the certificate, dates, study centres and study materials. He stood up and shook hands with us.

‘Thank you for the advise sirs, I will apply for the TOSS SSC examination 2023 and let you all know’, he chimed.

We wish him all the best.

Meet Ramulu, the watchman

‘Hello sirs’, said Ramulu as he entered our office. Dressed in a blue formal shirt and jet black pants, he looked like a security guard for an apartment block or a store. ‘Good morning, your good name?’, we asked. ‘Ramulu sir’, he replied. ‘I want to write my SSC and then my Intermediate in Science. My father owns some agricultural land in a village Madri near Zaheerabad. I want to do a B.Sc in Agriculture for farming purposes’, he chimed, without further ado.

‘How did you get this dream Ramulu?’, we asked. ‘Sirs my cousin who is from my village has completed his B.Sc in Agricultural Sciences, so, I wanted to do the same’, he replied. We asked him where he works. He said that he worked as a security guard in an apartment block in Ramnagar.

We told him that he would have to think one step at a time. Since he did not have his SSC certificate we told him he would first have to clear his SSC before attempting to write Intermediate. ‘I think you are right sir, it pays to think in steps, it is better not to bite off more than one can chew’, he said. We explained to him that the Telangana Open School Society (TOSS) 10th (SSC) examinations are held once a year on April/May.

Frequently asked questions for prospective students

We informed him that we would help him apply online for the TOSS Senior Secondary Course (SSC) examination for 2023. ‘Are you sure that this certificate from TOSS is government approved?’, he asked. We reassured him that the TOSS SSC certificate is approved by the State and Central Government of India. ‘Do I require anything more than my Aadhar card?’, he asked. We told him that the Aadhar card is the only requirement for writing the TOSS SSC examination. He would require no other certificates or identification.

‘How many subjects do I have to write to obtain the pass certificate for TOSS SSC?’, he asked. ‘You will have to pass in a minimum of 5 subjects or a maximum of 6 (1 optional), including, 1-2 language subjects. The plus point is you get to choose from a pool of subjects’, we said. We referred him to the link on our TOSS related website where we clearly list out the subjects available for study.

‘Does the Telangana Open School Society SSC pass certificate have lower value than the standard classroom course certificate?’, he asked. ‘The TOSS SSC certificate is of equal value to the standard SSC certificate’, we replied. Hearing this, he heaved a sigh of relief. As he got up to leave, he shook our hands confidently and said, ‘I am leaving now sir, I will return to you with my Aadhar card for help with the application form’. We thanked him for approaching us.