As per New Curriculum Framework, students will get option to retain best score
New Delhi, August 23, 2023 (PTI): Board examinations will be conducted twice a year and students will get an option to retain their best score, according to the New Curriculum Framework prepared by the Ministry of Education.
Aiming to make the exams “easier” rather than “high stakes”, the boards have also been asked to develop capacities to be able to conduct “on-demand” examinations in due course of time. The New Curriculum Framework (NCF) document also noted that there should be no hard separations between arts and sciences, curricular and extra-curricular activities, and vocational and academic streams.
“Board examinations should be offered at least twice a year to ensure that students have enough time and opportunity to perform well. Students can then appear for a board examination in subjects they have completed and feel ready for.
“This process could be made possible through the creation of a comprehensive test item bank which can be used to create tests using suitable software. This will enable the move towards a system of on-demand examinations in the near future as described in NEP 2020,” the NCF stated.
The Ministry of Education has noted that in the long term, all boards should change to semester or term-based systems, where students can test in a subject as soon as they have completed the subject, which would further reduce the content load being tested in any one examination.
The Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) was introduced for Class 10 in 2009, but was revoked in 2017 and the board reverted to the old model of year-end exams. The board exams for Classes 10 and 12 were also split into two terms during the pandemic as a one-time measure, but the old format of year-end examination was resumed for the crucial exams this year. (PTI)
