CBSE exam pattern

Learning from 2020, when the world, in general, was taken off guard by a raging pandemic and strategies for vital events such as board exams were modified along the way, the CBSE has, creditably, fortified itself with a detailed assessment scheme for classes X and XII of the 2021-22 session. Coming at the beginning of the session, the board’s timely plan should enable the students as well as school authorities to prepare for these two crucial exams. Catering to the various probable scenarios that may emerge in view of the ongoing pandemic, the CBSE has announced a slew of evaluation methods. With the coronavirus waves looming large, but without precise prediction, alternative patterns of exams have been formulated to fit in all exigencies: whether the Covid-19 curve is going up or down, factoring in conditions that are conducive to offline or online modes.

This roadmap — even as some creases are still being ironed out — should save the current batches of CBSE students from the harrowing time that this dilemma presented to their counterparts during the 2020-21 session. The other school boards must lay out how they would compute results. Last year was marked by a punishing guessing game, with the exam schedules swinging from the now-on mode to the now-off one in response to the unfolding surges. The boards drew flak from parents, students and schools as they revised at the last minute their decisions over the conduct of classes and exams.

The CBSE’s introduction of a two-term system of marking candidates for half-yearly exams along with regular internal tests is welcome as it is designed to give weightage to the year-round performance of students. In fact, it’s a much-needed reformatory step. The authorities would do well to transition into this new scheme of appraisal even beyond the pandemic. The present examination process is directed more towards rote-based learning and undue stress on accomplishment in one set of tests. An overhaul has been long due. Brainstorming of a strategy that ensures a level playing field and checks against schools giving unfair scores to their wards is needed.