CBSE New Grading and Assessment System

The new grading and assessment system of the Central Board of Secondary Education will help schools to get rid of rote learning. But how exactly will the system work?

THE ACADEMIC SESSION

Each academic session in Class IX and X will comprise two terms and students will have two term-end exams called summative assessment.
“The CBSE will provide a question bank to schools, which will then prepare their question papers for the term-end exam and evaluate papers internally,” said CBSE Chairperson Vineet Joshi. A continuous evaluation will take place through formative assessment and comprise class work, homework, oral questions and quizzes, projects and assignments. “There will be four formative assessments in one academic session carrying 40 per cent weightage,” said Joshi.

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS

Continuous and comprehensive evaluation will not only take into account the academic performance of a child but also focus on scholastic and co scholastic activities. Scholastic areas would include work experience, art education, general knowledge and computer science. The bigger challenge would be grading students on thinking and emotional skills, attitude towards teachers, schoolmates and public property.
“When we say creative skills, we are talking about skills like debate, creative writing, recitation, drawing etc.” said Joshi.

THE GRADING SYSTEM

The marks given in exams will be replaced by grades. Although Class X students will have a Board exam this year, they will be graded and not marked. (See box above). However, a student can find out his/her percentile, but it will not find place in the report card.

EXAM-ON-DEMAND

The CBSE will conduct exam on-demand for Class X students who want to sit for a Class X final exam. “The test can be taken and the student will be given a CBSE certificate in case he/she wants to go to another school or join pre-university,” said HRD Minister Kapil Sibal. The student can choose from a number of dates on which the exam will be held. “The pattern will be the same as in SAT. Online and offline exams will be available and the question paper will be different for each student,” said Sibal.

MOVING OUT OF SYSTEM

In states where the CBSE schools run till class X, students who have to enter pre-university can ask the board for marks. For instance, in Maharasthra, many CBSE students prefer to opt for pre-university after Class X since it makes it easier for them to get admission to undergraduate courses. “If a student wants to switch to the state board system, the system will provide the original marks in terms of numbers,”
said Avnita Bir, principal, RN Podar School, a CBSE affiliated school in Mumbai.