CBSE Proficiency Test 2013

CBSE to conduct optional proficiency test in second week of APRIL 2013. The test is optional for students studying in CBSE class 10 this year (2012-13)

As a part of ongoing educational reforms and assessment procedures, the Board has been conducting optional proficiency Test for class-X students in all the five main subjects of English, Hindi, Mathematics, Science and Social Science. Keeping in mind the convenience and comfort of students and schools, the next proficiency test will be held in the month of April,2013 for students appearing in March,2013 Class-X examination. The broad objectives of the proposed test include bench marking of skills and higher mental abilities of students, providing motivation to students for academic excellence in the respective subjects, providing feedback to schools on levels of learning of their students and setting goals, priorities and targets in their future educational plans.

What is a Proficiency Test?
A proficiency Test measures an individual’s abilities and skills in a domain or subject to know how well he/she has learned, understood and internalised the related concepts and principles. Such a test in language e.g may assess a student’s skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking or vocabulary. Similarly a test in Science may focus on assessing students’ abilities to apply concepts and principles to analyse a given situation, solve a given problem and conduct practical work efficiently. A test in Mathematics may, similarly, assess problem solving abilities and skills of mathematical thinking, mathematical reasoning and procedural techniques followed by students. Thus, the proposed Proficiency Test will mainly focus on assessing students’ abilities and skills to apply knowledge and understanding of the respective subject to new and unfamiliar everyday life situations. The core testing element of such a test will include observing, comparing, classifying, solving, translating, interpreting, analysing, synthesising, creating, composing, deducing, justifying and judging/evaluating.

Salient Features of the Test
It is optional in nature. Only those students who wish to take this test willingly may appear. It will be conducted in the month of April, 2013 as per the following schedule.

Monday 8th April, 2013 English
Tuesday 9th April, 2013 Hindi
Wednesday 10th April, 2013 Mathematics
Thursday 11th April, 2013 Social Science
Friday 12th April, 2013 Science

It will be conducted in all the five main subjects studied by a student in class-X. However, a student may appear in one or more subjects depending upon his/her choice. There will be a separate test in every subject One test will be held on a single day. It will be a paper-pen test to be administered on the same day across all willing schools in the country. Students wishing to appear in the test will be required to pay separate examination fee for the
same. The amount of fee to be paid by a student is as under:

One subject Rs. Three hundred only
Two subjects Rs. Four hundred only
Three subjects Rs. Five hundred only
Four or five subjects Rs. Six hundred only

The registration fee has to be submitted in the form of a Demand Draft in favour of Secretary CBSE, Delhi payable at Delhi. Any student studying in class-X in a secondary or senior secondary school affiliated to CBSE and
appearing in March, 2013 final examination (School conducted or Board Conducted) is eligible to appear in this test. Every student appearing in the test will be issued a certificate by the Board indicating percentile rank.

Format of the Question Paper
All questions will be of multiple choice type with only single correct answer.A student will be required to mark the answers on a given OMR sheet. Question paper in every subject will carry 100 marks. The duration of the test in every subject will be 2½ hours.  The test will be based on classes IX-X syllabus in the subject prescribed by CBSE The questions included in the question paper will be of varying difficulty level. The typology of questions will be different from the type of questions asked in conventional final examination conducted by the Board at the end of Class-X. The test will not include any direct recall, information-based or memory –based questions. It will only include questions to assess students’ skills and abilities to apply understanding of concepts to analyse a given situation or an unfamiliar everyday life problem. Negative marks will be awarded for wrong answers. More than one answer indicated against a question will also be deemed as incorrect response and will be negatively marked. The willing schools are required to submit the related information to the Board through online filling up of the registration form available on CBSE website www.cbse.nic.in. Procedure for online submission of List of candidates shall be available on the website shortly. The last date for submitting the online information is 30th November,2012.

The print out of filled in online registration form (Hard copy) duly signed and attested by the Principal of the school along with the registration fee in the form of a draft in favour of Secretary CBSE, Delhi payable at Delhi,may be submitted to the Director (Special Exams and CTET), Central Board of Secondary Education, A-1, Swasthya Vihar, Vikas Marg, (Opp. Metro Pillar-76), New Delhi-110 092 by 15th December, 2012.
The following salient points for taking the tests may be taken note of:
a) Only those students are allowed to take the proposed test (s)who have applied through the schools and paid requisite fee.
b) A student will have to appear from the same city/place where his/her school is located. .The examination will be conducted only at pre-decided centres as per Class-X Board examination.
c) The timings of the test will be from 10.30 A.M. to 1.00 P.M. in every subject.

The above information may be brought to the notice of all concerned. For any further information in this regard, the schools may contact Director (Special Exams & CTET), CBSE at pitams.cbse@nic.in or Consultant CBSE at science.cbse@gmail.com .