The CBSE is currently exploring options to arrange two rounds of board exams annually, as proposed in the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF). They are looking at options for holding exams in January-February, March-April, and June. Another idea they are considering is having a semester system with exams twice a year. Currently, board exams for Classes 10 and 12 are held in February and March. Officials are still discussing and have not decided when and how to conduct these exams twice a year. They are considering three options: having exams twice a year, with the first in January-February and the second in March-April, or having the second set of exams in June along with supplementary or improvement exams.
An official explained that the way our school year is organized, along with the timing of other important exams and the fact that CBSE schools are located all over the country and abroad, makes having two sets of exams each year difficult. Additionally, the board has told the Union education ministry that more than 150 steps are needed to conduct board exams for Classes 10 and 12 under the current system.
The entire process of preparing for and conducting board exams takes at least 310 days. This includes tasks like registering students, assigning exam centres, issuing roll numbers, conducting practical and theory exams, and handling results and re-evaluations. It takes at least 55 days to conduct the two sets of exams. The challenge for CBSE is figuring out how and when to repeat this long process for a second round of exams each year.
Conducting exams before February is difficult because some states have very cold winters. Board exams start around February 15, so they need to plan the dates carefully to give students enough time to prepare. Another idea is to have the second round of exams in June at the same time so that students can retake exams to improve their scores. But nothing is decided yet; they’re still discussing and getting opinions from many people. They might come up with more ideas as they go along.
The Government’s first idea was to start having board exams twice a year from 2024-25. But now, they’ve delayed it by a year. The new plan, part of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), suggests dividing the school year into two parts (semesters) for Classes 11 and 12. This aligns with the National Education Policy of 2020 and gives students the choice to take their board exams twice annually.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said in an interview that students won’t have to take board exams twice a year if they don’t want to. They can choose to take their Class 10 and 12 exams twice, like JEE, and pick their best score, but it’s their choice.
There have been previous efforts to change board exams. In 2009, Class 10 got Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE), but it ended in 2017. During COVID-19, exams for Classes 10 and 12 were split into two terms temporarily, but they went back to the normal year-end exams this year.
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