CBSE suggests open-book examinations for students of classes 9 to 12

During COVID-19 despite opposition from students, Delhi University had introduced open-book exams and asked students to bring their own answer sheets, gadgets, study material and sanitisers to ensure minimum contact.

In line with the recommendations of the latest National Curriculum Framework (NCF), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) proposed to consider Open Book Examinations (OBE) for students of classes 9 to 12, the Indian Express has reported.

According to the report, CBSE has suggested a pilot run of open-book tests in selected schools for English, Mathematics and Science for Classes 9 and 10 and English, Mathematics and Biology for Classes 11 and 12 later this year. This was proposed to know the stakeholder’s response and the time taken by the students to complete such tests.

In the past, when CBSE experimented with an Open Text Based Assessment (OTBA) for the exams of Classes 9 and 11 for three years from 2014-15 to 2016-17, negative responses were recorded from the student community and academicians.

The pilot is proposed to be conducted in November-December this year and CBSE will take a decision on whether this form of assessment should be adopted across all its schools for Classes 9 to 12. CBSE has also decided to consult Delhi University (DU), mentioned the Indian Express report.

During COVID-19 despite opposition from students, Delhi University had introduced open-book exams and asked students to bring their own answer sheets, gadgets, study material and sanitisers to ensure minimum contact.

What is an open book examination?

Open book examination is aimed at testing the higher-order thinking skills of students by stepping away from the regular mode of exams.

Under the open text based assessment (OTBA) by CBSE, students were provided text material four months in advance and they were allowed to carry the case studies during the examination. Students are allowed to refer to their notes or textbooks while answering questions. This allows students to think critically and move away from the rote learning method to pass the exams.

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