Board Exams Starting from 2025
The recent announcement by the Central Board of Secondary Education regarding the implementation of two board exams per year has stirred concern among students and parents, leading to widespread confusion about the details and timing of the process. In this article, I aim to unravel all the confusion surrounding the current situation.
For the first time in the history of CBSE, students in classes 10 and 12 will have to undergo two board exams. It was thought that the pattern of two board exams would begin in 2024, but the decision has been made to implement it from the academic session 2025-2026. The current batch of grade 10 and 12 students will only have to sit for board exams once a year, as it used to happen earlier.
TIMELINE
The first attempt at the board exam will take place in Nov-Dec, and the second attempt will be held in Feb- March.
The exams will cover the full syllabus, not the half-yearly syllabus.
However, the final practicals will take place only once a year, in January.
CHOICE PROVIDED
The student decides to take the board exam once or twice. It is not mandatory to sit for the exams twice. Also, the students don’t need to take all six subjects at the same time.
OUT OF 2, WHICH SCORE WILL BE CONSIDERED AS FINAL?
If a student attempts a particular subject’s exam twice, the best score between the two will be taken as the final. If a child cannot perform well in one of the exams, then he or she can try his/her best on the second attempt. For instance, in Mathematics, in the first attempt, A scores 70, and in the second attempt, A scores 90; then the marks of the second attempt (the better score) will be considered. However, if one decides to take the exam just once, then that score will be taken as final.
The education minister gave the statement:
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on 23/2/24 said that students will have the option of sitting for 10th and 12th class board examinations twice a year starting from the academic session 2025-26. Pradhan said that the plan aims to reduce academic stress and aligns with the objectives outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) introduced in 2020.
THE REASON BEHIND THIS DECISION
According to the education minister, this decision aims to reduce the burden on the students. It also aligns with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP), which was released in year 2020.
4 main reasons:
The CBSE has cited the following reasons for conducting board exams twice a year:
- To reduce the pressure on students.
- To provide students with more opportunities to improve their scores.
- To make the assessment process more continuous and comprehensive.
- To align the assessment with the new curriculum framework.
PROS
- The students will have the benefit of retaining the highest score obtained in two exams, which encourages them to strive for improvement.
- If any child misses a certain exam for unavoidable reasons, they don’t have to consider it the end of the world, as they will still have a chance to take the exam after a few months.
- Having board exams twice will alleviate the unnecessary fear associated with them, as students will have the opportunity to experience them in the first attempt and feel more relaxed in the second attempt.
CONS
- The first set of exams will be held in November, leaving schools with no choice but to complete the syllabus, along with revisions, by October at the latest.
- It will create confusion among the students when bifurcating the combination of subjects to be chosen for both sets of exams.
- A student who wishes to take exams both times will have to pay the board exam fee twice.
RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT
The results for the first set of exams will be announced in January, whereas the result, along with the certificate, will be handed over to the students in May.
CONCLUSION
The initiative taken by CBSE is commendable, aiming to stay updated with a new holistic approach. Hopefully, the system of biannual board exams will positively impact students.
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