CBSE Revamps Exam Format for 2024-25: A Move Towards Competency-Based Education

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced significant changes to the assessment and evaluation practices for classes 11 and 12, which will take effect in the academic session 2024-25. This reform is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, which advocates for a shift from rote learning to Competency-Based Education (CBE).

Key Changes in Exam Composition:

• Competency-Focused Questions: The weightage for competency-focused questions, such as MCQs, case-based, and source-based integrated questions, will increase from 40% to 50%.
• Constructed Response Questions: The weightage for constructed response questions, including short answer and long answer types, will decrease from 40% to 30%.
• Select Response Questions: The proportion of select response type questions (MCQs) will remain unchanged at 20%.

Implications for Students and Educators: These modifications aim to enhance students’ creative, critical, and systems thinking capacities, preparing them to tackle the challenges of the 21st century. The CBSE is committed to fostering an educational ecosystem that prioritizes learning through understanding and application of knowledge.

Supporting Measures: The CBSE is actively developing exemplar resources for teachers and students, as well as conducting continuous capacity building for educators to facilitate the transition to CBE.

Conclusion: The CBSE’s initiative to revamp the exam format reflects a progressive move towards a more dynamic and engaging assessment framework, which is expected to have a positive impact on the overall quality of education in India.

For more detailed information, readers are encouraged to refer to the official CBSE circular regarding these changes.