New Delhi, September 21
From revision in the pattern of question papers to implementing the grading system, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced wide ranging changes in the examination system.
Announcing these reforms here today, the CBSE Chairperson, Mr Ashok Ganguly said students would be given 15 minutes to study the question paper, which could be answered in two and a half hours, internal assessment and grading system will be implemented from the 2008 and re-exam for additional papers would also be allowed.
“We have identified 10 subjects in which we will change the pattern of question papers for the examinations scheduled for the year 2006. For Class X these subjects include science, mathematics and social sciences and in Class XII these include physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, business studies, accounts and economics. Based on the feedback that we receive, we will implement changes in papers for all subjects in the year 2007,” said Mr Ganguly.
He added, “We felt there was a need to allow students to understand the questions before they begin to answer them. 15 minutes should afford them a chance to go through the question paper, which should have very short questions, short questions, long answers and even multiple choice questions”.
While a nine-point grading scale will be implemented for Class X students of CBSE in 2008, other state boards have been given the option of using both grades as well as marks. “There will be no mention of pass or fail in the grading system. In order to be promoted to the next class a student will have to clear four out of five qualifying subjects and will be given four attempts in two years to improve the grade in the unqualified subject,” said Mr Ganguly.
For Class X, internal assessment, which 20 per cent of marks based on the performance of a
student throughout the year would be added to 80 per cent scored in the final exams, will be introduced for social sciences, mathematics and science subject in 2007. This will gradually be implemented for languages as well, he added.
In science, 40 per cent of the marks will be for the practical component and 60 per cent for theory. In the practical component 20 marks will be for internal assessment and 20 for a theory exam based on practical work, the theory paper will be of two-and-a-half hour duration. This will also come into effect from 2007, for class X. Another concession spelt by the board is that students, who take an additional paper in classes X and XII, will be given a chance to reappear in the paper if they fail to clear the examination. “Now we do not allow them to take the re-exam in the additional paper. If a student has opted for biology as an additional subject and fails to clear the paper, but wants to take the medical entrance we will allow him to take the improvement exam,” CBSE Chairperson said.
