Students from Class 9 to 12 who are appearing in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams may have the choice to carry their books, according to the latest media reports. CBSE is planning to conduct a pilot program, scheduled for November-December this year, before rolling it out officially across states. This initiative, proposed in the National Credit Framework (NCF), introduces an ‘Open Book Exam’ format, allowing students to consult approved resources like textbooks and notes while answering exam questions.
In contrast to traditional closed-book examinations, the questions may be crafted to evaluate not only memorization skills but also critical thinking and the practical application of knowledge.
Quoting sources, the report stated that the Board has suggested a trial implementation of open-book exams in few schools for English, Mathematics, and Science subjects for Classes 9 and 10, and for English, Mathematics, and Biology subjects for Classes 11 and 12 later this year. This trial aims to assess both the time taken by students to complete these tests and the feedback from stakeholders.
As per the final report on the National Credit Framework (NCF) released by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on April 11, 2023, students will have the opportunity to receive credit for their understanding of different components of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), including Vedas and Puranas, among other recommendations.