Twice-A-Year Board Exams of CBSE from 2025, to Reduce Stress

In a remarkable development, the Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan declared on February 20th, 2024 that students will get the flexibility to appear for secondary and senior secondary board exams twice every year starting from the 2025-2026 academic session. This reformist shift promises a transformative overhaul of India’s assessment framework to relieve exam stress.

Rationale Driving the Move

• The groundbreaking twice-a-year board exam policy stems from the recommendations of the trailblazing National Education Policy 2020 that envisions increased flexibility in learning assessments to spur holistic development instead of overemphasis on marks or rankings.
• Annual one-shot board exams carry extremely high stakes, causing mental tension and anxiety among students
• The twin exams model provides more opportunities to improve performance and reduce exam phobia
• It balances the excellence imperative with psychological well-being of students

Broad Framework of the Reform

As per the New Curriculum Framework published in August 2023, board examinations will be conducted at least twice every year to ensure students get sufficient opportunities to showcase competencies.

-  Students can optionally appear for board exams in two test cycles per year

-  They will have the provision to retain the maximum marks secured in either attempt

-  The best annual score will get recorded in final marksheets

Mitigating Exam Stress, the Key Impetus

In his announcement, the Education Minister prioritized the urgent necessity of alleviating excessive exam pressure to create scope for holistic learning beyond academics. The reform aims squarely at this focal cause behind student anxiety.

Phased Introduction Across School Boards

-  The reform applies to both private and public schools affiliated to central and state boards countrywide

-  Specific modalities regarding test duration, syllabus coverage etc. will be formulated over the next two years

-  Nationwide implementation will occur from the 2025 academic calendar

Significance of Continual Assessments

While highlighting the merits of additional board exams, experts have reiterated the integral role of continuous internal assessments in gauging application capabilities. But recurrent external tests provide options to overcome occasional underperformance.

Current Statistics on Board Exams

In the 2023 board exams, approximately 38.2 lakh students appeared across class 10 and class 12 CBSE exams As per Ministry estimates, the first 2025 exam will be held in Nov-Dec 2024 with the next one in Feb-Mar 2025