The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is reportedly contemplating the implementation of Open Book Examinations (OBE) for students from Classes 9 to 12, aligning with the recommendations outlined in the recent National Curriculum Framework published last year.
CBSE Exams 2024: In the recent academic panorama, open-book tests have emerged as a novel method of evaluating students’ grasp of subjects. Unlike the conventional closed-book format, these open-book exams allow students to refer back to their study materials, notes, and other useful sources while answering the questions. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is reportedly contemplating the implementation of Open Book Examinations (OBE) for students from Classes 9 to 12, aligning with the recommendations outlined in the recent National Curriculum Framework published last year, the Indian Express reported.
As per the report, the Board has put forth a plan to conduct a trial phase of open-book tests in select schools. These tests will cover subjects such as English, Mathematics, and Science for Classes 9 and 10, and English, Mathematics, and Biology for Classes 11 and 12. The purpose of this pilot run, scheduled for later this year, is to evaluate the time taken by students to complete such tests and stakeholders’ response, the sources were quoted as saying to IndianExpress.
What Happens in Open Book Exam?
During an open-book examination, candidates are permitted to carry their textbooks, study materials, and notebooks and refer to them during the examination. Now speaking of the examination, Open Book Examinations (OBEs) are not as easy as they seem. In addition, they often pose greater challenges. The reason lies in the fact that an open-book test doesn’t rely on rote memory but rather assesses a student’s understanding of a subject and their capacity to analyze and apply concepts. It’s not just about writing the learned textbook content onto the answer sheet; instead, it demands critical thinking and the ability to synthesize information effectively.
Pilot run of open-book tests to be held in November-December?
As per the IndianExpress report, the pilot phase is likely to be held in November-December this year. CBSE will decide to hold this form of assessment across all its schools for Classes 9 to 12 based on the pilot phase experience. The Board aims to finalize the design and development of the OBE pilot by June and has opted to seek guidance from Delhi University (DU) in this endeavor. Notably, DU implemented open-book tests in August 2020 amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, despite facing opposition.
Earlier in 2020, the Delhi High Court allowed Delhi University to hold online open-book examinations for final-term students with certain directions. A single-judge bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh allowed the varsity to conduct online open book exams on conditions that the question paper should be available on the portal as well as should be emailed to all the students appearing in the exams.