While the Ministry has said that the decision to conduct board exams twice a year is taken to remove pressure and make exams easier, principals of some of the leading CBSE schools, parents, as well as students have mixed take on the decision. While many are calling “Board Exams Twice A Year” a good move, many education experts have also shared the negatives behind the decision to conduct board exams twice a year.
In August 2023, the Ministry of Education (MoE) announced the conduct of Board exams twice a year from 2024 onwards. The new regime will be followed for both Class X and Class XII State and national level board exams, including CBSE. The Ministry stated that the best score of the students would be retained.
Along with this, the Ministry also announced some major changes in the education system. In accordance with the New Education Policy (NEP 2020), the MoE also shared that students of Class 11 and 12 need to study two languages, and at least one of them must be Indian language. The choice of subjects in classes 11 and 12 will not be restricted to streams such as arts, science, and commerce to give students flexibility to choose among different subjects.
While the Ministry has said that the decision to conduct board exams twice a year is taken to remove pressure and make exams easier, principals of some of the leading CBSE schools, parents, as well as students have mixed take on the decision. While many are calling “Board Exams Twice A Year” a good move, many education experts have also shared the negatives behind the decision to conduct board exams twice a year.
Principals’ Take on Bi-Annual Boards
Boards might be conducted twice a year, the session time is not going to increase, says Ajinder Kaur, Senior In-charge, DAV Public School (Pushpanjali Enclave).
“NCF has proposed to take boards twice a year and it is believed that this will remove pressure from students as they can take their best score. To some extent this is correct but we also need to keep in mind the pressure of entrance exams like JEE NEET and CUET where no weightage is given to board exams. Ever since CUET has been introduced we are seeing that students are not much bothered about board score and infact this has affected the attendance of commerce and humanities students too In such a scenario taking board exams twice a year will not serve any purpose rather there will be pressure to complete syllabus early because afterall the session time is not going to increase,” Kaur said.
“Clarity is needed on various fronts,” says Poonam Kochitty, Principal, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Lucknow.
“The NCF has proposed several changes in the Examination system starting 2024 in order to reduce stress and anxiety related to board exams. It mandates a student-friendly approach and proposes that Board exams be held twice a year instead of once . This will allow students to take the exam twice and retain their best score. It states that students will have more opportunities to demonstrate their learning, and by doing away with the traditional streams, students will be free to choose subjects that interest them and that are relevant to their future goals,” Kochitty said.
She further added, “However clarity is needed on various fronts. For instance – Will the first Board be held mid term in September/ October? How much of the whole year syllabus will be included in the first Board? If they choose to improve their scores, when will that happen? Will the second Board exam test the syllabus covered after the conduct of the First Board Exam? The proposed changes are aimed at doing away with memorisation based learning and focusing on competency based assessments.”
“Positive effect of the decision will be the distribution of content volume,” says Mamta Wadhwa, Director Principal, Manav Rachna School, Faridabad.
Talking about the pros of Board to be conducted twice a year, Wadhva said, “The positive effect of this decision will be that the content volume to be studied is distributed which may enable the students to have reduced pressure. Having more frequent assessments can provide a better representation of a student’s academic performance. The frequent exams allow for more timely feedback to students. Reducing the impact of a single exam on their academic future. The negative impact can be that preparing students for exams more frequently will lead to burnout and anxiety. The overall quality of education might suffer as teachers and students prioritize exam-specific content over holistic learning overall quality of education might suffer as teachers and students prioritize exam-specific content over holistic learning. More exams could lead to an increased workload. The difficulty level and content covered in each exam would need to be carefully calibrated. Splitting the curriculum into two exams could result in a rushed curriculum. Some subjects or skills may not be adequately assessed through standardized exams.”
“The impact of the biannual board exam on students will benefit them from the regular assessment. On the other hand, some students may find the continuous preparation exhausting. Similarly, teachers will have to handle the increased workload and pressure to maintain high-quality teaching. But also they will have the opportunity to assess student progress more frequently and easily. This Implementation of the biannual exam system requires significant adjustments in infrastructure, curriculum design, and teacher training. On the flip side, it will promote continuous improvement in students and also align education with the evolving demands of the job market,” she added.
Proposing bi-annual board exams offers numerous potential advantages. It may grant students more chances to demonstrate their knowledge and mastery of the curriculum, potentially easing the intense pressure associated with annual exams and promoting a healthier learning approach.
“Bi-annual exam can potentially increase workload on both students as well as educators,” says Dr Silpi Sahoo, Chairperson, SAI International Education Group.
“The decision to implement bi-annual board exams could yield a variety of outcomes, both favourable and unfavourable, for students, educators, and the education system at large. Positive Outcomes may include Reduced Exam Stress as students would face less pressure with exams spread over two sessions. This could lead to improved mental well-being, as students would have more time for effective preparation, reducing the need for last-minute cramming. Continuous Learning, Enhanced Performance, Holistic Assessment are some of the other positive outcomes that can come with bi-annual board exams.”
“However, Introducing bi-annual board exams might pose certain logistical challenges for educational institutions. Administering exams twice a year could strain resources such as exam venues, invigilators, and exam paper preparation. Additionally, managing exam papers, result processing, and the overall organization of two exam sessions annually could require careful planning and coordination. The revised exam schedule might necessitate adjustments to the existing scheme of study. The various boards will need to work on the new scheme of study for their schools. The conventional structure will face issues of reduced classes to complete the portions much early. This could impact the way courses are structured and taught, potentially altering the dynamics of classroom instruction and curriculum coverage,” she added.
She further talked about the inclusion of two languages and said, “The National Curriculum Framework professes the inclusion of 2 languages, this will lead to an extra load on students specially for students who have to appear for competitive examinations. Bi-annual exams could potentially increase the workload on both students and educators. Preparing, administering, and grading exams twice a year could strain resources and lead to burnout. Educators might need to adjust their teaching methods to accommodate the new exam schedule, possibly leading to rushed coverage of the curriculum to fit within the two exam cycles. Ensuring consistent difficulty and content between the two exam sessions could be challenging. Maintaining the same level of rigor and fairness might require careful design and monitoring.”
“Students might focus on memorization rather than deeper understanding due to the frequency of exams. This could undermine the goal of fostering critical thinking and analytical skills. This decision reflects a willingness to explore innovative education enhancements. Its true impact depends on effective implementation, support for stakeholders, and the adaptability of the education system,” she added.
Parents Concerned
“Kids will be under academic burden,” says Jasleen Kaur, mother of a Class 9 student
My son is in Class 9. With Board exams twice a year from the next session, I feel he will be under academic burden for the next three years. There will be constant exam pressure as the frequency of periodic tests will also increase to mark internal assessments. Students will have no time left for sports and other extra-curricular activities resulting in inactive lifestyle and additional stress.
Added pressure for parents as well,” says Trisha Rajput, parent of a Class 11 student.
“In order to make the board exams “easier” than the current “high stakes” practice, the examination will assess the understanding and achievement of competencies rather than months of coaching and memorizing. However, I believe that conducting boards twice a year would actually put a lot performance pressure on students. It would also come as an added responsibility for parents,”
Students Stressed
“With Boards Twice A Year, preparing for entrance exams would be a nightmare,” says Pranjal Gupta, Class 11, St. Giri Public School.
“So far, my father has been saying that Class 12 board exams would be fun as you will get the whole year to give your best by the end of the year. This news about the board being conducted Twice a year is depressing. I am preparing to appear for NEET. It would be now difficult to cope with the preparation of both NEET as well as Boards. It is my request to Education Ministry to give their decision a thought. Almost 95% of students start their preparation for entrance exams by Class 9 or 10. With Boards Twice A Year, preparing for entrance exams would be a nightmare.”
“We will be under pressure throughout the year,” says Gurbir Singh Taneja, Class 9, Summer Fields School, Kailash Colony.
We’ll be under pressure through the year to study as our school will conduct continuous assessments and tests, thus I do not like this move at all. The only savior here is that we’ll get to retain the best score from both exams.
Published by:- Shiksha.com
Published on:- Oct 06th, 2023
Link:- https://www.shiksha.com/news/boards-board-exams-twice-a-year-principals-parents-students-discuss-opportunities-challenges-blogId-134845