CBSE Introduces Twice-A-Year Board Exams for Class 10 and 12 Students Starting 2024-25
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in India is set to introduce a significant change to the board examination system for class 10 and 12 students starting from the academic year 2024-25. In an effort to reduce stress and provide more opportunities for students to perform well, CBSE will implement a twice-a-year board exam format.
Under the new system, students will have the option to appear for board exams twice a year, similar to the format of engineering entrance exams like JEE. This move aims to alleviate the pressure and anxiety that students often face due to the fear of a single opportunity to perform well.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced in October 2023 that the twice-a-year board format would be implemented starting from the 2025 board exams for class 10 and 12. However, it is important to note that appearing for these exams twice a year will not be mandatory for students. The option is being introduced to provide flexibility and reduce the stress caused by a single chance to excel.
The first session of the 2025 board exams is expected to be conducted in November-December 2024, followed by the second session in February-March 2025. It is anticipated that the final results and merit list will be determined based on the better of the two scores obtained by the students.
The decision to introduce twice-a-year board exams aligns with the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) announced by the Ministry of Education in August. This framework aims to ensure that students have sufficient time and opportunities to perform well, giving them the option to retain their best score.
The revised CBSE datesheet for the 2024 board exams has already been released. The Class 10 exams will commence on February 15, 2024, with subjects like Painting and conclude on March 13, 2024, with Computer Applications, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence. On the other hand, the Class 12 exams will begin on the same day with subjects like Entrepreneurship and will end on April 2, 2024, with papers on Informatics Practices, Computer Science, and Information Technology.
While there is no official statement from CBSE regarding the specific dates for the twice-a-year board exams, students can stay updated by visiting the official website of CBSE.
The introduction of the twice-a-year board exam format is expected to have a significant impact on students’ academic journey, giving them more opportunities to excel and reducing the immense pressure associated with single-board examinations. It remains to be seen how this new system will be implemented and received by students, teachers, and educational institutions, but it presents a promising step towards a more flexible and student-friendly assessment system.
