CBSE Changes Exam Format for Classes 11 and 12. More details here.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made some changes in how exams will be done for students in Classes 11 and 12 starting from next year, 2024-25. They want students to focus more on understanding and using concepts, rather than writing long answers. They’ve increased the number of questions that test understanding and application of concepts, like Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and case-based questions, from 40 to 50 percent. Meanwhile, the number of questions where students need to write long answers has decreased from 40 to 30 percent. This change matches with the National Education Policy, 2020.

Joseph Emanuel, who is in charge of academics at CBSE, said these changes follow the National Education Policy, 2020, which focuses on making education about skills rather than just learning facts. CBSE is doing different things to achieve this, such as making sure exams test the skills students need, providing resources for teachers and students, and making sure teachers are well-prepared.

The aim is to help students become more creative, think more critically, and learn in a way that helps them in real life, rather than just memorizing things. Emanuel said they want to prepare students for challenges they’ll face in the 21st century. So, there will be more questions in exams that test how well students can apply what they’ve learned to real situations in the future.

But, for students in Classes 9 and 10, there won’t be any changes in how exams are done. CBSE’s decision shows that education is moving towards focusing more on skills that are important now, rather than just learning facts. These changes mean that learning and exams in Indian schools will become more about doing things practically and applying knowledge in real life.