Open Book Exams by CBSE: Will OBE be conducted for Classes 10th and 12th?

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced a pilot project for Open Book Examinations (OBE), aiming to shift focus from rote learning to competency-based assessments. However, this initiative will only apply to Classes 9 and 11 during the 2024-25 academic year, leaving out Classes 10 and 12.

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In this article, we have provided details if Open Book Exams will take place as proposed by the CBSE board earlier, the truth on the CBSE 2025 syllabus reduction and the possibility of conducting CBSE Board exams twice a year. Read on to know more.

What are CBSE Open Book Exams?

• CBSE Open Book Exams are aimed at allowing students to refer to the prescribed NCERT textbooks and other approved materials while answering exam questions. The OBE assessment is based on taking the focus away from memorisation and developing critical thinking in students.

• Institutions like Delhi University (DU) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU) already implement OBEs for their semester examinations.

No Open Book Exams for Classes 10th and 12th

The board has decided against incorporating Classes 10th and 12th from the OBE system. Mentioned below are some of the details:

• The governing body of CBSE had initially approved the OBE plan for all secondary classes (Classes 9 to 12) in December 2023. However, the board has decided to pilot the program only for Classes 9 and 11 in the 2024-25 academic year.

• CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta mentioned that CBSE aims to integrate competency-based assessments through the OBE model. "Year on year, we have been increasing the weightage of competency-based questions to make a shift from rote learning to critical thinking".

• The long-term goal of the OBE system is to ensure that up to 50% of questions in Classes 10 and 12 exams are competency-based. However, the board has not mentioned when the OBE system will be implemented for Classes 10th and 12th.

Why Classes 10 and 12 Are Excluded from the Pilot?

• Although the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023 recommended open book tests for higher secondary classes, CBSE has chosen to exclude Classes 10 and 12 from the pilot project for now.

• CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta has clarified that the pilot will initially involve only a limited number of schools. "It has now been decided that the OBE will be piloted for Classes 9 and 11. There will be no OBE in Classes 10 and 12. For this year, the pilot will be conducted in a few schools. In the 2025-26 academic year, it will be a larger pilot," Gupta stated.

Subjects Included in the OBE Pilot

CBSE’s curriculum committee had initially recommended open-book assessments in six subjects. However, with the scope of the pilot now limited to Classes 9 and 11, the exact subjects for this trial have not yet been finalised. Check the details of the subjects to be included in the pilot as mentioned before:

• Classes 9 and 10: English, Science, and Mathematics

• Classes 11 and 12: English, Mathematics, and Biology

Objectives of the OBE Pilot

The pilot program will evaluate several factors to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of the CBSE open-book exams:

• OBE may allow better time management skills in students. The pilot program will assess how long students take to complete OBE assessments.

• The OBE pilot initiative will determine whether OBEs are more appropriate for formative or summative evaluations.

• The OBE Pilot project will also gather opinions from students, teachers, and parents about the new assessment model.

CBSE to Hold Board Exams Twice a Year?

• The Central Board of Secondary Education is set to transform its board examination system beginning in the 2025-26 academic year. According to various media reports, it is likely that CBSE will conduct the CBSE Class 10 exams and CBSE Class 12 exams twice a year starting from 2025-26. Students and teachers are eagerly anticipating further details about this new bi-annual exam system.

• The new format of conducting board exams twice a year will apply to Class 10 and Class 12 students across all CBSE-affiliated schools. This approach aims to alleviate the pressure on students by providing them with two opportunities to perform, thereby reducing stress associated with a single examination.

• To read complete details on the CBSE board examination twice a year, click on the link provided.

Truth about CBSE Syllabus Reduction for 2025 Board Exams

• Various media portals claimed that CBSE has reduced the upcoming board exam syllabus by 15%. However, in the recently released official notice, the CBSE Board has refuted against deduction in the syllabus.

• The Board also clarified that it will not hold Open Book Exams for Classes 10th and 12th in the earlier proposed subjects.

• Students awaiting the latest news on any decision regarding the OBE system will have to wait till next year when the CBSE board may announce Classes 10th and 12th to be part of the OBE pilot project.

• The board also clarified that no changes in the internal assessment pattern have been made. Students can read the complete truth on CBSE syllabus reduction here.

• Students are advised to download the latest CBSE 2025 syllabus from the official website, cbseacademic.nic.in and prepare for the board exams.

Also, Check:

• CBSE Board Exam Schedule 2025