Now Board Exam is optional for Secondary Schools too

From this year onwards the students studying in CBSE schools (running classes upto class 10 only) need not to give external board exam for taking admission in any other CBSE school. Students who have to switch schools after Class X no longer need to sit for the exam as senior secondary schools have been told to accept their internal exam scores based on continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE). The exams will be mandatory only for those who wish to opt for another board. The decision is likely to affect over 3.5 lakh students across 4,000 secondary schools in the country.

According to sources in the CBSE, the new policy decision will be effective from 2013. In 2012, of 8.29 lakh students, only 30% appeared for the Class X board exams. The move is likely to bring down the number to 20%. The landmark decision to make board exams optional was announced in 2009 and implemented in 2010 in senior secondary schools (till Class XII). The exams were compulsory only for those students who needed to change schools or boards.

“Students from secondary schools can now take admission in a senior secondary school affiliated to CBSE based on their internal CCE exams. Only those students who would like to change boards after Class X have to sit for boards,” said CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi.

The move is aimed at standardizing CCE results across schools. “It always takes time for people to accept new things. In two years, the percentage of students opting for school-based exams has witnessed a rise. We are expecting it to increase further,” said Joshi.

On being asked whether the move would make senior secondary schools apprehensive about accepting internal scores, Joshi said all schools have to abide by the policy decision.

“The final results – of both external and school-based exams – are evaluated and declared by the Board, so there should be no issue. All schools should accept each others’ results,” added Joshi.

In 2012, of 11.79 lakh Class X students around 3.5 lakh took the board exams as they had to change schools. Of the rest 8.29 lakh students, 5.89 lakh appeared for the internal exams.