NCERT has a bold plan: Let’s hold Board exams online and on-demand

If this proposal by the National Council of Educational Research and Training goes through, students appearing for board exams may soon be able to take the tests online

If this proposal by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) goes through, students appearing for board exams may soon be able to take the tests online, even getting to choose the dates as per their convenience.

This is part of the reform strategy aimed at “reducing exam stress” , proposed by the NCERT’s Department of Educational Measurement and Evaluation (DEME). The DEME is set to discuss the issue with different educational bodies like the CBSE, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya and state boards at an annual meet in Delhi later this year.

“The format will be like GRE, GMAT and TOEFL, so that students are better prepared while undergoing minimum stress,” said a senior NCERT official.

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The “exam-on-demand” programme also promises to eliminate chances of human error, as the marking process will be computerised. The officials are looking at the feasibility of providing instant scores too.

According to the proposal, students appearing for the Class X board exams can take the individual papers any time before the start of their next academic session. Those appearing for the Class XII boards can appear for the tests in accordance with their college plans.

“The larger benefit here will accrue to those students living in remote areas of the country, who may have their houses washed away in floods and other calamities. An additional advantage is that teachers know what their students are going through at the local level and can thus advise and guide them accordingly,” said NCERT spokesperson Bishnu Charan Singh.

The online questionnaire framed by the respective boards will be updated regularly. While schools which have computer facilities may hold the exams in their premises, those in rural areas can be linked to a nearby computer resource centre.