What is CBSE's new open book exam plan? How will it affect the students?

It seems as if the Central Board of Secondary is all set to bring about new changes in the educational system. An experimental study is what the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) aims to conduct for Classes 9 to 12. The purpose of this study is to assess the possibility of open-book exams for these classes.

The experiment will begin in the months of November and December in schools. The subjects for which open book tests will be introduced for classes 9 and 10 are Mathematics, Science, and English. In the case of Classes 11 and 12, the open book test experiment will be conducted for Biology, Mathematics, and English. It is on the basis of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) that CBSE has brought forward this type of assessment.

Understanding an open book exam

As the name suggests, in an open-book exam, the students are permitted to refer to their notes, textbooks, or other study material to answer the questions asked in the exam.

There can be two types of Open Book Exams. In the first one, only study material that is approved by the authority conducting the exam will be permitted at the time of the exam. This type of open-book exam is often referred to as a restricted type.

The second type of an open book exam is the one where students are permitted to bring the study material of their choice that they think would be helpful in solving the questions in the examination.

Now, it is important to note that in an open-book exam, the questions are usually designed in such a way that the students are required to apply the concepts in their textbooks in a smart manner. The purpose behind an open book exam is usually to test if the students have understood how to apply the concepts taught at the right places or not.

Why has CBSE assented to the concept of open-book exams?

There are many large reforms that are planned to change the school education system for the better. One of the key reforms that the National Education Policy 2020 aims to bring about competency-based learning. This means that the aim behind such reforms is to replace rote learning with a comprehensive understanding of the concepts, enabling the students to apply the concepts in the real world.

Will open-book exams make examinations easier for students?

The very thought of an open-book examination brings about this assumption that such exams are easier and less time-consuming to attempt. Many believe that in an open-book examination, students only have to copy and write the answers mentioned in the study material as it is onto their answer sheets. However, this assumption is far from true. Open book examinations can be tough, as they do not demand direct copy-pasted answers, but challenge the students to apply the concepts beyond definitions and facts mentioned in their textbooks. In an open-book examination, the questions will not be as direct as they are in traditional examinations.

Therefore, it is safe to say that making the students prepared for such examinations and setting questions for such examinations is not going to be easy for the teachers as well.