The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is poised to release the schedule for Class 10 and 12 board examinations shortly. The exams are anticipated to commence in February 2024 and conclude in April, aligning with the board’s recent trend of early-year examinations. According to a prior report by PTI on X, the exams are expected to start on February 15, 2024. This marks a return to the board’s practice of starting exams in mid-February, a shift from the schedules of previous years when exams were held from May to June in 2021 and from late April to late May in 2022.
The forthcoming board exams will adhere to the traditional pen-and-paper format. The CBSE will release a separate date sheet specifically for practical exams. For Class 12, practical examinations will be supervised by an external examiner visiting schools. In contrast, Class 10 practical exams will be conducted with the presence of school teachers alone.
The new date sheet will outline the exam days, dates, timings, and general instructions for students, ensuring clarity and preparedness. Meanwhile, the CBSE is contemplating a shift towards a semester system, which would involve conducting board exams biannually. This proposal is part of ongoing consultations and has not yet been finalized. If implemented, this would mark a significant departure from the current annual examination system.
The initial plan proposed by the Union education ministry aimed to introduce biannual exams starting from the 2024-25 academic session. However, this implementation has been deferred by a year. The new National Curriculum Framework (NCF), developed under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and prepared by the Union government-appointed national steering committee led by former ISRO chairman K. Kasturirangan, envisions this change. The semester system is proposed for Classes 11 and 12, aiming to streamline the examination process and better align with the evolving educational needs.
As the CBSE prepares to unveil the detailed schedule, students and educators are awaiting further instructions on the examination format and dates. The potential transition to a biannual system signifies a major shift in the examination landscape, reflecting the CBSE’s efforts to modernize and adapt to contemporary educational practices.
