CBSE exams 2024: Board plans open book tests for Classes 9,12. What is it, how will it be done, all the details

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be testing open book exams for Classes 9 to 12, a pilot exercise that will be held in select schools in the November-December period. 

Open book exams will cover subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science for Classes 9 and 10, and English, Mathematics and Biology for Classes 11 and 12. 

With this test, proposed last year, the CBSE wants to ascertain the time taken by students to complete such tests and gather feedback. Delhi University is helping the Board with the pilot test, which will be reportedly be ready by June.

What is open book exam?

Students are allowed to refer to their books and notes to answer questions. There are two types of open book exams  -- free and restricted. 

Restricted will allow students to use material approved by the exam-conducting authority while in free they can use any material they deem relevant.

Students will be encouraged to apply concepts, instead of just copying information from the available material. 

The idea is to cultivate critical abilities among students.

Where else is open book conducted?

Covid saw several universities such as Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Aligarh Muslim University conducting open book test. 

Why open book exam now?

The pilot is aligned with larger reforms planned in the school education system. National Curriculum Framework for School Education highlights the need to reform the current assessment process, which is at its best “focused on measuring rote learning” and at its worst “creates fear”.