CBSE's 'Open Book Exam' Concept Needs Implementation

The "Open Book Exam", concept has been introduced by CBSE for classes 10 and 12 from next year. The CBSE had also, in the recent past, introduced assessment reforms like the "School-based assessment system" and "Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE)".

This new concept does not exactly allow students to carry text books inside the exam halls but will inform them in advance of four months about the chapters and paragraphs from which analytical question would be asked in the exam.

The Experts warns to seek proper training for teachers. The CBSE's 'Open Book Exam' concept have been accepted by the Schools affiliated to CBSE.

The Principals of the city schools under CBSE have welcomed the concept but the academicians have also warned that students and schools are being made to deal with 'Too many changes, too soon'. They in-fact said that Planned Implementation, with adequate training to teachers, is the key for making it a success.

According to the CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi, it would test the 'Higher order thinking skills' (HOTS) of students beside helping them to stop relaying on a rote-based methodology. He said "It would be a Pre-Announced Test (PAT), where the questions asked will not be simple and straight-forward, instead they will frame it in a way that will test a student's analytical skills".

Many Principals of CBSE schools said the concept was aimed at correcting the "Wrongs in the system". Deepshikha Srivastava, the Principal of Rajhans Vidhalaya that introduced the open book concept last year in class 11, said the proposal would work if the teachers are first trained and acquainted with the assessment system.