An article on CCE system of CBSE X

CBSE has brought out Examination reforms to strengthen the educational system and introduced Comprehensive
Continuous Evaluation (CCE) system for std. IX and X. This is a school based evaluation system rather than the currently
followed external examination. The questions arises in each student/ parent’s mind is what is the necessarily for the change
in the system and what is the drawback of previous system? Universal Tutorials has brought out this article for the benefit of
parents and students.

In the earlier pattern of CBSE X, students’ learning skill was evaluated by the CBSE board examination conducted at the
end of Std..X.

Draw backs of the old system:

i) One single examination evaluates a student’s learning skill of an entire year.

ii) The examination answer papers were corrected by different examiners and there exists the possibility of
examiner’s bias in the evaluation.

iii) In the old system, the students did not have ample time to carry out experimental learning in class room.

iv) Other skills are not evaluated.

The Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation system introduced is aimed at evaluating performance on regular basis
throughout the year on scholastic, co–scholastic areas. The evaluation is on three parts,

Part 1 will consist of evaluation of academic performance of the learner in class IX & X. Two types of evaluation process are
to be followed,

I. Formative assessment:

i) This is used continuously by the teacher to monitor the student’s progress in a supportive environment.

ii) Ii)In formative assessment more emphasize should be given to other methods instead of written examination.
These include quizzes, interviews, conversations, visual testing, oral testing, projects, practical and assignments. Schools
are also advised to conduct more than 2 such assessments in a term and take the best of two out of them. Thus a more
interactive mode of learning process and evaluation is advised.

II. Summative assessment:

i) This assessment is in the form of written test conducted by the schools themselves at the end of each term.

ii) In order to ensure standardization and uniformity, the board will provide question bank, solutions and marking
scheme to schools. There will also random verification of the assessment procedures followed by the schools by the board
officials or nominees.

Details of number of terms per year, type and no. of assessments to be done and their weight age are as shown,

Standard Percentage of
Type of weightage in
Term Term – wise weightage Total % in a year
Assessment Academic
session
IX 1 FA I 10% FA– 1+2=20% Formative = 40%
 FA 2 10%
(April – SA 1 20% SA– 1 =20%
Sept.)
Summative = 60%
2 FA 3 10%
FA- 3+4=20%
FA 4 10%
Total 100%
(Oct. –
SA 2 40% SA- 2=40%
March)
X 1 FA 5 10%
FA– 5+6=20%
FA 6 10% Formative = 40%
(April –
SA 3 20% SA– 3 =20%
Sept.)
Summative = 60%
2 FA 7 10%
FA- 7+8=20%
FA 8 10%
Total 100%
(Oct. –
SA 4 40% SA- 4=40%
March)

It can be seen that there will be 2 terms in an academic year. Each term will have 2 formative and 1 summative
assessments for evaluation of scholastic areas.

The assessment marks will not be given but a nine grades will be given. The details of the same and its merits and demerits
are discussed in “Will grade system affect me?” You may go through the same for a detailed discussion and information.

A comprehensive certificate for Std. IX & X together will be issued by the board at thee end of Std. X.

Part II will assess co–scholastic areas that include Life–skills, attitudes and values. A five point grading scale for life–skills
and three point grading foe attitudes and values will be followed.

Part III consists of co–scholastic activities that include participation in library, scientific, aesthetic, club activities and health &
Physical Education. A three point grading will be followed for all these areas for assessing the students.

Advantages:

i) The learning is assessed by 12 assessments instead of 1 examination as in the old system. This will give a
true assessment of the student and doing one assessment will not affect overall performance of the student.

ii) CCE addresses holistic assessment of a learner, wherein co–scholastic areas and co–curricular activities are
also taken into account in the evaluation process, if implemented properly.
 CBSE REFORMS GET THUMBS UP

Parents, Teachers & Students Hope Radical Evaluation Measures Will Usher In Fairer System

Call it the second wave of reforms in education. Earlier this year, Kapil Sibal took the country by surprise
when he proposed making board exams optional. The CBSE board took the suggestion, making board exams
optional from 2011 and replacing them by a continuous, comprehensive evaluation (CCE) in classes IX and
X.

Now, implementation of the CCE promises to be as radical as the proposal itself. In addition to academics,
students will be graded on sports, physical fitness and life skills. They will be given three attempts to pass
Classes IX and X. If they still dont pass, performance in other spheres, such as extra-curricular activities,
will be taken into account. Why should students failure or success depend solely on their performance in a
threehour exam paper asked a CBSE board official . The new system is flexible. A child who is not good with
written answers can be tested orally, added the official.

Arnav Singh Bisht, a student at RN Podar School, Santa Cruz, gives the new system a thumbs up. The
Indian education system is centred around academics. While Harvard and MIT take into account a students
extracurricular activities as well as activities like a science project, when it comes to the IITs, students are
only tested on their performance at the JEE. The new system will take into account a students growth in all
areas of life and bring the joy back to childhood, he feels.

Many feel allowing students to give teachers feedback on assessment in test papers will make the system
more transparent. A teacher may have made a mistake while correcting a paper, or missed out marking an
answer. Students feedback is always valuable, feels Aditi Mishra, principal of DPS Gurgaon. The equations
between teachers and students are now changing. Teachers no longer need to prove to their students they
are always right, says Avnita Bir, principal of RN Podar School.

Delhi University professor Anita Rampal feels the new system may be good news, but wonders, What
methods will be used to assess extra-curricular activities The CBSE board also plans to set Class IX and X
first and second-term papers to standardise their level. Neha Chavan, parent of a Class IX student at
Rajhans Vidyalaya, Andheri, likes the idea of standardised papers, but is sceptical of the new system that
allows some students to appear for a board exam while others dont .

ICSE board spokesperson Gerry Arathoon says the ICSE board and state boards were adopting a wait-and-
watch policy . The CBSE board is trying out something new, we will see how it works. Hemlata Parasnis,
former head of the education department at SNDT University, feels the new system will not work in
overcrowded classrooms: Assessing kids on overall development sounds great, but has to be sustained over
time.

Class IX papers by Board

In addition to the Class X exams, the CBSE board will now set papers for the two Class IX first & second
terms. The board wants to ensure the level of the Class IX paper is the same in all schools across the
country. Moreover, with board exams set to become optional from 2011, there will now be a system of
continuous comprehensive evaluation in Classes IX and X. While we have given schools full autonomy and
freedom on assessing students for Classes IX and X, we do not want students to lose out because of non-
uniformity in the Class IX papers from one school to the next, said a CBSE board official. The Class X first
and second term papers will also be set by the CBSE board. It will frame around 15-20 sets of Class IX and
X papers. A school will receive one of these sets at random, based on a unique system of bar codes.
Assessment for these papers will be done by the school

Scope to score with sports, health & attitude

Earlier, scoring the highest marks in an examination was the sole objective of a secondary school students
existence. But now thanks to the set of new rules, making the grade will be a participation in physical
activities, such as football and yoga, as well as their participation in extra-curricular activities such as music
and dance. Kids will also be graded on attitude and personality. So an unhealthy junk-food addict, who does
little exercise and studies the whole day, may find his grades a trifle lower than expected, despite straight
As . If a student is mean and competitive and treats his classmates with scant respect, itll also show in his
grades whole new ball game. The new system of continuous and comprehensive evaluation in Classes XI
and X, which will replace the CBSE board exam, will grade students on their

Students to give feedback for answer scripts

Are you unhappy with your board exam marks Do you think theres a chance you were not assessed fairly in
a particular subject Or maybe an examiner forgot to mark you on a question Classes IX and X replacing the
CBSE board exams, students will now be shown their corrected assignments and tests. They will be allowed
to give teachers feedback on the assessment. Teachers will now have to justify the marks they give for a
particular subject. Only after taking into consideration a students views on the marks he has received, will
the child be given the final grade for the subject. Many feel this brings more transparency in the system
Much has been written about whether or not students should get to see their corrected board exam papers.
With a system of continuous comprehensive evaluation in

Three lifelines to pass

In addition to a child-friendly curriculum and methods of education, the CBSE board is working on creating a
childfriendly system of promotions as well. If a Class IX or X student does not make the grade at the end of
the year, the child will be given three attempts to pass. For example, if a child does not clear Class IX in
March-April , the school can have an assessment test during the vacation. If the child fails the first
assessment test, he can be administered a second test a fortnight later, and a third one a fortnight after the
second. If a student fails in all three tests, a student may be allowed to clear the year based on his
performance in extra-curricular activities. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) says activities other
than academics, such as music or sports should not be looked at as extracurricular , but part of the
curriculum. Educationists say passing a child based on his overall performance in all spheres is a step
towards implementing NCF guidelines

Smarter take tougher tests

A lot has been written on the need for child-friendly education that caters to all students, especially those
who are poor in studies. But what happens to a student who is brilliant at, say, mathematics, and does not
find the curriculum, and the exam papers, challenging enough In addition to the continuous comprehensive
evaluation in Classes IX and X, students who want to test their higher order thinking skills can now opt for a
proficiency test in a subject of their choice. This proficiency test will involve very difficult questions, at the
level of a science Olympiad

One report to say it all

Report cards, have, for long, reflected the views and opinions of teachers, with no space for what a child
feels. But the brand new CBSE report card, that combines a childs score in Classes IX and X, will reflect
students views and perspectives in a section titled Self Awareness, where students will have to outline their
goals and strengths and enlist their hobbies and interests. They will also have to mention the sports they
play, as well as any exceptional achievement or responsibilities discharged.
Most of us have grown up in India in the traditional format of mugging up at the end of the term
and appearing for an examination where you have to spew out all that you have studied through
the year.

This will soon change for CBSE students.

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) approved a decision on 31st August, 2009 to
implement CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation). In simple words, it means that
exams will become optional for Class X CBSE students from academic year 2010-11 onwards.

CABE is the apex education advisory body consisting of all state education ministers,
independent educationists and key central ministers. In their meeting, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Education
Minister, managed to get a broad consensus on education reforms, including making exams
optional.

Under the CCE system, students will be evaluated throughout the academic year, consisting of
two terms and there will be a formative assessment and summative assessment.

Formative assessment will include continuous assessment throughout the year. It will evaluate
class work, homework, assignment and project work. There will be two evaluations in each term
and each evaluation will carry 10 marks.

Summative assessment will require students to appear for exams at the end of each term. The
first term exam will carry 20 marks and the second term exam will carry 40 marks. Students of
class IX and X will be evaluated on a nine point grading system. Each grade will correspond to a
range of marks:

Grade Marks

A1 95 and above

A2 90 to 94

A3 85 to 89

B1 80 to 84

B2 70 to 79

C1 60 to 69

C2 50 to 59

C3 33 to 49
D Less than 33

Students will also get grades for their co-scholastic and learning skills.

The option of grading in Class X instead of Board exams will be available only to students who
will continue in the same school in Class XI.

So, does this move of optional exams for Class X students of CBSE augur well for the education
system in India?

Yes, it does.

There is serious need for reform in the Indian education system. Giving flexibility to students to
appear for exams is really a great first step.

The need to reduce exam related stress on students has been a long-standing demand of many
educationists. In fact, a method of continuous assessment is far superior to a year-end
examination.

Acceptance of this reform by CABE and all State education ministers is a big victory for Kapil
Sibal. Making exams optional for Class X students of CBSE was stated by Kapil Sibal in his 100
day plan when he took over as the Union Education Minister. One of the big challenges that
schools will face is the transition from a year end exam to a continuous assessment. With the
large number of students in the school system, a year-end exam does have a fair bit of
objectivity. A system of continuous assessment through the year does have the vulnerability of
being subjective.

Whilst Kapil Sibal may have pulled off a coup of sorts by getting consensus on making exams
optional for CBSE students of Class X, will other Boards follow suit?

After I wrote the BLOG last week on the issue of optional exams for CBSE students, I have been
discussing this with many friends.

One of my friends from Delhi had an interesting comment to make. He said that this concept was
good in theory, but how will it really pan out in the real world? Will the student be at the mercy
of the teacher? How will the student know that the grades are objective? Will it increase his
servility to the teacher? Isn’t he entitled to take a test and compete equally with his peers?

This got me thinking…

As a society, we have been obsessed with exam percentages. This has happened due to the
problem of sheer numbers. On the one hand, there is an acute shortage of good higher
educational institutions driving up a huge demand for limited seats and concomitantly, higher
percentages for entry. On the other, the number of students is so large that an examination
system seemed to be the only clean, objective method of measurement — a standardized test of a
child’s intelligence.
Another dimension is the impact across various strata of society. Is cut-throat competition for
getting that extra mark a middle-class phenomenon? Do they see exam results and the ensuing
entry into the best institutions for higher learning as the panacea towards upward mobility in
society? The answer to both the questions is “Yes”.

Then, how do you convince these folks that they need not worry about exams? Will they feel that
the concept of “no exams” is non-practical? And, will it blunt a child’s competitive spirit?

So, what are the challenges of the new system of grading?

• Re-orientation of teachers and parents. Both will need to adapt to the new system of
learning and grading. The vicious circle of the need for high marks and exams will have
to be broken with an attitudinal change.
• Uniform applicability across all schools. While some CBSE schools may adapt to this,
others may not. Government schools, in particular, are struggling with far more pressing
issues of salary payments, infrastructure etc. Shouldn’t they focus on these issues, rather
than grapple with a new grading system?
• Preventing nepotism: This problem may happen in the implementation of the grading
system. Parents will really have no option but to accept the teacher’s diktat. A proper
redressal method should be evolved at the school level.

The grading system for CBSE will have many teething problems. However, if it is executed
carefully by schools, it can really make a big difference in the alleviation of academic pressure
on students.

I will end my BLOG post with a quote by William B. Yeats “Education is not the filling of a
pail, but the lighting of a fire”.

Hopefully, the grading system will end up “lighting the fire” in a CBSE student!