CBSE’s open book exam plan
Context:
- Recently the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has proposed a pilot study to check the feasibility of open book exams for Classes 9 to 12.
- The pilot project will be held in select schools in November-December for subjects like English, Mathematics and Science for Classes 9 and 10, and English, Mathematics and Biology for Classes 11 and 12.
- The CBSE has proposed this form of assessment based on the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) which was released last year.
- Through this pilot project, the Board aims to study the time taken by students to complete such tests and also to gather feedback of teachers and students.
About open book exam:
- Open book exam (OBE) is a type of exam in which students are allowed to refer to their books and notes to answer questions.
- OBEs can be classified into two types which are either of a restricted type or a free type.
- In a restricted open book assessment or exam only the study material approved by the exam-conducting authority is allowed during the exam.
- But in a free type students can bring any material they find relevant to the exam.
- Unlike a closed book exam, the test questions in OBEs are structured in a way that students have to apply multiple concepts, instead of just copying information from the available material or material that they have brought.
- These tests aim to test whether a student understands the big picture and can apply analytical skills on the concepts learnt.
Is this a new concept for Indian students?
- It is important to note that contrary to popular assumption open-book exams are not a new idea in India.
- In 2014, CBSE had introduced an Open Text Based Assessment (OBTA) with the motive to relieve the students from the burden of mugging up, and acquire skills of information processing.
- Back in the year 2014 OTBA was introduced in Class 9 for Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science, and final examination of Class 11 in subjects such as Economics, Biology and Geography.
- Students were allowed to refer to learning material which was provided to them four months ahead of the exam.
- The Board, however, discontinued the practice in the 2017-18 academic year, due of its inability to cultivate “critical abilities” among students.
- In higher education, Open Book Exams are fairly common.
- In 2019, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) allowed open book exams in engineering colleges which is based on the recommendation of an advisory body.
- During the pandemic, several Central universities which include Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Aligarh Muslim University conducted an open book test to assess students.
- IIT Delhi, IIT Indore and IIT Bombay also conducted online Open Book Exams.
- More recently, Kerala’s higher education exam reforms commission also recommended the open book format, but only for internal or practical examinations.
Are these exams easier?
- It is against the popular belief that open book assessments are actually not easier than the traditional form of examination.
- They are designed to test learning beyond the facts and definitions.
- Setting up questions for an open book exam can be a challenge also for the teachers as, unlike a traditional exam, the questions cannot be direct.
Research data about open book exams:
- According to a 2021 study which was conducted among medical students of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, open book exams have the benefit of being less stressful.
- A pilot study which was published in Cambridge University Press, was performed to check the feasibility and acceptability of online open-book examination in 2020.
- The study concluded that among the 98 students, 21.4% failed and nearly 78.6% passed.
- The report noted that only 55 students volunteered to give feedback; most agreed that the best advantage of this assessment was that it was stress-free.
- The disadvantage most students complained of was network connectivity issues during the exam.
- A 2021 study conducted by Dhananjay Ashri and Bibhu P Sahoo on the use of open book exams for the students of DU stated that even though mean marks scored by the students in an OBE is higher than in a closed book exam, the university did not focus on developing the skills which are required for a student to crack an OBE.
- Another study conducted by Nirma University’s Nitin Pillai and Mamta Pillai, published in June 2022, stressed on the need to train students on how to write an open book exam and developing the necessary skills of analysing concepts to get the benefits of Open Book Exams.
Why has CBSE proposed the open book exam now?
- The CBSE’s proposal of open book exams falls in line with the larger reforms planned in the school education system.
- While there is no mention of the open book examination in the National Education Policy 2020, one of the primary reforms NEP suggests is transition from rote memorisation to competency-based learning.
- For example, a student should be able to not just learn the concept of photosynthesis but also able to demonstrate the process and the impact of sunlight on plants through a practical project.
- Similarly, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education also highlights the need to reform the current assessment process.
- The NCF SC also suggests assessments which can accommodate different learning styles of students, provide constructive feedback, and also support learning outcomes.