How much are students really learning beyond just rote memorisation? To address this, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has decided to evaluate merit based learning in examinations going forward. The council has already initiated the process.
Subject wise 'Competency Focused' question booklets are already being dispatched to ICSE and ISC schools. These booklets contain guidelines for merit based questions. According to the council's regulations, from 2025 onwards, the council will set 25 per cent subject wise marks for this merit based evaluation.
This new system aims to enhance analytical merit while helping teachers familiarise themselves with the 'Competency Focused' exam format. Further, the question bank, created by subject matter experts, provides guidelines on question formulation and teaching strategies for classroom instruction.
The objective of the subject oriented 'Competency Focused' question item banks is to assist teachers in preparing question papers without difficulty. The structure of short multiple choice questions and explanatory questions is clearly outlined.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises the importance of students' understanding and application of relevant subjects in real life, alongside moral education. Consequently, CISCE is prioritising this type of assessment.
These 'Competency Focused' question booklets for four subjects—Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and History—have already been distributed to CISCE schools. Schools are expected to implement item bank question papers in all subjects within the next month. Additionally, students can access these materials directly from the council's website.