New approach: CBSE students come out of school

Students will not have to wake up early morning to mug up formulae any more.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has devised an amendment in its question paper pattern. It plans to have formulae loaded in the question papers for classes IX and XII. This question paper reform has been taken to prevent rote learning and to make it more application-based.

An open text-based assessment had been introduced from 2013-14 for classes IX and XI as part of the CBSE question paper reforms. Now, this would be extended to classes X and XII from 2014-15.

Elaborating on the plan, DAV BSEB (affiliated to CBSE) principal Ramanuj Prasad said: “A three-member subject committee was set up to prepare innovative question papers, where important formulae would be included. The idea struck senior CBSE officials after the evaluation of the feedback forms submitted by students and parents. The question papers would mostly be application-based and would not ask students to show formula derivations. For science and commerce students, the formulae would be provided on the question paper to make it an easy attempt.

Under the present system, the question papers are divided into four sections. Section A comprises 10 multiple choice questions of 1 mark each, while sections B, C and D carry subjective questions of 2, 3 and 4 marks respectively. The question paper comprises 34 questions but no formula is printed on it.

“The question papers of last slot (term) examination of Class IX and pre-boards of classes X and XI would have formulae written on the back. Class XII students would be able to avail of the facility from the 2015-2016 session,” said principal Ramanuj.

“CBSE’s move to encourage more of technical learning than rote learning is commendable. Students have to mug up many formulae, which confuse them. When the formulae would be available in question papers, they would just have to use their knowledge and skill to solve the sums. Students would be free from memorising the formulae and be able to focus on quality education more,” said Sanjay Joseph, a mathematics faculty at St. Michael’s High School. “Now, I would be able to solve questions accurately within limited time,” Aarushi, Class X, Radiant International School.