CBSE to use advanced data analytics to ensure safe and fair exams

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will use advanced Data Analytics to ensure safety and fairness of examinations conducted by the board.

Data analytics will help strengthen the reliability of the National Achievement Survey (NAS), Central Teachers Eligibility Test (CTET) and board examinations conducted by CBSE, the board has said.

Besides appointing observers at exam centres, the board will also use advanced data analytics to detect cases/centres where there is a high probability of recourse to unfair means during examinations.

“Conduct of examinations has to be carried out in a standardised and fair manner. While all efforts are being made to prevent use of unfair means practices during conduct of examinations in physical terms through monitoring by appointing external observers/flying squads and use of CCTV, CBSE has decided further to improve upon it by using advanced data analytics to detect cases/centres while there is a high probability of recourse to unfair means during examinations,” said a CBSE circular issued on November 9.

A pilot analysis was done on January 2021 CTET examination data, in collaboration with Central Square Foundation (CSF) and Playpower Labs, to develop algorithms to identify suspicious data patterns at the centre and the individual test-taker level. Based on the analysis results and the algorithms developed, CBSE has decided that such analysis will be extended to other examinations.

“CBSE will use advanced data analytics to detect, respond and, therefore, in the long run, prevent any irregularities in academic testing across all major CBSE administered exams in the country,” the circular added.

CBSE aims to identify examination centres where the data indicates the existence of malpractices during the conduct of examinations. Post this, appropriate measures can be taken by CBSE to strengthen the reliability of the examinations and to prevent any such malpractices in future.