Easier Board Exams For Students: CBSE Increases Optional Questions By 33 Per Cent; MCQs Also In Offing

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has increased the number of optional questions in board exam patterns to ensure students attempt the complete paper, the Times of India reports.

A recent CBSE report highlighted the features and new initiatives for the 2019 board exams question paper pattern format with 33 per cent internal choices to students, and give them a chance to increase their marks.

A CBSE official said the multiple-choice questions (MCQs) could assess higher order thinking skills (HOTS) along with understanding and application of knowledge. He said, “CBSE is introducing a fixed percentage of multiple choice questions to increase the objectivity of assessment and also to improve the quality of evaluation”.

The questions would incidentally be spread across the syllabus, thereby resulting in better coverage of all chapters. The paper would also contain long form questions.

Former Principal of Delhi Public School (DPS), Shayama Chona said, “I have spoken to a few principals, and they are very pleased with 33 per cent extra internal choices. The report also says that consideration will be given to creative answers, in which case there is no doubt that these changes are in the best interests of the students.”

Chona adds that teachers correcting papers according to the sample answers in every subject would face an issue and there would be a need for creative teachers to understand the difference.