F.

1001/CBSE/Dir(Acad)/2019 March 6, 2019

Circular No. Acad-11/2019

All Heads of CBSE affiliated schools

Subject: Strengthening Assessment and Evaluation Practices of the Board.

As we focus our attention on ‘what our students are learning’ alongwith ‘the skill sets they
are acquiring’, it becomes imperative to strengthen current Assessment and Evaluation
Practices and align them to the future requirements of the learners. The Board has always
stressed that its students must acquire the skills of critical thinking, problem solving,
analyzing information, collaboration, effective communication, developing curiosity and
imagination as part of the learning process. You are also aware that the Board continues to
make small changes in the assessment and evaluation practices almost every year to
eventually reach the goal of achieving the aforementioned skills for all its students.
Report card of the National Assessment Survey (2017-18) has indicated that the
performance of CBSE class X students in Mathematics, Science, Social Science, English
and Modern Indian Language is 52%, 51%, 53%, 58% and 62% respectively. Although this
competency-based survey places the CBSE students above the national average, it
indicates that there is ample scope for improvement in their performance.
Further, the decision by MHRD to participate in PISA (Programme for International Student
Assessment) in 2021, has given even more impetus to the requirement of aligning the
Board’s assessment system to future requirements. It may also be mentioned here, that
since the Board has made it mandatory for all its affiliated schools to adopt the Learning
Outcomes vide circular dated 18.01.2019, it is a necessity now that ‘assessment of learning’
must be augmented with ‘assessment as learning’ and ‘assessment for learning’.
In view of above, countrywide consultations were held with CBSE stake holders including
teachers, students, heads of Institutions and experts in the field to suggest ways to
strengthen the Assessment and Evaluation Practices of the Board. It was agreed upon that
the School Based /Internal Assessment needs to be strengthened by incorporating more
diverse strategies. Further, there is need of exposing the students to different types and
formats of questions in the year end/Board examination, so that a large range of learning
outcomes can be assessed. Based on this, following few changes are proposed in the
Assessment and Examination practices for the year 2019-20 onwards. As the next
academic session (2019-20) is going to start from April 2019 onwards, hence a summary
view of the proposed changes in Internal Assessment and Year End/ Board Examinations
are hereby informed in advance.

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The changes proposed for IX-X (2019-20) are as under:

Classes IX- X
Existing Proposed

Maximum marks
100 No Change
per subject :
Types of  Internal Assessment
assessment  Year End/Board Examination
 School Based Assessment of Co-
scholastic Areas (Art Education,
No Change
Health and Physical Education
including Work Experience ,
Discipline)
Marks Internal Assessment : Year End/Board
distribution Examination No Change
20:80

Internal Assessment
Existing Proposed
Periodic Test Periodic Assessment
Periodic Test 10 marks Pen Paper Test 5 marks
(Pen Paper Test) Multiple
Assessment
strategies to be 5 marks
used.
(quizzes, oral test,
concept map, exit
cards, visual
Components of expression etc.)
Internal Notebook 5 marks Portfolio 5 marks
Assessment (Class work) (Classwork plus
peer assessment,
self -assessment,
achievements of
student in the
subject,
reflections,
narrations,
journals, etc)
Subject 5 marks Subject 5 marks
Enrichment - enrichment
consisting of  Social Science
aspects like Project Work
Practical work for  No changes in
Science; other subjects
Labwork for
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 Mathematics;
Map work &
Project Work for
Social Science
and Listening
and Speaking
skills for
languages, etc.

Board Examination/ Year-end Examination

Board Existing Proposed
Examination
Marks Marks 80 No change
Duration 3 hours No change
Internal Choice 33% No change
Components of Short Answer/Long Answer Objective type 20 marks
Board (Objective as well as Subjective) including Multiple (This is
examination Choice Questions already
paper incorporated
in 2019
Board Exams
in many
subjects)
Subjective – 60 marks
number of
questions will be
reduced to enable
student to have
enough time to
give analytical and
creative
responses.
School Based Assessment of Co-scholastic Areas (Work Experience, Art Education, Health &
Physical Education Discipline)
Assessment of Existing Proposed
Co-scholastic
areas  Internally Assessed No change
 On a 5-point scale

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The changes proposed for XI-XII (2019-20) are as under:

Classes XI- XII

Existing Proposed
Maximum 100 marks No Change
marks per
subject:
Types of  Internal Assessment/ Practical
assessment  Board Examination No Change
 Assessment of Co-scholastic areas
(Health and Physical Education
including Work Education, General
Studies)
Marks Internal Assessment / Practical: Board
distribution Exam/ Year end Exam
 0:100 (Mathematics, Languages, Compulsory portion of Internal
Political Science, and Legal Studies) Assessment/ Project work/
 20:80 (Humanities / Commerce Based Practical in all subjects of at
Subjects and some other subjects) least 20 marks
 30:70 (Science based subjects and
some other subjects )
 70:30 (Fine Arts and some other
subjects)
Board Examination/ Year-end Examination
Board Existing Proposed
Examination/
year end
examination
Marks Maximum Marks 100/80/70/30  80 Marks in Mathematics,
As per nature of subject Languages, Political Science
and Legal Studies.
 No change in other subjects
Duration 3 hours 3 hours for all subjects of
100/80/70
Marks and 2 hours for papers with
less than 70 marks theory portion.
Components of Short Answer/Long Answer Objective type Minimum 25%
Board (Objective as well as Subjective) including Multiple marks in Year
examination Choice End/ Board
paper Questions Exam
Subjective – Maximum
number of 75% marks in
questions will be Year End/
reduced to Board Exam
enable student to
have enough
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 time to give
analytical and
creative
responses
Internal Assessment/ Project work/ Practical
Internal Existing Proposed
Assessment/
Project/  0 marks (Mathematics, Languages,  20 marks (Mathematics,
Practical Political Science) Languages, Political Science
 20 marks (Humanities / Commerce and Legal Studies )
Based Subjects and some other
subjects )  No change in remaining
 30 marks (Science based subjects subjects
and some other subjects)
 70 marks (Fine Arts and some other
subjects)
School Based Assessment of Co-scholastic Areas (Work Education, General Studies,
Health & Physical Education)
Assessment of Existing Proposed
Co-scholastic
areas
 Internally Assessed Internally Assessed

It may be noted that the changes introduced in 2019 Board Exams – that is, 33% internal
options and section wise format – shall continue henceforth for all subjects. The details of
the Year End-Board Examination/ Internal Assessment/School Based Assessment for the
academic year 2019-20, shall be reflected in the Curriculum document to be published by
the Board. The curriculum document shall be made available to all the schools by April
2019. This circular is being issued in advance to enable schools to prepare for
implementing the few proposed changes from next academic session (2019-20) onwards.

Schools are also hereby informed that the Board is preparing detailed guidelines on how
Art can be integrated with the teaching learning process at all levels. This is a part of the
Board’s thrust on innovative pedagogy, that will go a long way in achieving the process of
‘assessment as learning’. These guidelines are being issued separately.

(Dr. Joseph Emmanuel)

Director (Academics)

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Copy with a request to respective Heads of Directorates/KVS/NVS/CTSA as indicated below to also
disseminate the information to all concerned schools under their jurisdiction:

1. The Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, 18-Institutional Area, Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg, ND-16
2. The Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, B-15, Sector-62, Institutional Area,Noida-201309
3. The Director of Education, Directorate of Education, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, Old Secretariat, Delhi-110 054
4. The Director of Public Instructions (Schools), Union Territory Secretariat, Sector 9,
Chandigarh-160 017
5. The Director of Education, Govt. of Sikkim, Gangtok, Sikkim –737101
6. The Director of School Education, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar –791 111
7. The Director of Education, Govt. of A&N Islands, Port Blair – 744101
8. The Director of Education, S.I.E., CBSE Cell, VIP Road, Junglee Ghat, P.O. 744103,A&N Island
9. The Director, Central Tibetan School Administration, ESSESS Plaza, Community Centre, Sector 3, Rohini
10. The Additional Director General of Army Education, A – Wing, Sena Bhawan, DHQ, PO, New Delhi
11. The Secretary AWES, Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army), FDRC Building No 202,ShankarVihar
(Near APS), Delhi Cantt-110010
12. All Regional Directors/Regional Officers of CBSE with the request to send this circular to all the Heads of
the affiliated schools of the Board in their respective regions
13. All Heads of COEs of CBSE
14. All Joint Secretaries/ Deputy Secretaries/ Assistant Secretaries, CBSE
15. In charge IT Unit with the request to put this circular on the CBSE Academic website
16. The Sr. Public Relations Officer, CBSE
17. PPS to Chairperson, CBSE
18. SPS to Secretary, Controller of Examinations, Director (Information Technology), Director (Edusat &
Research), Director (Skill Education & Training), Director (Professional Exams), Director (CTET), CBSE.

Director (Academics)

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