Surge in Covid cases: International Baccalaureate cancels exams in India

The International Baccalaureate (IB) on Thursday cancelled its examinations across the country following a surge in COVID-19 cases.

There are 185 schools in India following the IB's curriculum. Students who seek admission in schools abroad or those whose parents are mostly transferred to foreign countries, usually opt for exams under this board.

According to the board, India will follow the non-examination route for the diploma programme, the career-related programme and the alternative task for the middle years programme.

The IB has informed schools of our decision not to hold examinations in India due to rising cases of COVID-19, and following ongoing conversations with our schools, associations and education boards, an official statement by the International Baccalaureate said.

We intend that the results of students in India should be awarded using coursework marks and predicted grades for the May 2021 session, as described in the awarding model outlined in February. For more details on the May 2021 session, students, parents and teachers are encouraged to talk to their school's IB coordinator, it said.

The development came a day after the central government announced the cancellation of class 10 exams and the postponement of class 12 exams conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) following a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.