State board plans open-book exam for classes 9 to 12 students in Maha

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) plans a pilot run of open-book exams in chosen schools like their CBSE counterpart

As stated by the state board chief, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) is planning to explore the Open Book Exam (OBE), following CBSE's (Central Board of Secondary Education) lead.

Sharad Gosavi, chairperson, state board while talking at a press meet in the city on Thursday stated, “We are considering open book examinations (OBE) for students of Classes 9 to 12. A decision regarding the implementation of the examination method will be taken based on responses. The method can be useful to prevent malpractices in examinations and help students better understand the concepts and formulas of syllabus.” 

The CBSE board’s plan of open book exams for Classes 9 to 12 is according to the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE). 

Open-book exam for classes 9 to 12 students in Maha: Insights

In the open book exam, students can utilize notes, books and guides. It permits students to think fundamentally and create some distance from the learning strategy to pass through the tests. 

CBSE has proposed to conduct the test in November-December for English, Maths and Science for Class 9 and Class 10, and for English, Maths and Science for Class 11 and Class 12 in certain schools on pilot premises. 

The essential goal of this pilot run is to assess the time students expect to finish such tests and collect feedback from both teachers and students. The development and design of the pilot test are scheduled to end by June, with the CBSE looking for help from Delhi University for this effort.

Open-book exam for classes 9 to 12 students in Maha: Overview

Gosavi during the press on the SSC tests, planned to initiate on Friday, March 1. “The state board will administer the SSC exams from March 1 to March 26, with a staggering 16 lakh students registered to take the tests this year.”

“According to data provided by the state board, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of students appearing for SSC exams compared to previous years. This rise is because students who passed class VIII from CBSE board schools have now enrolled in state board schools for class IX under the RTE provisions,” Gosavi further added.

The open-book idea proposed by the CBSE board has mixed responses from different stakeholders. While some have invited the move, others have raised concerns with respect to its execution.