NCERT proposes Class 12 scores include marks from Classes 9, 10, and 11

The proposal recommends a cumulative evaluation system where 15 per cent of the final Class 12 score would come from Class 9, 20 per cent from Class 10, and 25 per cent from Class 11

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has suggested a new assessment model for Class 12 board exams. This model would factor in students' marks from Classes 9, 10, and 11 and place a greater emphasis on vocational and skill-based education.

The proposal, detailed in a report titled "Establishing Equivalence across Education Boards", recommends a cumulative evaluation system where 15 per cent of the final Class 12 score would come from Class 9, 20 per cent from Class 10, and 25 per cent from Class 11.

According to NCERT's proposal, students' academic performance starting from Class 9 will contribute to their final Class 12 board scores. This recommendation, presented by PARAKH — a regulatory body established by NCERT — to the Ministry of Education in July 2024, calls for a uniform assessment system across all educational boards in India.

 

Mandatory subjects

Following consultations with 32 educational boards over the past year, the report suggests that vocational and skill-based subjects should be mandatory. These subjects include data management, coding, application development, artificial intelligence, music, arts, and crafts, promoting comprehensive learning in line with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).

Additionally, the report highlights the importance of evaluating teachers' performance and improving school facilities. It advocates for access to clean drinking water, well-equipped libraries, and sufficient sports facilities to foster an effective learning environment.

The proposed evaluation system will allocate specific percentages to marks from different classes. The results for Class 12 will include 15 per cent from Class 9, 20 per cent from Class 10, 25 per cent from Class 11, and the remaining 40 per cent from Class 12 itself.

The Class 12 evaluation will be divided into two parts: formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments will cover elements like self-reflection, student portfolios, teacher evaluations, project work, and group discussions. Summative assessments will be based on the traditional term-end exams.

The report also outlines the distribution of scores across different classes: for Class 9, 70 per cent from formative assessments and 30 per cent from summative assessments; for Class 10, an equal split of 50 per cent each; for Class 11, 40 per cent formative and 60 per cent summative; and for Class 12, 30 per cent formative and 70 per cent summative.

Credit-based system

The new assessment structure for Classes 9 to 12 introduces a credit-based system, where each content unit is assigned a specific credit value. Students in Classes 9 and 10 are required to earn 32 credits in subject-specific areas out of a total of 40. For Classes 11 and 12, students must obtain 36 subject-specific credits out of 44. The additional credits can be acquired through online courses such as MOOCs, or by engaging in research and community-based projects.