What’s new for 2024 CBSE board exams: Competency-based questions introduced and more, check details – Times of India

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has recently announced a significant change in its assessment practices for the upcoming academic session 2023-24. The board has made changes in the composition of question papers for year-end examinations, reducing the weightage given to traditional short and long-answer type questions and introducing more competency-based questions.
These changes are in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and are likely to be implemented for the academic session 2023-24 only.
According to the revised composition of question papers for the year-end examinations for classes IX-X, the competency-focused questions will now comprise 50% of the paper, select response type questions (MCQs) will have a weightage of 20%, and the remaining 30% will comprise constructed response questions (short and long answer type questions). Similarly, for classes XI-XII, competency-focused questions will have a weightage of 40%, select response type questions (MCQs) will be 20%, and the remaining 40% will comprise constructed response questions (short and long answer type questions).
The competency-focused questions will be in the form of MCQs, case-based questions, source-based integrated questions, or any other type, and will test students’ practical understanding of the subject matter. This change in the assessment practices will encourage students to focus more on developing practical skills and competencies rather than just rote learning.
Read official circular here

The NEP 2020 recommends a shift towards competency-based education, and CBSE’s revised assessment practices align with this shift. The new assessment practices will help students to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills, which are essential in today’s fast-paced and rapidly changing world. These skills are necessary for students to be successful in higher education and the workforce.
The CBSE has also released the curriculum document for the academic session 2023-24 and sample question papers for individual subjects, which can be accessed on the board’s official website for reference. Additionally, learning frameworks for various subjects for classes IX-XII are also available on the CBSE academic website.