CBSE Board Exams 2023 – New Scheme Splits Academic Session into Two Terms; Read Details Here

New Delhi, 6 July 2021 – The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released a notification announcing a new scheme for 2021-22 as per which the academic year will be divided into two halves with approximately 50% syllabus in each term. The notification released on Monday evening stated that the Board will rationalize the syllabus for Classes 10 and 12 examinations 2021-22 and notify it by July 2021.

Academic session 2021-22 of class 10th & 12th to be divided into 2 terms with approx 50% syllabus in each term. Syllabus for Board examination 2021-22 will be rationalized similar to that of last academic session to be notified in July 2021: Central Board of Secondary Education pic.twitter.com/8vyfPUhWX7

— ANI (@ANI) July 5, 2021

CBSE Special Scheme for 2021-22 – Important Points

1. Bifurcated syllabus – As per the official statement by the CBSE board, the syllabus for the academic session 2021-22 will be divided into two terms. It will be followed by a systematic approach, which will look into the interconnectivity of concepts and topics by the subject experts. Further, the board will conduct the exams at the end of each term based on the bifurcated or halved syllabus.

2. Rationalized Syllabus – Classes 10 and 12’s syllabus for board exam 2022 will be rationalized.

3. Inputs from CBSE and NCERT – Schools affiliated with CBSE will follow the curriculum and syllabus released by CBSE vide Circular no. F.1001/CBSE-Acad/Curriculum/2021 dated 31st March 2021. They will also use alternative academic calendars and inputs from the NCERT on transacting the curriculum.

4. Efforts to make internals more credible – As per the guidelines and moderation policy to be announced by CBSE, efforts will be made to make internal assessment/practical/project work valid and more credible. This would ensure fair distribution of marks.

How will Class 10th and 12th Board Examinations 2021-22 be conducted?  

1. Both the board examinations (10th and 12th) will be conducted in two terms – Term 1 and Term 2. 
2. Each term will include 50% of the full syllabus.
3. The first term exams will be held in November-December 2021 whereas the second term examination is tentatively scheduled in March-April 2022.
4. Term 1 will be conducted in MCQ-based format with a time limit of 90 minutes. 
5. Term 1 papers will have MCQs including case-based MCQs and assertion-reasoning type MCQs. 
6. Students attending Term 2 papers will have to complete their exam within 2 hours. The questions asked will be in different formats. In case the situation is not favourable to conduct a normal descriptive examination, a 90-minute MCQ-based exam will also be conducted at the end of Term II.
7. The board exams will be conducted under the supervision of external centre superintendents and observers appointed by CBSE.
8. Marks of both Terms 1 and 2 will contribute to the final overall score of students.
9. CBSE will set the question paper and send it to the schools along with the marking scheme.

Directives for CBSE Schools  – Classes 9, 10, 11 & 12

1. Internal marks to be uploaded online – All schools affiliated toCBSE will upload marks of internal assessment on the CBSE IT platform.

2. Online mode to continue – Schools will continue teaching in distance mode (online) till the authorities permit an in-person mode of teaching in schools.

3. Student profiles to be created – Schools would create respective student profiles for all assessments undertaken over the year. The evidence will be retained in digital format.

4. Conduct of internal assessment for Classes 9 and 10 – For Classes 9 and 10, the internal assessment would be conducted throughout the year, irrespective of Term I and II. This would include the three periodic tests, student enrichment, portfolio, and practical work/speaking listening activities/project.

5. Conduct of internal assessment for Classes 11 and 12 – For Classes 11 and 12, the internal assessment would also be conducted throughout the year, irrespective of Term I and II. This would include end-of-topic or unit tests/exploratory activities/practicals/ projects.

6. Guidelines for internal assessment to be released – Along with the rationalized syllabus, which will be divided term-wise, guidelines for internal assessment for all subjects will also be released for the 2021-22 session. The Board would also provide additional resources like sample assessments, question banks, teacher training, etc. for more reliable and valid internal assessments.

For more updates, students are advised to visit the official website of CBSE.