CBSE’s Credit Based System, Are Board Exams Not Important Anymore?

In the new Credit Based System, standards 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th students have a total of 160 credits to earn. Credits are awarded to them according to their performance in different subjects and areas.

The circular of CBSE about the implementation of five-cum-nine-point grading system has created a lot of confusion especially in students and parents about the importance of Board Exams. Many have fallen for the misconception that implementation of the Credit Based Assessment System means board exams of 10th and 12th standards are not as important as they used to be.

CBSE Credit Based System

The first thing to clarify is that the Credit Based System is a new system, but the CBSE policy of not mentioning percentages, distinctions, divisions, etc on the mark sheet of students is being followed for a decade. This circular is just the reinforcement of the existing policy. In the new Credit Based System, standards 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th students have a total of 160 credits to earn. Credits are awarded to them according to their performance in different subjects and areas. The accumulation of these credits are used to assess how well the student has fared. The new CBSE grading system will be decided majorly on the basis of two parameters i.e. Absolute and Percentile marks.

Students are scored on a scale of grade A to E and they need to score passing grades in each subject to pass the board exams. Grade ‘A1’ is the highest grade and ‘E’ is the lowest. Students who will score an E Grade will be considered to be failed. Instead of cumulative grade, the new credit based system awards only subject wise grades.

Based on NEP 2020, the new curriculum and grading system designed by CBSE is a step forward in promoting Internationalization of education by enabling equivalence of courses and qualifications. Credit based system allows students to assess their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to work on areas that require improvement. The whole idea behind introducing this unique grading system is to curb down the pressure associated with obtaining high marks as the actual scores are not explicitly mentioned on report cards.

Class 10th and 12^th Board exam Performance

Board exams of 10th and 12th standard, have always been of supreme importance in the academic life of a student. Performance in these exams have a major impact in the selection process in universities for higher education. Many students and parents feel that implementation of the credit based system and the focus on CUET or other entrance exams for admissions means that the value of the performance in the board exams has become less. This in fact is a misconception.

The circular discredits the system of percentages, divisions and marks, but in the new assessment system board exams will stay as important as they have always been in the child's qualification in university admissions. Board exams are milestones in showcasing the academic performance of a student and they will remain so.

This Credit Based System is simply a new format in which the results of a student are presented. This system has been implemented to enhance and promote the educational liberalisation for higher education and a modern management of the admissions lifecycle of a student. This policy move is also significant to take the education system as par the global standards. It induces a lot of flexibility in the student’s lifecycle of moving from one educational institution to another and graduating from school to higher education.

Students and parents need to not get confused and they should know that performance in the board exams will continue to be important. Students need to approach these exams strategically and work hard towards getting the best results. While preparing for board exams students need to apprise themselves and educate themselves about the credit based system in detail to understand what is expected from them in order to get good results.

Indian K-12 education segment is witnessing the best transformation phase in history. These Policy updates are done to make systems in sync with the changing times. The focus should always be on good quality education and chalking out the best roadmap for the progress of the student.

By-- Naman Jain, Director of Silverline Prestige School, Ghaziabad

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