National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF) declares many new adjustments to the board exams for Classes 10 and 12.

Curriculum Changes

NCF, based on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s vision, was recently made available by the Ministry of Education as Ministry seeks feedback from students, parents, teachers, educators, and other professionals to improve the NCF for School Education pre-draft.

An expert panel suggested that to complete Class 10. Students should complete 16 introductory courses over two years of Class 9 and 10. It requires students to complete two introductory courses from each available curricular area. Humanities, which include languages, Mathematics and Computing, Vocational Education, Physical Education, Arts, Social Science, and Science, would be the curricular areas.

Given the boards’ difficulties in completing the syllabus on time and conducting exams during the pandemic, most Indian state boards and national boards (CBSE, CISCE) had switched to a semester system for board exams. However, the semester structure has been abandoned by most Indian education boards, which have returned to the annual board exam system.

Significant Changes for the 12th Grade

The National Education Policy for 2020 suggests that board exam classes should gradually introduce semester exams to students. Year-end exam, instead of a single exam, modular board exams will be offered. The NCF draft states, “The cumulative result of each examination will be the basis for the final certification.”