One board exam pattern or split terms: CBSE yet to decide for class 10, 12 exams for 2022-23 session

The Central Board of Secondary Education is yet to decide whether the 2022-23 academic session will remain split into two terms for class 10 and 12 or it will revert to the single board exam pattern, officials said on Friday.

Bifurcating the academic session, holding two term-end exams and rationalising the syllabus were part of the special assessment scheme for Class 10 and 12 board examinations in 2021-22 announced by the CBSE as a ”one time measure” in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, whether or not the same system will continue for the new academic session or not, is yet to be decided.

”The decision to conduct the board exams in two terms was taken in view of the unprecedented situation posed by the pandemic where for the 2020-21 academic session, the students had to be assessed using an alternate assessment scheme as no board exams could be conducted. The move was announced as a one time measure,” a senior board official said.

”The decision about whether it will be extended to the new academic session or not will be taken in due course of time,” he added.

Under the split term system, the first term board examination was held in December last year and the second term board examination is scheduled to start from April 26.

The rising cases of COVID-19 have sparked concerns of possible school closures yet again even as experts have warned against the long term learning losses caused by prolonged closure.

Several schools in Delhi and NCR have started closing either a specific class or wing wherever the students or staff have been found infected with COVID-19.