General Studies Paper II (GS-II) – Governance, Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Why is in News?

The CBSE has proposed a "Draft Scheme for Two Examinations, Class X from 2026," allowing students to take board exams twice a year to reduce stress and improve scores.

What is the two-examination scheme of CBSE?

• Two exam scheme - The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has proposed a “Draft Scheme for Two Examinations, Class X from 2026”.
• Two exam sessions -  It allows students to take board exams twice a year  i.e  February/March & May (best score considered).
• Alignment with NEP - The initiative aims to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of
  • Reduce stress among students.
  • Provide an additional opportunity to improve scores.
  • Promote a holistic assessment model.
  • To test core capacities/competencies rather than months of coaching and memorization.

What are the issues with the two-exam scheme?

• While the reform appears student-friendly, it raises concerns related to:
  • Operational challenges in conducting and evaluating large-scale exams.
  • Financial burden on students, particularly from marginalized backgrounds.
  • Pedagogical concerns, including potential reinforcement of rote learning.
• Logistical issues - 26.6 lakh students expected for Class 10 exams in 2026 and  1.72 crore answer scripts to be evaluated across two sessions, requiring a vast pool of evaluators.
• Increased students stress - Instead of reducing stress, students may face intensive preparation for two exams, increasing pressure.
• Overlap of board exams - The overlap of Class 10 and 12 examinations  adds another layer of administrative complexity, stretching school resources and placing an additional burden on the teachers responsible for evaluation.
• Short remediation window - Students scoring poorly in February will have only two months to prepare for the May attempt.
• Without structured remedial support, many may resort to rote memorization instead of true conceptual improvement with contradicts the goal of NEP 2020.
• Financial burden on economically weaker students - Policy mandates a non-refundable examination fee covering both attempts, even for students opting for a single attempt.
• Increased costs may create barriers for marginalized students, contradicting NEP 2020’s goal of equitable education.
• Coaching culture  - Emphasis on multiple examinations may still lead to ‘coaching-driven preparation’ rather than genuine conceptual learning.
• Affects academic cycle - Second exam results expected by June-end, compressing the admission cycle for Class 11.
• Most schools start their academic year in April/May, creating delays and uncertainty for students awaiting second exam results.
• These factors are sighted as reason by some educationist that the proposed system may be more cumbersome.

What can Be Done?

• Ensuring competency-based assessments - Moving beyond logistical changes and focus can be given on conceptual learning and redesigning question papers to test competencies, not memorization.
• Structured remedial support - Introducing remedial programs between exams to help students improve.
• Revising examination fee structure - Making the policy more equitable for economically weaker students.

References

The Hindu | Two exam scheme