The much awaited CBSE marking scheme 2021 for class 10, now that there will not be a board exam this year and therefore the objective criteria, is finally here. Central Board of Secondary Education has published a document titled “Policy for Tabulation of Marks for Class X Board Exams 2021 -22” at cbse.gov.in, which lays down the ground rules for how class 10 students will be evaluated this year.
The answer to the question – How will students be graded for CBSE class 10 board exams 2021? – is in this policy.
Students will be, as always, marked out of 100. Every year, 20 marks are of internal assessment, and 80 marks are for board exams. This year, 20 marks will be for internal assessment, as always. However since there will not be any board exams, the 80 marks will be done by the school.
The 80 marks will be divided like this – Students will be marked out of 10 on the basis of unit tests, out of 30 for mid-term or half yearly exams, and out of 40 for pre-board exams.
| Type of Test | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|
| Periodic Test / Unit Test | 10 marks |
| Half Yearly / Mid-Term Exam | 30 Marks |
| Pre-Board Examinations | 40 Marks |
| TOTAL | 80 MARKS |
There will be standardization to ensure that variation in difficulty level of question papers, strict / lenient checking, and such factors does not lead to more marks in such schools with easy papers and lenient checking, and less in otherwise.
CBSE says, in the policy, that the students should be given marks out of 80 on the basis of the different tests and exams that the school took in the year.
The policy also says that the marks should be in consonance with past performance of the school in class X board exams.
This line (point 6 (a)) of the document has given rise to the question – What does consonance mean? Broadly the term means in agreement. However, to understand what the point in itself may mean, it can be interpreted to be like this – Marks should conform to, be in agreement with, the school’s performance in class 10 board exams in the past. In short, the marks being awarded should not be very different from how the school has been performing in board exams in the past.
Going further, the policy talks about result committee – that every school should form one. The committee should have 5 teachers from math, social science, science, and 2 languages, and 2 teachers from neighborhood schools.
There are a plethora of points covered in the policy. This includes grace marks, conduct of compartmental exams, and so on.
It is recommended, for students, parents, teachers, principals, and all stakeholders involved to go through the policy themselves. We will provide more breakup on the topic shortly.
Click here to download Policy for Tabulation of Marks for Class X Board Exams 2021 PDF
Earlier last month, the Central Board of Secondary Education took the bold decision to cancel class 10 board exams for 2021, in view of the pandemic. In the same announcement, they mentioned that students will be graded on the basis of an objective criteria. The same was echoed by other boards, where class 10 exams have been cancelled. The policy published today, is expected to also become the blueprint or at least the reference point for other boards.
Let us also know your views on the policy, in comments below.
