The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday said that the board exams will “only be held in the written mode and not online”, adding that it may consider alternatives for the practicals if students are not able to do practicals in classes before the exams.
“No final decision has been taken regarding dates for conduct of board exams and consultations with stakeholders are in process. The exams, as and when they are conducted, will be in written mode and not in online mode. In case students are not able to do practicals in classes before the exams, alternatives to practical exams will have to be explored,” CBSE said in a statement, adding that exams will be conducted in accordance with all Covid-19 protocols in mind.
Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is scheduled to hold a live digital interaction with students who are slated to appear for competitive and board examinations on December 10.
The maximum number of schools in the national capital (2,168) are affiliated to the CBSE, which begins conducting board exams for class 10 and 12 students in February. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic which has led to closure of schools in the national capital since March 19, learning has moved to online or semi-online modes leaving little scope for students to come to schools for their practical lessons. Stakeholders have raised concerns over how practical exams will be conducted without any hands-on experience.