CBSE: No more open book exams

New Delhi: After receiving negative feedback from schools about the Open Text Based Assessment (OTBA), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to discontinue the system. 

Two years after it was introduced, CBSE has decided that students of Class 9 and 11 can no longer carry textbooks to examination halls from this academic year. According to the board, this practice was hindering development of students’ critical abilities. 

“Based on discussion with various stakeholders the board has decided to withdraw OTBA from the scheme of studies in Classes 9 and 11 from the session 2017-18 after we got feedback from schools that the system was hindering the development of critical abilities of students,” a senior board official said.

OTBA was introduced by CBSE in Class 9 for Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science and final examination of Class 11 in a few subjects such as Economics, Biology and Geography from March, 2014. 

In 2015, the HRD ministry had urged state and central school boards to consider introducing open-book tests in secondary and senior secondary-level examinations. The suggestion was made by the school education secretary at a meeting of 42 education boards held on October 28 in 2015.

Under OTBA, students were provided text materials four months in advance and they were allowed to carry the case studies during the examination. The students were allowed to refer to their notes or textbooks while answering questions. 

The focus was not on rote learning, but on applying that information critically. Earlier this week, the board even issued a notification to make class 10 boards compulsory from 2017-18.