PARAKH, a constituent unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), has put forward a proposal to introduce a ‘Cumulative Credit System’ for assessing students from classes 9 to 12, which includes their board exams. This initiative aims to provide a holistic approach to monitoring student progress across these crucial years of secondary education.
Under this proposed system, PARAKH has developed the Holistic Progress Card (HPC) tailored for classes 9, 10, 11, and 12, aligning with the principles laid out in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The HPC integrates various assessment parameters, including feedback from peers and parents, as well as self-assessment by students, to track their development in diverse domains throughout the academic year.
The initiative also emphasizes career planning and vocational skills development among students, encouraging them to envision their future and consider how their achievements can contribute to society over the next decade. This futuristic outlook aims to instill a sense of purpose and direction among students early on in their educational journey.
To implement the secondary stage HPC effectively, PARAKH is collaborating with 52 recognized school boards, including CISCE and CBSE. Discussions with state boards of education are scheduled to finalize the roadmap for integrating this assessment framework into their curriculum.
Prof. Indrani Bhaduri, CEO of PARAKH, highlighted that the cumulative system will allocate credits to students for various academic and extracurricular activities undertaken throughout classes 9 to 12. For instance, a research project requiring significant effort would earn students credits commensurate with their involvement.
Furthermore, state boards are advised to establish a question bank with clear assessment rubrics to ensure transparency and consistency in evaluations. Teachers will use this question bank to design year-end exam papers for classes 9 and 11, while board exams will continue for classes 10 and 12. This structured approach aims to balance formative and summative assessments effectively.
The implementation will also integrate students’ progress through APAAR ID, a unique digital identifier storing their academic credentials in a Digi locker format. This digital platform will enable students to access and utilize their academic records conveniently in the future.
The proposed system is intended to alleviate stress and reduce curriculum overload by allowing students to take exams when they are adequately prepared, fostering a more demand-based approach to assessments. Once adopted, this framework promises to streamline assessment practices across state boards, ensuring equitable and comprehensive evaluation of student learning outcomes.
