CBSE mulls extending passing criteria relaxation for class 10 students

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 10: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) might consider extending its passing mark criteria for class 10 students. As per reports, like in 2018, students could be required to score 33% minimum passing percentage in theory and practical combined in 2019 as well.

The education Board might also be considering changing its policy to ensure that the passing mark criteria is carried forward to subsequent exams. “The Board has decided to extend this scheme further and is also taking up as a policy decision so that this scheme is extended to all Class X exams henceforth." a national daily quoted a CBSE official as saying.

Earlier, CBSE had mulled executing the combined passing mark criteria only as a one-time process in 2018. The board was supposed to separate the passing mark requirement for theory and internals from 2019. In 2010, the Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE) and the optional Board exam were introduced, which stayed in effect till 2017. The assessment system changed in 2018. However, the chairman of CBSE, said the unique situation required a one-time measure on the part of the board.

“The current batch of Std X (2018) is coming from a different assessment background while they were in Std IX (2017),” Karwal stated then.

Statistics reflect that majority of the students who took the class 10 exam in previous years scored more in their theory than practical. However, the rues requiring them to just get an combined 33%, students cleared the exam. The new rules required students to score equally good in both theory and practical to ensure they clear their class 10th. However, if the latest policy decision is implemented it would allow students to continue with the old formula and they just have to score 33% combined in theory and practical.