School students may take online prep exam

Secondary school students may soon have the option to take an online preparatory board examination on demand, if the Niti Aayog’s recommendation to the government is accepted.

The plan panel recently suggested to the Union government to bring in a system of technology-aided adaptive examinations so that students can take them online ahead of their board examinations to test and retest the level their preparedness.

“Under the RTE, all students are promoted up to Class VIII and are suddenly required to clear board examinations in higher grades. This leads to stress among students and high-stakes situations, which result in adverse outcomes like preparing for the test and mass cheating,” the plan panel has noted in its suggestion to the government.

The government should pilot a system of technologically enabled “examinations on demand”, which could test students on “absolute competencies instead of relative marks”, and allow them to take and re-take examinations as and when they are ready for it.

“This can help us study its effectiveness in reducing cheating in exams and also open up the option of second chance programmes, where those who have dropped out at the elementary level can certify themselves at the higher levels,” the plan panel said.

In its suggestions for improving the quality of school education in the next three years, the Niti Aayog has also suggested that the Centre bring in a mechanism to “track and support” the measures being taken at the state level in this connection.