CBSE to implement open-book exams for Class 9 from 2026-27 under NEP guidelines

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has sanctioned the open-book examination for Class 9 students from the 2026-27 academic year. The same was sanctioned after the results of the feasibility and acceptance pilot study in schools were encouraging.

As detailed in the reports, the proposal was sanctioned by the CBSE Governing Body, the board's apex decision-making body, in a meeting in June. The program is in line with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, aligned on the template of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Structure and design of the assessment

According to the approved plan, open-book tests would be included as part of internal tests carried out by the schools for Class 9. They would be one of the three pen-paper tests administered for every term. The fundamental subjects that would be covered by this model would include language, mathematics, science, and social science.

Although the model will be suggested to schools, it will not be compulsory. Instead, it will be a model for schools to follow if they decide to use this kind of examination. Schools will be directed on how to appropriately administer open-book exams.

Objective and reason behind the change

CBSE's action is aligned with what is suggested in the NCFSE, which is shifting from the rote route to competency-based learning. Open-book examinations are now intended to be a way to assess students' skills to interpret, apply, and analyse information instead of memorization of facts.

The open-book format enables the students to use documents like textbooks, class notes, and library materials in reference to trying questions. This format is designed to examine their capacity to adjust available information presented elsewhere, which remains a key tenet of the NEP 2020.

Pilot study and previous attempts

In December 2023, the CBSE had sanctioned a pilot study to implement open-book examination in Classes 9 to 12. The pilot was conducted to study aspects such as the duration of time taken to finish the tests along with the attitude of stakeholders such as students, teachers, and school administrators. The study, as per the media reports, showed robust support from teachers for open-book modes being brought in.

This is not for the first time when CBSE tested open-book exams. In 2014, the board had launched an Open Text Based Assessment (OTBA) for Class 9 in Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science. It was later launched in Class 11 for Economics, Biology, and Geography. There, four months prior to the final exam, the reference material was provided to the students. Still, the OTBA was withdrawn in the 2017-18 year as it was not found to enhance critical thinking among the students to any great extent. Implementation and future directions

The new scheme will try to promote higher-order thinking among the students and will compel schools to have the required capacity and training. CBSE has plans to support the schools with clear guidelines on how to administer these tests within their internal assessment system.

The program will develop a more application-based pattern of assessment in accordance with the overall purposes of the NEP 2020 and the NCFSE 2023