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Summative assessments comprising
multiple-choice questions and con-
structed responses (e.g, short answer,
long answer) may also be used peri-
odically.
• By the end of middle school, teach-
ers should prepare a comprehensive
summative assessment of every stu-
dent’s achievement of competencies in
each curricular area. The assessments
should also indicate special interest or
inclination in specific co-curricular ar-
eas that students have demonstrated.

Secondary school
(Class IX-XII)
• Teachers should conduct regular
summative assessments for recording
students learning competencies.
• Regular classroom assessments, as
in middle school, are critical at this Secondary school children: self-assessment plays a key role
stage.
• Self-assessment plays a key role in no role in the design of the curricu- All test developers, reviewers and
student learning at this stage. Teach- lum or the prescription of competen- evaluators should complete formal
ers should assist students to monitor cies. This is the responsibility of the university-certified courses on test
what they are learning and use feed- appropriate academic authority (e.g, development.
back to adjust, adapt, and decide their NCERT or SCERT). • Exam boards need to design high-
own strategies for teaching. • Board examinations should be of- quality tests to assess vocational, arts
• Teachers should design summative fered at least twice a year to ensure and physical education. Since these
assessments using case-based ques- that students have enough time and areas will have a significant practice
tions, simulations, and essay-type opportunity to perform well. This pro- component, they will need to be as-
questions to enable assessment of cess could be made possible through sessed very differently.
competencies. the creation of a comprehensive test • Test development processes for
• At this curricular stage, students questions bank which can be used to written examinations should be sig-
should also be prepared to write board design tests using suitable software. nificantly streamlined. It should begin
examinations and other selection tests This will also enable moving towards with creating assessment frameworks
to access higher education and liveli- a system of on-demand examinations detailing the competencies, learning
hood opportunities. in the near future as recommended in outcomes and content domains to
NEP 2020. be evaluated, followed by designing
Board examinations (class X and • Selection of test developers, review- a blueprint for implementation and
XII) ers, translators, and evaluators for good quality tests and scoring guides.
The draft NCFSE 2023 proposes an board exams should be a rigorous
overhaul of the school-leaving exams process based on detailed guidelines. NB.
system. Major recommendations in- • For each ‘school subject/area’,
clude: NCFSE 2023 details step-by-step as-
• Board examinations should be de- NCFSE 2023 recommends sessment guidelines replete with il-
signed to assess secondary stage com- that the new assessment lustrations and examples. Language
petencies as prescribed in the curricu- Education (Ch-2 p.170); Mathematics
lum. system “shifts from one that Education (Ch-3 p.206); Science Ed-
• Exam boards should design and im- is summative and primarily ucation (Ch-4 p.245); Social Science
plement fair, reliable and valid test- tests rote memorisation Education (Ch-5 p.286); Arts Educa-
ing processes, and instruments to test tion (Ch-6 p.330); Interdisciplinary
achievement of articulated competen- skills to one that is more Areas (Ch-7 p.354); Physical Educa-
cies and certify students. As stated in regular and formative...” tion (Ch-8 p.417); Vocational Educa-
NEP 2020, exam boards should have tion (Ch-9 p.454).

AUGUST 2023 EDUCATIONWORLD 57