These are ‘test’ times, let’s not make it ‘testing’ times

The Board Exams (CBSE Xth and XIIth) have just commenced, and about 3.1 million children across the country are taking these exams, which will go on till end of March. There is a lot of excitement and anxiety among the students, and more importantly the parents… (Do we still believe these exams and marks are life-changing moments?).. 

In the recent years, there is a greater realization on the need to reduce the anxiety and stress levels among students, and it is really heartening to see the good work done by CBSE and educationists, parents across the country in this regard.

1. CBSE launched two levels in Maths for Class X : Maths Standard and Basic Level in the Xth board exams, while syllabus remains the same for both levels, the idea is to make the evaluation more student centric and reduce the pressure on the student who doesn’t want to pursue Mathematics after Class X. And it is good to see the students/parents opting for a choice here, and of the 1.8 million students registered for Class X, 0.6 million have opted for the lighter Basic Level exam. Kudos to CBSE for understanding the students need and launching this.
2. CBSE marksheets will no longer carry the words 'Failed' or 'Compartmental' in order to reduce the mental pressure on students, protect their mental health, and keep up their enthusiasm to perform better in future.
3. Think beyond 'Engineering' and 'Medicine' as options - while there are still students who start preparing for the IIT JEE / NEET and competitive exams from VIth grade (yes, 6th grade) it's heartening to see the compendium of academic courses / options published by CBSE. A nice compilation and a must read to get a bird’s eye view of all the options after XIIth grade
4. Not sure in how many countries a Prime Minister reaches out to the students before the exams. The Pariksha Pe Charcha is a nice way to kindle young minds and you can check out the replay here.
5. The Prime Minister has also followed up with a nice book Exam Warriors, addressing the young adults. I got this for my son who is appearing for his Xth grade this year, and he could relate well with the tips provided there.
6. To give students a view on the exam writing technique followed by the highest scorers in board exams, CBSE has made available the answer scripts of the previous year toppers. This not only gives practical tips to the students but also brings in transparency in the system and builds trust on the whole evaluation mechanism. Check the answer scripts here
7. Instead of the customary “boring” and “sermonising” instructions and guidelines, CBSE has been communicating since February 15 in the language of memes and rap, sharing one creative every day. Check out the tweets here. And the exam tips and videos by CBSE and other edu sites are cool and they not only bring a smile, but the messages are well received by the students
8. In her letter to the students Anita Karwal, the Chairperson of CBSE has a nice message (I think the letter should also be read by parents :-)

You are 21stcentury kids! Your future employers may not always bother too much about the marks you get in school. They will want to know instead, whether you are capable of working hard or are a creative person. Some may want to check out your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Others may focus on good communication or collaboration skills. But all will want to know if you are honest and principledin your dealings, are gender sensitive and a good citizen, are inclusive and can be a part of a team. Known or unknown to you, I am certain that you have already imbibed these and many more skills and values, and therefore, as far as your future is concerned, you have already passed in flying colours! 

How true !!! 

As a recruiter I can say, from an employment perspective we do look at marks.. maybe as a minimum qualification criteria (say 60%), what we look for is the critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, creativity, communication, collaboration skills. We have definitely moved away from the 3Rs (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic) to 4Cs (Creativity, Critical thinking, Communication and Collaboration)

And to the parents…This was a nice little poem that I came across…. and most of you would agree as you look at the progress we all have made and the progress our classmates have made :-)

The topper of the class,is a happy Homemaker.

Back bencher of the lot,  is an Entrepreneur.

The flamboyant fashionista, Became a dreaded Lawyer.

Often ignored Joe, turned a well known Writer.

The one who failed math paper, is a Fashion Designer.

And one who often got to stand outside the class, is a respected Army Officer.

The reunion taught me, How people come with many layers,

And told me why we should never judge a book by its cover.

Each child out there has a different success story !!!

To my student friends, 10 years down the line the only relevant data that maybe referred from your marklist is your Date of Birth :-)

To my son and all the children taking the board exams.. here’s wishing you the very best. Go ahead, give your best.