The CBSE increased the percentage of competency-focused questions for the class X and XII board exams to 50% from the earlier 40%. Students, who prefer to enroll in dummy schools after to prepare for JEE Main or NEET UG will have to be thorough with the new format, or else they might clear competitive exams and fail in the class XII board exam.
To end the rote learning pattern, the focus is more on making the student understand the concept to be able to answer the competency-focused questions. Sanyam Bhardwaj, controller of examinations, CBSE, says, “Students are asked questions based on periodic tables in competitive exams. Many of them learn the table by rote and attempt questions based on it in competitive exams without fully understanding its application. Some students manage to crack the competitive exam but fail in class XII exam.”
Questions will be based on daily life situations instead of directly from the book
“Earlier, direct questions were asked that had simple answers, which students could learn by rote for example, “Which city is the capital of India?’ Now, the questions are slightly different. For example, students might be asked, “There are several metro cities in India where different kinds of industries exist; where is Parliament located?’ or ‘Which is the capital of India, and why?’ They will need to answer both what and why, which will test their knowledge,” adds Bhardwaj. The textbooks will be meant to teach concepts and not for assessments. “Questions will be based on daily life situations instead of directly from the book. This will make them application-based. Competency-based questions will be featured in all formats- source-based questions, MCQs, objective-type and subjective-type questions. Students’ concepts must be clear,” adds Bhardwaj.
For class X, one example of a competency-focused question is: which of the following is a necessary condition for all chemical reactions?
- The reactants should be in the same state.
- Energy should be supplied to the reactants.
- The reactants should be at the same temperature.
- There should be physical contact between the reactants.
Increased learning
Another reason to increase the percentage of competency-focused questions is that students do not write as much as they used to earlier; they prefer to communicate on mobile phones and social media. “Competency-focused questions have been included in class unit tests and internal examinations. Students are not as focused on their studies as they were in the past. Often, there is a lack of self-learning, with students relying solely on what is taught in schools” says Indramani Upadhyay, KV CRPF, Lucknow.
