Cancelling Class 12 CBSE Board Exams 2021 Not an Option, Can Artificial Intelligence Based Online Exams Be Held?

Class 12 CBSE board exams 2021 are unlikely to be postponed, and will be held most probably when once the situation improves. After holding a high-level meeting with education ministers, education secretaries and chairpersons of state examination boards of all States and Union Territories on 23 May 2021, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, union minister for education said that keeping in view the present circumstances, CBSE Board examinations of Class 10 were cancelled and students are being evaluated through internal assessment. However, the minister asserted the Class 12 CBSE board exams 2021 examinations are very important to decide the future of a student while inviting suggestions from stakeholders on conducting examinations. One suggestion that has been offered is artificial intelligence based online examinations.

“We should use artificial intelligence technology to conduct exams in online mode. Don't conduct offline exam. We can use DIKSHA app for the same and every student can be evaluated,” said Advocate Anubha Shrivastava Sahai, president, India Wide Parents Association on the Class 12 CBSE board exams 2021. With no end to the pandemic in sight, holding artificial intelligence based online examinations may be the best option available for reasons that will be discussed below.

How Artificial Intelligence Based Online Exams Work?

Artificial intelligence based computer exams could ensure flexibility to students, as well as eliminate the need for invigilation. AI-based system can ensure a cheating-free environment through live camera feeds that can alert authorities whenever any suspicious movement is captured from the students end. The software available in the market has now become so advanced so as to provide image and voice recognition to ensure a cheat-proof examination environment by reporting impersonation and suspicious behavior including examinees reaching out to family members for answers. The system can also provide a real-time report card. Some of the other benefits of holding the examinations through this system are as follows:

• The examinations are credible.
• The system is cost-efficient and also saves time as there is no need to travel back and forth to the centre.
• Ensures social distancing, and prevents students from getting infected.

Has Anyone Conducted Artificial Intelligence Based Online Exams in India?

While a large-scale implementation of such examinations may not have been done, AI-based online exams have been conducted on a small scale at various institutes. IIT Bhubaneswar, last year, created a new method for holding online examinations using the currently available commercial systems like the ‘Wheebox’ as a part of its mechanism. The online examination system proposed by IIT Bhubaneswar can be used for computer-based tests as well as more detailed conventional exams with essay-type questions. The system ensures also uses two or more network connections for the reliability of the connection and an additional facility for proctoring for reliable invigilation.

Several other industry players like TCS iON, Sify, and Mercer | Mettl offer similar solutions. Mercer | Mettl says that its online examination system can ensure that online exams can be conducted without cheating by employing AI-based exams and AI proctoring features, such as Mettl Secure Browser (MSB) and Mettl Proctoring as a Service (MPaaS). While the secure browser disables test-takers from screen-sharing and navigating outside of the test window, MPaas provides a secure virtual environment with world-class anti-cheating features.

Could Class 12 CBSE Board Exams 2021 Be Held Through Artificial Intelligence Based Online Exams

It may be difficult to hold class 12 CBSE board exams 2021 through such a system as there are millions of students in India, and such software has not been deployed on such a large scale so far. However, it could be done with adequate preparation, after ensuring network and infrastructure issues are addressed. While there was no consensus in the meeting held yesterday, the Government of India has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the well-being of students.

Rajnath Singh, Union Defence Minister, thanked all the participants for putting forth their positive suggestions on the proposals for conducting examinations. Further, he has requested States and UTs to submit other suggestions, if any, to the Ministry of Education by 25 May 2021. The Indian Government, he said, will consider all those suggestions and take a final decision on class 12 CBSE board exams 2021. He opined that the priority of the Indian Government is to conduct all the examinations in a safe and secure environment.