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CBSE 12 Board Exams 2021: Expert Talks About Benefits of Holding Online Examinations

CBSE 12 board exams 2021 may either be postponed further or canceled this time, but the board should consider holding online examinations in future

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Supriya Rai
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CBSE 12 Board Exams 2021

CBSE 12 board exams 2021 have currently occupied headlines, as well as the minds of millions of students across the country. The 12 board exams, unlike other examinations, cannot be done away with as they are important to determine the future of students. However, with the pandemic currently wreaking havoc across the country, it is impossible for the Government of India to conduct CBSE 12 board exams 2021 at present, and the situation is unlikely to improve any time soon.

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While some students hope for the cancelation of exams, others have been requesting either to be marked on the basis of internal assessment or for the conduct of online examinations. In fact, in a poll conducted by Dataquest last month, 28 percent of the students opted for the CBSE board exams 2021 to be held online. Also, an additional 16 percent had requested for the examinations to held and not postponed or canceled as they had already prepared for it. This does make one wonder as to why the Government of India is not considering conducting CBSE 12 board exams 2021 online.

Why Aren’t CBSE 12 Board Exams 2021 Being Held Online?

When Dataquest asked experts as to why examinations are not being conducted online instead of being canceled or postponed when there are platforms being offered by several companies Sujatha Kumaraswamy, CEO, MeritTrac Services said the uncertainty of the situation and technological unpreparedness is the answer to this. “While exams were being postponed and canceled during the first wave, we are seeing increased adoption of online examinations this time around. Over the last 12-15 months, we have strengthened our technology and expertise to provide an online examination experience that is as close as possible to an offline examination with the same level of integrity. Educational institutions too are beginning to realize the importance of technology in helping them maintain their academic calendar and commitments. More universities are now partnering with assessment companies to organize and administer online exams seamlessly for them - it’s secure, convenient, and efficient in every way,” she said.

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Challenges Associated with Online Examination Implementation on a Scale as Large as CBSE 12 Board Exams 2021

Sujatha Kumaraswamy says that a key human challenge is the flexibility to adapt and evolve. “Just like classroom learning, assessments have always been thought to be more effective when done offline to ensure the integrity of the exams and the candidates. People have been always skeptical about the delivery of learning and assessments online; but as the learning and assessment ecosystem evolves with modern tools and methodologies, I believe that the comfort level towards adopting technology-backed digital solutions will be higher. When it comes to scale, online examinations provide a clear advantage due to the nature of technology that is far easier to track and manage from a centralized secure server, as opposed to managing physical test centers across the country. All we really need is access to a smart device with a functioning camera and a steady Internet connection. As more and more exams are conducted online, we will see higher confidence and trust in online and digital modes of assessments - that may well continue in a post-Covid world,” she adds.

Benefits of Conducting CBSE 12 Board Exams 2021 Online?

Sujatha Kumaraswamy observes that the benefits of all online assessments boil down to a few key aspects – time, cost, integrity, and accuracy of results. Some of the other benefits, she opines, are as follows: “Purely from a delivery standpoint, the shift from physical centers to online platforms results in significant time as well as cost savings for everyone. As physical invigilators take on the role of live online proctors, the ease of proctoring and monitoring students ensures better control over the assessment. As systems and platforms get better, real-time live candidate status, as well as post-examination reports, will provide significant insights along with accurate assessment scores and results. This optimization of the entire end-to-end value chain ensures that exams are secure and the turnaround time is shorter from enrolment to the result publishing stage. There’s also no chance for paper leaks, loss of answer scripts during transit, or missing evaluating a question. I firmly believe that this shift towards digital platforms for exams and assessments will lead to more efficient and effective ways of periodic evaluations.”

After taking all these points into consideration, while it is unlikely that the Central Board of Secondary Education may conduct CBSE 12 board exams 2021 online this time due to the lack of time and infrastructure, they could certainly consider holding examinations online in the future rather than postponing or canceling them for all the benefits that online examinations have to offer.

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