The Supreme Court has made it clear that mandatory board exams can’t be held this year in view of the pandemic, and any optional exams for students wishing to appear can only take place after a detailed timeline for the same is submitted before the court for further consideration.

Allowing the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate for Secondary Education (ICSE) to proceed with their respective alternative evaluation schemes, the top court asked them to ensure a dispute resolution mechanism for students wishing to apply for correction of the final result declared by the concerned boards.

In absence of board exams this year, CBSE will calculate final marks for Class 12th students on the basis of marks secured in the best of three out of five subjects in the final exams of Class 10th and Class 11th and pre-board or midterm exams of Class 12th. While the Class 10th and 11th marks will get 30% weightage apiece for evaluation, marks from Class 12th will get 40% weightage.

Each school affiliated with the CBSE board will have to constitute a result committee to account for “best of 3” marks for students for their academic evaluation. Decisions taken by the schools’ result committee will be vetted by CBSE’s moderation committee to rule out the undue advantage of high marking to students by some schools. The moderation committee will look into the difference in marking mechanism by various schools, and ensure that all students are put on even keel for Class 12th marks.

Performance of schools in Class 12th board exams in the past few years will also be taken into account while declaring the final result. Students dissatisfied with their marks will be allowed to improve on them by appearing for physical exams, whenever they can be scheduled while factoring for physical constraints of the pandemic. ICSE board will evaluate its Class 12th students on the basis of marks obtained in unit and term exams, along with practical exams. 

The apex court will continue hearing in the case on June 21, and consider further suggestions given by the petitioners even as the boards have been to finalise the evaluation scheme and notify the court.