Examination Reform Report

Learning Objective: Detailed study on Examination Reform Reports 

Reports on Examination Reforms

Examinations are an indispensable part of the educational process. It is necessary to determine the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process and their installation by learns. Schools have taken on the function of examining and screening out on the basis of examinations. Recommendations related to examination reforms given by various reports after independence are following:-

  

1. University Education Commission (1948-49)

The University Education Commission headed by Dr. S.Radhakrishnan. He states that “For nearly half a century, examinations, as they have been functioning, have been recognised as one the worst features of Indian education. The important recommendation made by the commission is the use of objective tests.

2. Secondary Education Commission (1952-53)

The secondary education commission was headed by Dr.Lakshmana Swami Mudallyar. The summary of Mudallyar Commission recommendations are:

1. The number of external examinations to be reduced.

2. Objective type tests should be included.

3. For assessing overall progress of student school records should keep properly.

4. Symbolic marking instead if numerical marking.

5. In the final assessment due weightage is given to internal examinations and school rerecord.

6. At the completion of secondary school curriculum only one public examination should be conducted.

7. Certificates awarded to the students should include the evaluation of personality attributes and the score of school tests.

8. The compartmental examination system should be included in the final public examination.

9. Internal assessment should be encouraged through continuous and comprehensive evaluation.

3. Indian Education Commission (1964-66)

Indian Education Commission or Kothari Commission headed by Dr.D.S.Kothari. The recommendations on examination reform made by the Kothari commission are:-

1. On the completion of course, at the end of the lower or higher secondary stage, the student should receive a certificate from the school, also giving the record of his internal assessment as contained in his cumulative record.

2. The certificate may be attached to that given by Board in connection with the external examination.

3. Internal assessment conducted by the school should be comprehensive evaluating all those aspects of students growth that are measured by the external examination and also those personality traits, interests and attitudes which cannot be assessed by it.

4. Certificate should be students complete performance but there should be no remark to the effect that he has passed or failed in the whole examination.

5. Written examinations should be reduced and laid stress on observation techniques, oral tests and practical examinations.

6. Classes I to V to be treated as an ungraded unit.

7. At the end of primary stage, no external examination to be held and observation and oral test to be used at this stage.

8. External examination need not be compulsory for all the students of class X or class Xl or XIl.

9. National Board of School Education to be set up at the centre.

10. Establishment of Experimental Schools with the right to hold their own final examination at the end of class X.

11. Recommended a comprehensive examination system to assess a student’s understanding and application of knowledge.

4. New Education Policy (1986)

The National Policy on Education (1986) made the following recommendations:

1. Assessment of performance is an integral part of any process of learning and teaching. As part of sound educational strategy, examinations should be employed to bring about qualitative improvement in education.

2. The objective will be to recast the examination system so as to ensure a method of assessment that is a valid and reliable measure of student development and a powerful instrument for improving teaching and learning in functional terms, this would mean

a) The elimination of excessive element of chance and subjectivity.

b) The de-emphasis of memorisation

c) Continuous and Comprehensive evaluation that incorporates both scholastic and non-scholastic aspect of education spread over the total span of instructional times.

d) Effective use of evaluation process by teachers, students and parents.

e) The introduction of concomitant changes in instructional materials and methodology.

f) Instruction of the Semester system from the secondary stage in a phased manner.

g) The use of grades in place of marks.

h) Improvement in the conduct of examination etc.

3. The above goals are relevant both for external examination and evaluations within educational institutions.

4. Advocated for a shift from a content-based to a competency-based examination system.

will be on the basis of cumulative grading system.

5. Programme of Action(1986)

After the formulation of the National Policy on Education (1986), Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India prepared a Programme of Action for the implementation of NPE.

The policy and strategies for implementation

The policy visualises integration of the assessment of performance with process of learning and teaching and utilising the process of evaluation to bring about qualitative improvement in education.

In order to ensure the method of assessment of students’ performance is valid and reliable, the following short term measures are proposed:

At the School level ii

1. Public examinations will be held only at the levels of class X and XIl.

2. To decentralise the conduct of examinations State School Boards of Education will be set up.

3. Spot evaluation of answer scripts.

2. At the University level

1. Continuous institutional evaluation will be introduced.

2. Letter grades should be given for students performances and assessment based on cumulative grade point average.

3. Provision will made for improvement of performances and external examination will continue.

Conduct of Examinations

1. Innovations and experiments in the conduct of examination can be used.

2. Provision for legislation to define various malpractices connected with examinations.

In order to attain the objectives of integrating the process of evaluation with teaching and learning several long term reforms are proposed:

At the School level

1. The Board of Education will lay down the levels of attainment expected at classes V, VIII, X and XII.

2. The Boards will prescribe the levels of attainment of learning objectives in terms of knowledge, comprehension, communication, application and the ability to learn.

3. Schemes of evaluation for formal examinations and continuous and comprehensive evaluation will be developed.

4. For developing evaluation procedures and in the conduct of examination, a consortium will be set up by Boards of Education.

5. A detailed design will be evolved before setting the question papers.

6. Along with external examinations continuous and comprehensive evaluation of scholastic and non-scholastic aspects of education will be introduced.

7. Evaluation of students’ performances will be on the basis of cumulative grading system.

At the University level

1. The possibility of developing alternate system of evaluation will be explored.

2. Academic reforms visualised in the policy will lead to considerable decentralisation in the evaluation process.

3. An agency will be developed for continuous research and development in the evaluation procedures.

General

1. The credibility of the examination system can he be established by the openness of the examinations.

2. The practice of declaring results in terms of marks/grades in each subject separately.

3. Opportunities to improve candidates grades through subsequent attempts.

4. Question banks will be developed.

5. To ensure objectivity in scoring answer scripts, detailed marking scheme will be developed.

6. Innovative ideas in examination may be experimented with.

7. Separate certificates for internal evaluation and external examinations

8. Intensive training programmes and orientation of teachers will b

National Testing Service

A National Testing Service will be established and developed as a quality control mechanism to organise nation-wide tests on a voluntary basis so that norms can be developed for comparability of performance and also for conducting independent tests.

6. Programme of Action (1992)

The NPE (1986) was revised in 1992 based on the experience gained from its implementation and also the recommendations made by the Ramamurti Committee (1990) and Janardhana Reddy Review Committee (1992) of the Central Advisory Board Of Education. The revised formulation called for a new programme of action. Accordingly the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India issued the document entitled programme of Action (1992). It suggested that “to formulate a national examination reform work the department of Education would inter-alia Constltute an inter institutional committee with representations from, UGC, NCERT, AICTE and state level organisations including Board of Secondary Education”.

The strategies for implementation proposed by POA are as follows:

a. Elementary Stage

1. The Minimum Levels of Learning (MLL) in Languages (Mother Tongue), Mathematics and Environmental Studies for classes 1 to V have been developed by MHRD at the national level. Similar exercises to develop these in the remaining areas and classes of elementary curriculum will be carried out.

2. Since no detention policy is envisaged at the primary stages, the main function of evaluation will be diagnostic in nature so as to provide remedial help to the pupils.

3. The concerned agency in each state will prepare a flexible scheme of continuous and comprehensive evaluation at the elementary stage, so as to make the evaluation process an integral part of teaching and learning at this stage.

b. Secondary Stage

1. Each state board will lay down the levels of attainment expected at classes VIII, X and XII.

2. The Boards will prescribe the learning objectives corresponding to these levels of attainment in terms of knowledge, comprehension, communication skills, application, analysis, synthesis, judgements, etc.

3. In each state, the concerned agency will prepare a flexible scheme of continuous and comprehensive evaluation for the secondary / senior secondary stage to suit a variety of specific situations obtaining in different regions and types of schools.

c. Higher Education Stage

1. Selection tests for admission to all professional and technical courses will be conducted on all India basis.

2. Each university will prepare broad guidelines for grading to be followed by individual colleges / institutions and departments under its jurisdiction.

3. Orientation programmes may be organised to familiarize teacher with grading system.

4. Entrance test for admission will be encouraged and promoted by UGC and state Government. The services of National Evaluation Organisation (NEO) should be utilized by the University system for developing, designing and administering entrance test for admission.

d. Strategies Common for all Stages

1. The emphasis will be laid on testing of expected levels of achievement of a variety of learning objectives in order to ensure due importance to higher abilities of understanding, application analysis, synthesis, evaluation and not only to memory.

2. The semester system introduced at the secondary stage and onwards should provide for flexibility in combination of courses and accumulation of credits to enable the pupils to proceed at their own pace resulting in upward and horizontal mobility of the students across the country.

3. An Examination Reform Centre will be established in higher education for documentation and dissemination of information. At school stage NCERT would perform this function.

4. A strong and co-ordinated effort should be made by the centre and state Government regarding the monitoring and evaluation of the reforms in examinations and evaluation.

5. Some laws will be introduced in the legislation regarding various malpractices connected with examination.

6. The National Evaluation Organisation will be developed to organise nation wide tests.

7. NPERC/ Ramamurti Review Committee (1990)

Regarding examination reforms, the National Policy on Education Review Committee (NPERC) under the chairmanship of Acharya Ramamurty in 1990, exhaustively reviewed the observations and recommendations made by different Committees and Commissions

Following were the recommendations of NPERC

1. The examination reform should be construed as a package

2. The packages as a whole should be implemented instead of in piecemeal and ad hoc implementation of individual elements.

3. Implementation of the package suggested by the NPERC, bristled with Practical problems such as the vast diversities in the education system and the wide spread apprehensions about the credibility of the internal evaluation process.

4. The need to constitute a high level National Examination Reforms Commission to coordinate and monitor and progress, in Examination Reforms at various levels.

8. CABE/ Janardhana Reddy Committee (1992)

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) under the chairmanship of Sri N. Janardhan Reddy, suggested the following recommendations

1. Preparation of status report of examination reform measures under/ taken by the examining bodies.

2. Preparation of a National Examination Reform, Framework to serve as a set of guidelines to the examining bodies which would have the freedom to innovate and adopt the framework to suit the specific situation.

3. Developing an effective mechanism for coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the examination reforms by the different examining bodies.

4. Documentation and dissemination of innovations and measures for examination reforms.

9. All India Council for Secondary Education (1995)

As the first practical step in changing the present pattern of examinations, the All India Council for Secondary Education was set up by the Central Ministry of Education in October 1995. It gave top priority consideration to resolve the problem of examination system.

10. International commission on education by UNESCO

The well-known International Commission on Education sponsored by UNESCO in 1992, gave their valuable comments and suggestions for reforming the system of examination.

UNESCO works with countries to design, implement and share successful education policies, plans and best practices based on data collection, monitoring and dialogue with national authorities.

General objectives

The major goals of the proposed programme of examination reform are to improve examinations so as to ensure:

1. The value of examinations as valid and reliable measures of pupil growth.

2. The pedagogical value of examinations, by making them powerful instruments for improving teaching and learning.

In functional terms, these major goals imply:

1. As far as possible, elimination of scope for examiners’ and workers’ subjectivity.

2. Placing less emphasis on memorization.

3. Discouraging selective study and selective teaching.

4. Broader coverage of pupil growth in both academic and non-academic areas through the extension of the techniques of evaluation to oral examinations, practical examinations and other observational techniques, and through the use of a wider variety of tools like checklists, rating scales, interview schedules, inventories, and so on.

5. Scientifically sound interpretation of marks.

6. Functional and meaningful declaration of results for effective use by teachers, students and parents.

7. Wider uses of test results for purposes of guidance, academic prediction, and curriculum evaluation.

8. Improvement of the mechanics of conducting examinations.

9. Introduction of concomitant changes in instructional materials (text- books, teaching aids, etc.) and instructional methodology by harnessing the best teaching-learning situations and techniques.

Specific objectives

Efforts to achieve the goals of the programme are being applied to the multi-dimensional improvement of written examinations, practical examinations, oral examinations, and observational and other techniques.

Though each of these fields of effort will be dealt with in detail, it seems appropriate at this point to highlight the salient features:

1. Reform of written examinations mainly consists   of improvements in:

a) Questions, by making them specific in terms of objectives, content and language;

b) Question papers, by making them balanced in various aspects, by limiting options and by the provision of a detailed marking scheme;

c) Scoring procedures, through the development and use of a detailed marking scheme.

2. Reform in oral examinations mainly consists of:

a) Identification of the abilities and subject areas of oral expression that have been under educational development;

b) Comprehensive coverage of the identified abilities/subject areas of oral examination;

c) Improvement of objectivity in the assessment of these abilities/ subject areas.

3. Reform in practical examinations  mainly consists of:

a) Evaluation of proficiency in a wider variety of skills, by requiring a student to perform a number of small experiments instead of just one big one;

b) Evaluation of both the process and product of performance;

c) Minimizing inter-examiner and intra-examiner variability in scoring, through the development and use of a detailed marking scheme.

4. Introduction and improvement in the use of a wider variety of evaluation techniques and tools through:

a) Identifying areas of pupil growth, not covered through other tools of evaluation;

b) Designing tools such as checklists, rating scales, inventories and observation schedules, for evaluating the above mentioned areas;

c) Developing procedures of recording, classifying, analysing and interpreting the data so obtained, and of communicating these meaningfully;

d) Developing procedures for the effective use of results of such evaluation; that is, to promote further growth of pupils’ understandings.

PROGRAMME AREAS AND ASPECTS

A wide variety of activities have been incorporated in the programme of examination reform, so as to attain its stated goals. There are several distinct categories of activity:

1. Research studies, investigations and experiments in the areas of external examinations and of school evaluation.

2. Training and extension programmes in educational evaluation to orient key persons and staff in the examination reform programmes at state, national and international levels.

3. Production of literature and evaluation material:

(a) Conceptual literature in educational evaluation 

(b) Sample evaluation material in scholastic and non-scholastic areas of pupil growth;

(c) Reports of workshops, seminars and conferences;

(d) Test library, consisting of an item bank, unit tests based on specific units of content in different subjects, and full tests (based on the prescribed syllabuses) for comprehensive examinations in different subjects for different classes.

5. Co-ordination of nation-wide programmes of examination reform. This is an important function which is executed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) .

6. ‘Clearing house’ functions to disseminate information about examination reform projects, programmes and investigations within the country and abroad.

7. Consultative services to educational agencies concerning the development and implementation of their tasks in the programme of examination reform.

11. Dharam Pal Committee (1973) – India

Focused on examination reforms, emphasizing continuous evaluation and internal assessment.

12. Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) – India (2009)

Aimed at improving secondary education with a focus on examination reforms.

13. Finland’s Education System

Not a commission report, but Finland’s education system is often cited for its holistic approach, minimal standardized testing, and focus on teacher assessments.

14. PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)-2000

An international assessment that provides insights into the performance of education systems worldwide, influencing discussions on examination methods.

Since the year 2000 over 70 countries and economies have participated in PISA. Every three years, a randomly selected group of fifteen-year-olds take tests in key subjects – reading, mathematics and science – with focus given to one subject in each year of assessment.

15. GCE (General Certificate of Education) Reforms – United Kingdom

Various reforms have aimed at making examinations more relevant and adaptable to changing educational needs.

In the English education system both the O level and CSE examinations were replaced in 1988 with the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), which set out to provide a multi-level examination system catering for all abilities of secondary school pupils.

16. National Curriculum Framework (NCF)-2005

1. Reducing stress and enhancing success in examination necessitate:

2. Shift from content-based testing to problem-solving and understanding. For

3. this to happen the present typology of the question paper must change.

4. Shift toward shorter examinations

5.  Setting up of a single nodal agency for coordinating the design and conduct of entrance examinations.

6. Availability of multiple textbooks to widen teachers' choices and provide for the diversity in children's needs and interests

7. Sharing of teaching experiences and diverse classroom practices to generate new ideas and facilitate innovation and experimentation.

8. Development of syllabi, textbooks and teaching learning resources could be carried out in a decentralised and participatory manner involving teachers, experts from universities, NGOs and teachers' organisations.

NCF suggested that evaluation should be done in:

Primary Stage Classes I to V

1. There should be continuous assessment. 

2. No formal periodic tests, no awarding of grades or marks, no pass or fail criterion and no detentation. 

3. Merit ordering of students should be dispensed with entirely.

Upper Primary Stage Classes VI to VIII

1. There should be continuous and periodic assessment (unit tests, term end tests) with much less weightage to the annual examination.

2. Assessment should be completely internal with no external board examination. 

3. Direct grading system should be adopted. 

4. The periodic tests should have both written and experimental components. 

5. Open book examination can be experimented with entirely.

Secondary Stage Classes IX to X

1. There should be continuous and periodic assessment. 

2. Examination stress should be reduced.

3. Continuous and comprehensive evaluation should be made and grading system should be adopted. 

4. Class X board exam to be made optional (in long term).

Higher Secondary Stage Classes XI to XII

1. There should be continuous assessment. 

2. The external examination should have some experiment/technology based test items.

3. Examination reforms to reduce psychological stress on children in class XII.

4. The students should be permitted to accumulate marks/credits in different subjects at their own pace and not insist on their appearing for examination in all subjects at one go.

Examination Reforms

The report, Learning without Burden notes that public examination at the end of class X and XII should be received with a view to replacing the prevailing text based and quiz type questioning, which induces an inordinate level of anxiety and stress and promotes rote learning. For reducing stress and enhancing success in examination necessitate:

Paper setting. Examining and Reporting

1. Shift to framing good questions rather than mere paper setting. This helps to Improve the validity of current examination.

2. Typology of the question paper must change. The questions could be categorised according to level of difficulty, topic/area, concept/competency being evaluated and time estimated to solve.

3. Shift towards shorter examination.

4. An examination with a flexible time limit.

5. Better quality and consistency in evluation must be ensured by providing adequate remuneration, randomising examination scripts and with computerisation.

6. Each school should evolve a flexible and implementable scheme of continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) primarily for diagnosis, remediation and enhancing of learning.

7. Shift towards school based assessment and devise ways in which to make such internal assessment more credible.

8. The performances could be graded on relative not an absolute scale and must be moderated and scaled against the marks obtained in the external examinations.

Flexibility in Assessment

1. There should be more varied modes of assessment beyond the examination hall paper pencil test.

2. Oral testing and group work evaluation should be encouraged.

3. Open book exams and exams without time limits should be introduced.

4. Shift from content based testing to testing higher level competencies such as interpretation, analysis and problem solving skills.

5. In rural schools Boards should explore the possibility of allowing students to take exams in Mathematics and English subjects at one of the two (or even three) levels due to poor performance in these two subjects.

6. Indian exam system needs to be replaced by a more open, flexible, creative and user friendly system.

Board Examination at Other Levels

1. Under no circumstance should board or state level examinations be conducted at other stages of schooling, such as class V, VIII, or XI. No public examination till class VIII.

2. Class X examination should be made as optional as a long term measure thus permitting students continuing in the same school (and who do not need a board certificate) to take an internal school exam instead.

3. Examination reforms to reduce psychological stress particularly on children in class X and XII.

Entrance Examinations

1. School Leaving Board Examinations should be delinked from competitive entrance Examinations.

2. Setting up of a single nodal agency for co-ordinating the design, monitor and conduct of entrance examinations.

17. Kerala Curriculum Framework (KCF) – 2007

KCF-2007 made the following suggestions for improving evaluation system:

It is the teacher who has the right to evaluate the academic achievement of the child.

1. Evaluation has to be continuous and comprehensive and be carried out along with the learning activities. The continuity of continuous evaluation must be ensured.

2. As there is continuous evaluation, only an annual examination is necessary at the lower primary level. As for the I and II standards there is no need for an annual examination.

3. At the upper primary level, along with the terminal examination a written examination could be held in the middle of the academic year.

4. At the high school level, periodical feed back, a half yearly examination and the terminal examination could be held. The same system could be followed in the higher secondary level.

5. The relationship between continuous evaluation and learning outcome should be Indicated accurately and ensured.

6. Different techniques could be used for continuous evaluation.

7. Techniques of grading should be flexible, effective and transparent.

8. Term evaluation and continuous evaluation should be made complimentary to each other.

9. Teachers should develop suitable tools for continuous evaluation.

10. Continuous evaluation should be feasible and just.

11. There should be scope for the learner to evaluate him/herself and should be able to make an answer key.

12. Question papers should stress on the practical aspects of knowledge

13. Shift to content oriented questions to the testing of the process of learning and thought process.

14. In X and XII standards Board Examinations should be held.

15. In IX and X standards there should be opportunity to choose subjects according to one’s taste.

16. There should be an opportunity to opt for either the general or the special levels of subjects for the Board Examinations.

17. Open book examinations, examinations which publicize the questions earlier and online examinations could be introduced.

18. The portfolio analysis of the learners could also be made a part of the monitoring system.

19. A system that allows the learner to write the examinations only when he/she is ready should be implemented.

20. There should be provision for parents, teachers and media to understand the educational systems of other countries.

21. Teachers and educationists should be encouraged to develop new modes of evaluation.

22. With regard to the recording of continuous evaluation and grading, monitoring should be strengthened at different level with proper assistance.

23. Parents can be made unofficial monitors.

24. The schedule of public examinations should be arranged in such a way as to ensure that there are 200 academic days.

25. The learner should be able to discuss the learning experience with the teacher. Continuous evaluation should help in sharing the excellence and the limitations of the learners.

18. Kerala School Curriculum 2013 – Common Approach

Kerala School Curriculum 2013-Common Approach stresses the following:

1. Outcome focussed Assessment Approach should be adopted.

2. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation system should be adopted. 

3. CCE is carried out in two areas; cognitive area and socio-emotional area.

4. Three types of Continuous Evaluation (CE) are suggested:

a) Learning process assessment

b) Port folio assessment

c) Unit based assessment

5. To make continuous evaluation more scientific a teacher planner and subject related activity log must be prepared.

6. While setting the question paper due weightage should be given to thinking skills.

7. Design and blue print should be prepared for setting question paper. Viii. Assessment should be done based on suitable scoring key and marking scheme.

8. Assessment should be done based on indicators in process assessment and Port folio assessment.

9. Open book assessment can be introduced.

10. As part of TE, theory and practicals are included. Xii. For subjects with practicals, the practical evaluation should be done at the end of second year.

11. For Health and Physical Education a performance assessment is suggested.

12. Assessment in socio emotional area should be carried out as part of the learning process assessment in each subject.

13. To ensure all round development of a learner at the higher secondary level not only appreciative, creative and artistic skill should be encouraged but attitude towards undertaking social cultural services should be inculcated.

14. The proficiency of the learner in participating activities can be given a special grade certificate.

15. The annual overall score of CE is the best score obtained by the learner in 3 terms.

16. Since the annual examination in class XII is the public examination, the final score of TE in written and practical exams will be the score of the public exam itself.

17. A grading system should be employed to assess subjects in cognitive area.

18. Collective effort and proper monitoring should be needed to make the assessment system for effective.

  

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