CBSE Open Book Exam: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is implementing several significant changes in the Indian education system under the National Education Policy. It is also undertaking several new experiments. In line with this, CBSE has decided to implement open-book examinations in class 9 from the academic session 2026-27. This decision was taken after receiving support from teachers and the board's governing body, which passed a proposal in June 2025. This change is being made under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, aiming to develop students' comprehension and analytical abilities instead of rote learning.
In an open-book examination, students can bring their books or notes to the examination. However, this does not mean simply copying answers from the book; rather, it requires understanding and analysing the information provided and writing the answers accordingly.
For class 9, there will be three pen-paper tests per session in Language, Mathematics, Science, and Social Science, in an open-book format. These examinations will be conducted in schools, and students will be allowed to bring books or self-prepared notes related to the subject.
Offline Mode– Students will write answers while sitting in a designated examination centre (school or university campus) and can use approved books or notes during the examination. Online Mode– Question papers are sent to students online, and they have to take the examination by logging into the portal within the stipulated time. The system automatically logs out when the time expires. Several benefits have been attributed to this, such as reduced pressure of rote learning, increased ability to think and understand, development of the habit of finding information, and reduced examination-related stress.
Before implementing this, CBSE conducted a pilot project on some students. Students' scores ranged from 12% to 47%, indicating that many students find it difficult to use the available material correctly and connect concepts from different subjects. Despite this, teachers believe that students will improve with practice. Feedback also revealed that it is necessary to teach students in classrooms how to select the correct information from books and notes and how to write it in the answer. For this, CBSE will prepare different types of sample papers, in which questions will force students to think and understand rather than providing direct answers.
This system is not entirely new for the board. In 2014, CBSE introduced the Open Text Based Assessment (OTBA), aimed at reducing rote learning. It was used for class 9 in Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science, and for class 11 in Economics, Biology and Geography. Students were provided with reference material four months in advance. However, it was discontinued in 2017-18. CBSE continues to conduct various experiments related to education, which are implemented from time to time.
