Aug 11, 2025
Photo: Express Archive
The CBSE has announced the introduction of the Open Book Assessment (OBA) for Class 9, starting from the academic year 2026–27. The board's governing body approved this initiative during a meeting held in June.
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In an open book test, students are allowed to access academic resources like textbooks, class notes, and library books during the exam. This format assesses their ability to effectively utilize these materials to respond to the questions.
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The CBSE Class 9 Open Book Exams will be incorporated into the three pen-and-paper assessments conducted during each academic term for core subjects such as languages, mathematics, science, and social science.
Photo: Indian Express
CBSE conducted a pilot study on open book assessments for Classes 9 to 12. The findings indicated that while students encountered difficulties in effectively using the available resources and faced various performance-related challenges, teachers expressed support for the implementation of OBAs.
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At present, Open Book Assessments are only recommended for the schools and are not mandatory. Schools will be provided with guidelines and standardized sample papers to support the implementation of OBAs.
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With the introduction of Open Book Assessment in CBSE, the emphasis will shift from memorization to conceptual understanding and the application of information available. This approach is expected to significantly ease the intense exam pressure experienced by students.
Photo: Freepik
However, this exam format is not new for the board. In 2014, the CBSE introduced the Open Text Based Assessment (OTBA) for class 9 and 11 where students were provided the reference text four months before the exam. The OTBAs were discontinued in 2017-18as it was found ineffective in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills.