CBSE board exams 2021 will be in written mode only and not online, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) officials said on Wednesday even as consultations on dates for the conduct of the examination are still underway.

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The officials of the board also said that if students were not able to sit for practicals in classes before the exams, alternatives would be explored.

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“No final decision has been taken regarding the dates for the conduct of board exams, and consultations with stakeholders are still in process. The exams, as and when they are conducted, will be in the written mode and not in an online mode. The exams will be conducted following all COVID protocols,” a senior CBSE official said.

In the last week of November, a senior government official had told HT that the education ministry plans to consult students and their parents regarding holding of examinations as a fresh cycle of key tests is set to begin with the onset of the New Year. The official said that in the opinion of the education ministry the examination calendar for 2021 will need to be tweaked as the Covid-19 situation is still continuing.

Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ is supposed to hold an interaction with students, teachers, and parents on December 10 on the issue of conduct of board examinations and competitive examinations next year. Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of COVID-19 and partially reopened in some states from October 15.

 However, a few states decided to keep them closed in view of a spike in infections. The board exams that were being conducted in March had to be postponed mid-way. The exams were later canceled, and the results were announced on the basis of an alternative assessment scheme.

Demands to postpone CBSE board exams

Competitive exams like JEE and NEET were also postponed twice this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been demands for postponement of board exams to May in view of the continued closure of schools and teaching-learning activities being completely online.

The Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)-Main for admission to engineering colleges across the country is likely to be held in February instead of January, according to officials. The rising number of COVID-19 cases and engineering admission for this year still being underway are among the reasons behind authorities contemplating the move.

The JEE-Main, which is the national-level competitive test for admission to various undergraduate engineering and architecture courses, is conducted twice a year – January and April. However, due to the COVID-19 situation, the April exam was postponed twice and conducted in September.