CBSE grading system: What UAE students must know
Farther afield in the UAE, teachers have been filling the reassurance gap, explaining to students that their results — and academic futures — are safe, even as boiling regional tensions have caused the cancellation of all remaining Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 and 12 board exams across the Middle East; plans for many were already on hold.
The decision, inspired by the ongoing tension between the US, Israel and Iran, prioritised student safety over myriad other considerations such as grading and results or where they go from here.
Students across the country, who had prepared for the exams over months, are slowly adjusting to an alternative evaluation system amid widespread anxiety, wherein clarity on length and criteria of marking has emerged as the key in dispelling concerns.
In response CBSE has announced a special assessment scheme for the region with an intention to maintain fairness and continuity while strengthening that no student is put at disadvantage.
Hybrid method for delivering fairness
CBSE has come up with a hybrid evaluation system that would award marks for the exams successfully conducted as well as derive average marks in subjects which could not be conducted to mitigate the disruption.
This is done in the hope that students are judged on what they demonstrated rather than what they could easily have done, or would do if given more time.
Explaining the approach, Fatima Martin, Principal and CEO of GEMS New Millennium School said that this scheme is made to be fair in combination with global standards. The model “ensures that students are assessed fairly and no student is disadvantaged because of circumstances beyond his or her control,” she said, adding that it “moves the focus from an examination-focused system to a more balanced evidence-based assessment.
Under this framework, students who sat all their examinations will be graded according to actual performance. Students who will miss papers on the day of the exam, CBSE will work out marks through averages from their best-performing subjects.
For example, students who took four subjects will have the average of the best three papers applied to a paper they missed (so if their four were Maths, Chemistry and Biology it wouldn’t pay for them to have entered for Physics), while those who sat fewer exams in total will also be able to apply averages.
“This transparent, graded approach ensures that every student is assessed proportionately,” Martin stressed, further reiterating confidence that results will continue to be comparable with the worldwide CBSE cohort.
Dr Prema Muralidhar, Principal of The Royal Academy Ajman, reiterated this explaining that CBSE has “a structured evidence-based evaluation matrix” in place and marks from completed exams will be used as a basis for deriving scores for missed subjects. Statistical moderation and averaging protocols are being used to ensure “standardisation, reliability, and parity with the global cohort”, she added.
Improvement examinations and future opportunities
This disruption has led to one of the greatest fears for UAE families — will it be result delays or affect higher education plans? CBSE has assured students that results will be declared on schedule, in tandem with the global scheme — a reassurance that has soothed nerves across the community.
According to Dr Muralidhar, this alignment is“reassuring”, as it allows for “seamless academic progression and informed decision-making for higher education pathways for students applying to universities in India and abroad, timelines are critical".
In addition to results, CBSE is also sticking to the plan of improvement examinations. These exams are conducted every April to June and linked with larger education reforms, providing an opportunity for students who believed they could have fared better under normal circumstances.
Speaking about the emotional upheaval families are facing, Bhanu Sharma, Principal of Woodlem Park Ajman said: “This situation has understandably caused anxiety among students and parents,” he said, adding the CBSE has acted “with sensitivity and flexibility” to ensure that academic progression is not impacted.
Schools across the Emirates are also playing a role to help students through guidance and counselling, she said.
“We are witnessing reasonable interest in improvement exams, especially students who believe they can do better under normal conditions,” he said. “The second phase of improvement or class 12 will be done in May and June, as it is traditionally conducted by CBSE. A student would be able to appear there and preserve the better score.”
“The focus is still very much on reassurance — students should remain confident their efforts will be recognised fairly despite these unprecedented times,” she said.
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