CBSE Proficiency Test

Proficiency Test for Class X

A Proficiency Test measures an individual’s abilities and skills in a domain or subject to know how well he/she has learned, understood and internalised the related concepts and principles. Such a test in language e.g. may assess a student’s skills in reading, writing or vocabulary. Similarly a test in Science may focus on assessing students’ abilities to apply concepts and principles to analyse a given situation, solve a given problem and conduct practical work efficiently. A test in Mathematics may similarly assess problem solving abilities and skills of mathematical thinking, mathematical reasoning and procedural techniques followed by students. Thus, the proposed Proficiency Test will mainly focus on assessing students’ abilities and skills to apply knowledge and understanding of any subject to new and unfamiliar everyday life situations.

The core testing element of such a test will include observing, comparing, classifying, solving, translating, interpreting, analyzing, synthesising, creating, composing, deducing, justifying and judging/evaluating.

It is optional in nature. Only those students who wish to take this test willingly may appear.

Optional Proficiency Test

• The test is optional for students.
• The test is for the students who passed Class X in March.
• The test will be based on new CCE pattern.
• The test is for students who get motivated by Examinations.
• No additional fees for the test is charged.
• The test will comprise of Multiple Choice Questions.
• Students would have the option to take test in just one subject or more subjects.
• The result will declare the students’ percentile instead of percentages.

The following shall be the mode of submission of List of Candidates (LOC) for Class-X Proficiency Test, schedule and fee to be paid:

• Mode of submission of List of Candidates : On-line through www.cbse.nic.in

Fee to be paid by student for appearing in the Test:

• One subject                    Rs. 300/- (Three hundred)
• Two subject                    Rs. 400/- (Four hundred)
• Three subjects                Rs. 500/- (Five hundred)
• Four or Five subjects  Rs. 600/- (Six hundred)

It is clarified that all schools, including those schools who had registered earlier, are required to submit the List of Candidates (LOC) for those candidates who are willing to appear in the Proficiency Test.

Requisite Fee for Proficiency Test shall be paid in the form of Demand draft made in favour of the Secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE drawn on any Nationalised Bank payable at Delhi.

Final List with candidate's signature along with Demand draft and duly filled and signed Certificate of Principal should reach the Director (Academic), Shiksha Sadan, 17-Rouse Avenue, Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110002 

Procedure for online submission of details of List of Candidates (LOC) for Proficiency Test:

Students who want to assess themselves after giving the 'Final Summative Assessment' in school can appear for an on-demand proficiency test which is conducted online. For students who are studying in secondary schools (till Class X), the CBSE Board will conduct a separate 'external examination'. It is to be noted that the 'online proficiency test' should not be confused with the 'external examination'.

The objectives of the CBSE board got further stretched, when merged with the ‘Delhi Board of Secondary Education’; hence all the educational institutions which would fall under the recognitions of the Delhi Board have also become a part of CBSE. The CBSE is dynamically creating histories through its educational reforms in the country.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) was reconstituted in the year 1962 with major objectives of serving the educational institutions, more effectively and solely responsible for the education needs of those students, whose parents are working in the central government and have frequently transferrable jobs. After its objective is been extended, it started introducing new educational schemes and it is establishing many educational reforms, recently, such as Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE). According to CCE system, the 10th standard students would not be facing board examinations (public examinations), instead they would be examined and evaluated internally on daily basis; this system is been implemented in the 9th and 10th academic standards. Such amendments would definitely enhance the educational standards and student’s learning style. The most important fact that the 10th students would be having opportunities to study leisurely, rather stressing them down for the board exams is amazing. Another such reform activity is the ‘Proficiency Test’. This test would be conducted at the end of the 10th standard with an objective to test the student’s intense knowledge in a particular subject. Moreover, this test is optional and the students, who are willing to appear for the test, must pay around Rs. 500 – Rs. 1000 separately. This system is likely to get amended from next year onwards. The major significant features of this test are described as follows:

• This test would be conducted on five major subjects of the academics, such as, English; Hindi; Mathematics; Science; and Social Science.
• The subjects are also optional, i.e. the students may appear on one, or more exams; even all the 5 exams, depending on their interests.
• The questions are of multiple choice types, conducted for duration of about two and a half hours; 100 mark each.
• The questions would have been taken from the 9th and 10th standard syllabus.
• The students, who are appearing for the test, will be awarded certificates by the CBSE, through its joint collaboration with the concerned educational institutions, indicating the percentile mark.
• The objective of this test is to analyze the students’ skills in a specific subject; to measure their depth of knowledge in that subject; to test their abilities of understanding the concepts and principles of the syllabus and capabilities of implementing the same in practice, etc. Hence, it doesn’t involve any memory based questions, similar to the final board examination question papers of the 10th standard (the previous existed system).
• The question paper consists of negative markings for the wrong answers and the number of questions may differ from each question paper.
• The test is conducted to assess the skills of the students, such as, observational capabilities; implementation strategies; analyzing abilities; interpreting and evaluating skills, etc.

The fact that the proficiency test is optional and those students, who are willing to take the test, are welcomed is awe-inspiring. Thus, the change is been implemented casually; it’s not been forced on the students. This would automatically induce interest into the students’ minds; they themselves would come forward to take up the test. According to my perception, this is the right method of implementing awesome changes in the educational system.