The annual exams for students in grades 6-9 will be held with creative question papers this year, and the results will be published under the grading system, according to the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB). The interim government has recently scrapped the new curriculum evaluation system, but students will still sit for exams under the creative question system.
NCTB Chairman Prof. AKM Riazul Hasan said that each 100-mark subject exam will include short questions, descriptive questions, correct answers, true-false, and fill-in-the-blank questions. The exam will be divided into two parts, with 70% of the marks allocated for overall assessment and 30% for learning assessment. A section will also feature short multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
The assessments will follow internationally recognized standards, ensuring a fair evaluation of students’ performance. However, some parents and education reform advocates suggest that the current evaluation system still needs improvement. Rakhal Saha, convener of Sommillito Shikkha Andolan, expressed concerns about the limitations of creative questionnaires but accepted the method for now.
Prof. Riazul Hasan mentioned that the NCTB is working on developing a more acceptable assessment system that reflects students’ needs and feedback. Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, the interim government has initiated reforms in various sectors, including education. The recent changes are a response to the long-standing demands of students, teachers, and parents to cancel the new curriculum.
Despite scrapping the new evaluation system, the government has decided to continue with creative question-based exams for students in grades 6-9 this year. The NCTB aims to improve the evaluation process further in the future, addressing the concerns of all stakeholders.
