In a significant change from its traditional absolute marking system, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced a relative grading system for classes 10 and 12 board examinations in 2024. This step, with the aim of aligning the evaluation with global academic standards, has been evaluated and reported to the student’s performance.
Under the relative grading model, the student score is evaluated on a full scale compared to the performance of the entire corort. This means that individual marks are interpreted in terms of the overall performance of the group, possibly to achieve the ‘correct score’ and to reduce the pressure to bring more fairness in grade distribution.
Why change?
CBSE officials said the shift was informed about the concerns about mark inflation, unhealthy competition and student stress. In recent years, excessive cut-off phenomena for college entry and pressure to score more than 95% had equally criticized teachers and parents.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also recommended reforms to reduce rut learning and focus on overall development – a goal that attempts to serve the new system.
How the system works
Relative grading depends on statistical matrix such as standard deviations and mean scores. The grade like A1, A2, B1, and further has been assigned on the basis of distribution of marks across the group. For example, the top 1/8th place of candidates may be obtained on the basis of A1, next 1/8th A2, and so on, subject-wise performance.
However, announcing the Class 12 board exam results today, CBSE said that it will release the merit list to the top 0.1 percent students who have scored the highest marks in subjects.
What does this mean for students
For students, this system can reduce the stigma associated with slight low digits and discourage unhealthy academic rivalry. Teachers, also, can benefit from a more overall approach to evaluation, focus less on “Marx Maximization” and are more on ideological understanding.
