CBSE to Introduce Open-Book Assessments for Class 9 Final Exams from 2026-27
New Delhi, 10th August 2025: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to roll out open-book assessments for Class 9 final examinations starting in the 2026-27 academic year. The move follows a pilot study and a series of deliberations within the board’s top decision-making bodies.
According to officials aware of the development, CBSE’s governing body gave the green signal to the proposal during its June 2025 meeting. The initiative is aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023 and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, both of which emphasise innovative assessment methods that encourage analytical thinking over rote memorisation.
“The aim is to test how well students can understand, interpret, and apply concepts rather than simply recall them,” a senior CBSE official said. “We want to prepare learners for real-world problem-solving, where reference materials are often available, but critical thinking is key.”
The open-book format will initially be implemented for core subjects including languages, mathematics, science, and social science in Class 9. Before this decision, the curriculum committee had discussed the idea in November 2023, leading to its approval in 2024.
A trial run was conducted in select schools for Classes 9 and 10 in English, Mathematics, and Science, and for Classes 11 and 12 in English, Mathematics, and Biology. The pilot aimed to measure the time students took to complete such papers and gather feedback from both students and teachers.
While the pilot revealed challenges—such as relatively lower success rates compared to traditional exams—educators remain optimistic. “The learning process becomes more engaging when students have to search, connect, and reason,” said a Delhi-based teacher who participated in the trial. “It shifts the focus from cramming to comprehension.”
The board plans to prepare standardised sample papers to maintain the quality and uniformity of questions. For now, CBSE will frame guidelines for schools to conduct internal open-book assessments for Class 9, but it is not expected to be compulsory for all institutions.
This is not CBSE’s first foray into such testing methods. Between 2014-15 and 2016-17, it experimented with an Open Text-Based Assessment (OTBA) for Classes 9 and 11, but the scheme was eventually discontinued due to lukewarm reception from students and educators.
What is an open-book exam?
In an open-book assessment, students are allowed to refer to textbooks, notes, and other authorised materials while answering questions. These exams typically include conceptual, analytical, and application-based questions rather than straightforward factual recall. Education experts believe such formats push learners towards higher-order thinking skills, reducing reliance on rote learning.
