HISTORY OF EXAMINATION REFORM IN INDIA
 

H. S. SINGHA Reader, National Institute of Education

National Council of Educational Research and Training New Delhi 16

HISTORY OF EXAMINATION REFORM IN INDIA

1. Examinations have been proverbially described as the bane of our educational system. Successive commissions and committees on education have emphasised the need for examination reform and suggested specific measures towards this end. The University Edu- cation Commission (1948) went so far as to say: "We are convinced that if we are to suggest any single reform in university education, it would be that of examinations." (p. 328.) The Mudaliar Commission on Secondary Education (1952-53) also recognised the lack of validity, reliability and objectivity in examinations. Much was not, however, done to remove the defects of the examination system until 1958 when the erstwhile All-India Council for Secondary Education which had always recognised the importance of improving examinations as a means of improving the quality of education, set up the Central Examination Unit to organise programmes of examination reform at the secondary stage. With the establishment of the National Council of Educational Research and Training, the Central Examination Unit along with the All-India Council for Secondary Education became its part and has, ever since, been working vigorously to refine and improve examinations. Efforts have been mainly concentrated at the stage of secondary education, although some work has also been taken up at other stages of education. The work has, in general, been appreciated. The Education Commission (1964-66) went on to put on record ". . . . the activity that one now sees in this matter (examination reform) in the State Boards for Secondary Education is due largely to the Central Examination Reform Unit in the National Council of Educational Research and Training". (p. 291.) The Commission, in fact, recommended that a similar unit be also set up in the U.G.C. immediately.

2. To overcome the shortcomings of public examinations as well as school evaluation, the Central Examination Unit located in the NCERT developed a comprehensive programme of examination reform to meet the educational social and psychological points of view. It was aimed at (i) improvement of written, practical and oral examinations, (ii) introduction of internal assessment procedures on scientific lines, and (iii) bringing about consequential changes, as for example in curriculum and textbooks, etc. Chief proposals for the improvement of written examinations comprised: (i) improvement of questions, (ii) improvement of question-papers

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to ensure reliability, validity and objectivity, (iii) improvement of scoring procedures, and . (iv) improvement of the mechanics of examinations. The programme of examination reform was suitably phased out to ensure easy and effective implementation. In the first phase it was proposed to concentrate all the efforts on external exa- mination, in the second phase it was proposed to cover internal assessment procedures and then finally to tackle the rest of the problems.

3. The above programme of examination reform had been developed through conferences, meetings, seminars and work-shops conducted all over the country. A number of State level agencies collaborated in the development of this programme. The main among them are:

1. State Boards of Secondary Education.

2. State Departments of Education.

3. State Evaluation Units.

4. State Institutes of Education.

5. Teachers Colleges.

6. Extension Services Departments.

As State Boards of Secondary Education or Departments of Education are the main agencies for the conduct of external exami- nation, the major portion of the work wits naturally with these agencies. Other agencies mentioned above cooperated to make the programme it success. Most of the States and Union Territories have been covered so far. Some have already implemented the programme while others are in the process of doing so. The only States left are Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa. This is not because of any unwillingness on their part but only due to the paucity of personnel in the NCERT.

4. The work of examination reform in the States has, by and large, consisted of training paper-setters, examiners, resource persons, etc., and publication of literature on evaluation. In order to assist the States, the NCERT has also conducted a number of studies and investigations on examinations and has brought out periodical pub- lications like the Examination Abstracts and the Evaluation News- letter. A fairly big test pool has also been set up in the NCERT for the benefit of States. A summary of the major accomplishments of the NCERT in the field of examination reform at the secondary stage is given below for quick perusal:

A. Personnel Trained

                  1.   Paper-setters in different subjects     1,320
        
                  2.   Resource persons                          850
         
                  3.   Training college lecturers                500 
             
                  4.   Examiners for oral examination            100
         
                  5.   Examiners for practical examination 
                       in science subjects                       525 
        
                  6.   Teachers for internal assessment          200
        
         
                           

 B. Literature Published 
        
                   1.  Brochures on evaluation                    20
        
                   2.  Brochures on sample question papers        83
        
                   3.  Brochures on unit tests                    61
        
                   4.  Reports of conferences and seminars         8
        
                   5.  Reports of paper setters workshops         48
        
                   6.  Reports of training college workshops      11
        
                   7.  Examination abstracts                       7
        
                   8.  Evaluation newsletters                     16
        
                            

 C.    Studies Completed 
        
                  1.   Studies related to external examination    22 
        
                  2.   Studies related to school evaluation        8
         
                                 

 D.     Test Pool
        
                   1.  Test items in different subjects       11,000
        
                   2.   Unit tests in different subjects         700
                   
                  3.   Question-papers and diagnostic tests      150
        
                                         

5. Besides lie above-mentioned work done at the secondary stage, the NCERT also took up examination reform programme oil an experimental basis at the elementary, university and teacher education stages in response to requests received from them. As a special case the Army Education Corps was also assisted in improving its examinations by training its officers through short-term training Courses.

6. The National Council of Educational Research and Wining has been the sole agency initiating and coordinating the work of examination reform at the school stage in the country. Proposals have recently come from some other countries asking for assistance in this work. The Government of Nepal have sought the help of the NCERT to get their personnel of the recently started Examination Reform Division trained in evaluation techniques.

Appendix 9

Committee on Examinations

Central Advisory Board of Education Ministry of Education and Youth Service India