Merits and Demerits of CBSE Grading System

A grading system is a system that is used to assess the educational performance and achievements of a child. The primeval type of grading system uses the total marks scored by the child for this assessment. But things have been changing. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced a new grading system where alphabets especially first five alphabets from A to E are used for grading purpose.

Special features of CBSE Board Results with new Grading System would be:

Instead of marks or ranks, students will be awarded grades from total 9 grades. The disheartening declarations such as “Fail”,” Promoted” and “Detained” would not be used anymore. All students scoring an equal number of marks in total would be given the same grade without any other criteria. The number of pass students must be more than 500. Below is the grading table:

A1-- (91%-100%), A2 (81%- 90%), --- Highest Grade,

B1-- (71%-80%), B2 (61%-70%),

C1-- (51%-60%), C2 (41%-50%),

D-- (Below Average),

E1-- (Needs improvement),

E2-- (Unsatisfactory) –Lowest grade.

This new grading system has been introduced by CBSE in order to minimize the classification of the students on the basis of their marks and to encourage understanding based learning.

Merits of grading system:

1. It would help to take off some pressure from the students at a certain level such as comparison of marks for some subjects such as Mathematics, Physics etc.

2.    It will reduce the unhealthy competition between achievers for a mark or two to achieve particular rank as all of them would be in one group with the same grade.

3.    The classification of students based on scored marks would be reduced.

4.  Since the disheartening declarations such as “Failed” are going to be stopped, the percentage of suicide cases on failure is expected to be reduced.

5.    Students will be judged on overall understanding and achievements in all subjects.

Demerits of CBSE grading system :

1.    The urge to outperform others and put the best efforts would be reduced.

2.    Hard work of the top students will not get the appreciation they desire to have as all of them would get same grade A1.

3.    The differences in marks scored by students will remain unnoticed.

4.    Few subjects in which they are weak could be ignored by students.

5.  The distinctive features of one student from another fellow student would not be recognized as they will fall in the same group.