Upon receiving a proposal from the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE), the government issued an order to allocate 20 marks out of a total of 100 marks in each subject as internal marks, reports The New Indian Express. According to a notification by the DPUE, the inclusion of internal marks is part of a comprehensive evaluation system. “It helps understand the students' potential and increases the seriousness of quizzes and mid-term examinations. Internal assessments also reduce test anxiety and stress. Student observations are continuous and allow learning to improve,” they said.
The primary purpose of internal marks is to bring uniformity across all subjects. Previously, Science subjects were divided into a 70-mark theory paper and a 30-mark practical paper, while non-practical subjects were assessed solely based on a 100-mark theory paper. This system has been modified to allocate 80 marks to non-practical subjects for theory and reserve 20 marks for internal evaluation.
The government order provides a breakdown of how these internal marks will be calculated.
Ten marks will be derived from the average of the best two unit tests, in combination with the mid-term examination. The remaining ten marks will be awarded for various projects and assignments. Specifically, five marks will be allotted for writing projects and assignments, three marks for presentations, and two marks for viva voce assessments.
The DPUE emphasises that the evaluation of assignments and projects, as well as the allocation of marks, should be carried out without bias toward any student. Additionally, all documents related to assignments must be retained for a period of four months. They have also stated that a list of project titles and assignments subject-wise should be given to the respective districts and these titles alone must be followed in giving assignments.
To facilitate the implementation of the new evaluation system, certain guidelines have been outlined in the government order:
- Principals are responsible for monitoring and supervising internal evaluations
- The Student Achievement Tracking System (SATS) should be promptly updated within 12 days of evaluating assignments, projects and other components
- The Karnataka State Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) will create a manual outlining the methods of internal evaluation
- Students who have not appeared for any tests or examinations throughout the year will need to achieve a minimum of 35 out of 80 marks in the final examination to pass
