The Indian education system's recent move to offer Class 10 students two board examination attempts acknowledges the limitations of traditional end-of-year assessments, but the article argues that the fundamental issue is delayed feedback, not the exams themselves. Effective learning improvement, as seen in successful educational systems, stems from teachers regularly understanding student comprehension and struggles, rather than solely relying on infrequent, high-stakes examinations. Learning gaps begin much earlier than Class 10, as evidenced by ASER findings showing significant deficiencies in basic skills among younger students, gaps that accumulate over time due to a lack of timely intervention. The article advocates for a shift towards continuous, low-stakes assessments throughout the year, which provide immediate feedback for both students and teachers, allowing for adjustments in instruction before learning gaps widen. This approach aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 and emphasizes that the real reform needed is to transform assessment from an annual event into an ongoing process that supports continuous learning and teaching, rather than focusing solely on improving the final examination.

The Indian education system's recent move to offer Class 10 students two board examination attempts acknowledges the limitations of traditional end-of-year assessments, but the article argues that the fundamental issue is delayed feedback, not the exams themselves. Effective learning improvement, as seen in successful educational systems, stems from teachers regularly understanding student comprehension and struggles, rather than solely relying on infrequent, high-stakes examinations. Learning gaps begin much earlier than Class 10, as evidenced by ASER findings showing significant deficiencies in basic skills among younger students, gaps that accumulate over time due to a lack of timely intervention. The article advocates for a shift towards continuous, low-stakes assessments throughout the year, which provide immediate feedback for both students and teachers, allowing for adjustments in instruction before learning gaps widen. This approach aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 and emphasizes that the real reform needed is to transform assessment from an annual event into an ongoing process that supports continuous learning and teaching, rather than focusing solely on improving the final examination.

The Indian education system's recent move to offer Class 10 students two board examination attempts acknowledges the limitations of traditional end-of-year assessments, but the article argues that the fundamental issue is delayed feedback, not the exams themselves. Effective learning improvement, as seen in successful educational systems, stems from teachers regularly understanding student comprehension and struggles, rather than solely relying on infrequent, high-stakes examinations. Learning gaps begin much earlier than Class 10, as evidenced by ASER findings showing significant deficiencies in basic skills among younger students, gaps that accumulate over time due to a lack of timely intervention. The article advocates for a shift towards continuous, low-stakes assessments throughout the year, which provide immediate feedback for both students and teachers, allowing for adjustments in instruction before learning gaps widen. This approach aligns with the National Education Policy 2020 and emphasizes that the real reform needed is to transform assessment from an annual event into an ongoing process that supports continuous learning and teaching, rather than focusing solely on improving the final examination.

For decades, Indian education has relied on a simple assumption - the best way to  understand what a student has learned is to examine them at the end of the year. CBSE's recent decision to offer Class 10 students two board examination attempts instead of one is an acknowledgement that this approach has limitations. Giving students a second chance reduces pressure and makes the system fairer. But it also raises a more important question: why are we still waiting until the end of the academic year to find out whether a child has understood what they were taught?

Over the years, educators and school leaders across different education systems have observed a consistent pattern. The schools that improve learning outcomes most effectively are rarely the ones conducting more examinations. They are the ones where teachers have regular visibility into what students understand, where they are struggling, and what support they need next.

The problem isn't exams; it's delayed feedback.

The debate around board examinations often focuses on exam formats, question papers, evaluation methods, or the number of attempts students should receive. While these discussions matter, they overlook a more fundamental issue. Learning gaps rarely emerge in Class 10. They begin years earlier.

The latest ASER findings illustrate this clearly. In rural government schools, only 23.4% of Class 3 students can read a Class 2-level text. By Class 8, fewer than half can solve a basic division problem. These outcomes are not the result of a single bad year or a difficult examination. They reflect learning gaps that have accumulated over time without being identified early enough.

An annual examination merely reveals the problem. By then, the opportunity for timely intervention has often passed.

If a child stops understanding fractions in Class 4, waiting until a board examination several years later to discover the gap serves little purpose. The challenge is not assessment itself; it is the timing of assessment.

Why the best schools measure learning continuously

The schools that consistently improve student outcomes share a relatively simple habit. They conduct short, low-stakes assessments throughout the year. These are not traditional tests designed to rank students. They are quick learning checks that help teachers understand whether concepts have been understood before moving on to the next lesson. A student may watch a short video, listen to an audio clip, or complete a brief interactive activity. The format is less important than the feedback generated.

Students receive immediate insight into what they have understood and where they need improvement. Teachers gain visibility into classroom-wide trends and individual learning gaps, allowing them to adjust instruction before those gaps widen.

This creates a continuous feedback loop where assessment becomes part of learning rather than a judgment delivered after learning is supposedly complete. For teachers, the greatest benefit is often not the assessment itself but the time and clarity it provides. When educators have a clearer picture of student progress throughout the year, they can focus less on paperwork and more on helping students overcome learning challenges before those challenges become long-term barriers.

The reform India actually needs

There is a tendency to frame this discussion as a story about technology or artificial intelligence. In reality, the shift required is much more fundamental. Continuous assessment is not a new idea. Effective teachers have always relied on regular feedback to guide instruction. Technology simply makes the process easier to implement consistently and at scale, especially in classrooms where teachers already face significant time constraints.

This vision is also at the heart of the National Education Policy 2020, which calls for assessment systems that are regular, formative, competency-based, and focused on improving learning outcomes. The establishment of PARAKH was intended to accelerate this transition.

Yet much of the conversation remains centred on improving the annual examination itself through multiple attempts, revised formats, or better evaluation systems. These are worthwhile changes, but they address symptoms rather than causes. India's education system does not primarily have an examination problem. It has a feedback problem.

Two board examinations are certainly better than one. But twenty meaningful learning checks spread across the year would likely do more to improve learning outcomes than any board examination reform currently under discussion.

CBSE has opened the right door. The next step is ensuring that assessment is no longer treated as an annual event but as an ongoing process that helps teachers teach better and students learn better.

The question for educators, policymakers, and parents is no longer whether students should get a second chance at an exam. It is whether we can build a system that helps them succeed long before they need one.

The author is co-founder of AssessPrep. 

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinion or views of THE WEEK.