In a significant departure from traditional assessment models, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to introduce open-book assessments (OBAs) for Class 9 students starting in the 2026–27 academic year. Under this approach, students will be allowed to consult their textbooks and approved reference materials during exams. The move has sparked curiosity, hope, and skepticism in equal measure.
Is this the disruption our education system needs, or a gamble that might weaken core learning?
The Context: A Shift Rooted in NEP 2020
At the heart of this decision lies the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, a landmark reform document that envisions a learner-centric, inquiry-driven education model. NEP explicitly calls for a shift away from rote memorization toward competency-based learning that prioritizes critical thinking, application, and understanding.
Open-book exams align with this philosophy. Instead of testing how well students can recall content, they test how well they can interpret, analyze, and apply it.
Open Text-Based Assessment – Game changer or Risk
The CBSE piloted open-book assessments in late 2023 across Classes 9 to 12, and while student scores varied widely (between 12% and 47%), teachers noted a shift in classroom discourse. Students asked more questions, thought aloud more often, and stopped seeing exams as one-shot memory tests.
This is not India’s first experiment with open-book formats. The Open Text-Based Assessment (OTBA) initiative, introduced in 2014, aimed to foster analytical thinking by giving students case studies and questions weeks in advance. However, OTBA was scrapped by 2017 due to poor implementation and limited teacher training. Instead of promoting higher-order thinking, it devolved into another form of cramming—just with different material.
This time, CBSE says it’s learning from past mistakes. OBAs will be part of internal assessments, not board exams. Sample papers, rubrics, and teacher-training modules will be introduced well in advance. The model will allow flexibility while also maintaining structure.
The Promise: Redefining Assessment and Reducing Stress
Proponents of the new model argue that open-book exams could:
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Reduce exam anxiety: Students won’t be penalized for forgetting minor details.
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Encourage deeper learning: Knowing the answer is available doesn’t help unless the student knows where to look and how to interpret it.
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Mirror real-world problem solving: In real life, professionals often refer to books, tools, and collaborative inputs. Why should school be different?
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Shift focus from cramming to comprehension: Teachers may now spend more time building conceptual understanding rather than drilling students on predictable questions.
The pilot suggested that students who were trained to read between the lines benefited the most—indicating that open-book exams don’t dilute rigor; they change its nature.
The Caution: Will Foundational Learning Suffer?
Indian learning system has been based on foundation of learning, practicing, increase difficulty , repeat model. Students start with basic concepts, and they keep learning and improving themselves for higher and higher level concept, till they achieve mastery in their subject.
Many educators and parents fear that OBAs could create a false sense of security. Students might become complacent, assuming that answers are readily available. Others worry that this model could disproportionately benefit urban, well-resourced schools where teachers are better trained to implement new methods.
There’s also the question of assessment design. Poorly framed questions can easily turn open-book exams into scavenger hunts. Without high-quality, thought-provoking problems, these exams risk becoming just another paper with books on the table.
Critics also point out that a solid foundation in core knowledge—especially in subjects like math and science—is essential before one can analyze or apply. There’s a danger that early reliance on open books may compromise the development of essential recall-based skills, especially in under-resourced settings.
Learning Outcomes: Future ready students
If implemented well, OBAs could have a positive impact on learning outcomes. They align closely with NEP 2020’s vision of a student who can think, not just remember. However, the policy’s success will depend heavily on execution:
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Are teachers trained to design and evaluate such exams?
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Will students from different backgrounds get equal preparation?
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Will school leaders embrace the cultural shift away from grades and toward growth?
The answer to all these questions lies not in the policy itself, but in the ecosystem around it—curriculum design, teacher development, parent engagement, and school leadership.
Conclusion
Some people may think Open-book exams as a shortcut to better education. They are an extension of creative thinking, without being loaded with big formulas and equations . They offer something the current model lacks: a way to reward thinking, not just remembering. It will be also make teachers to set better questions papers and assessments, than copying from old sources, and students will also be more aware on how to solve the question, than bothering about memorizing. It is just like IKEA model of education, you create your own answer from group of items.
Perhaps the real question is not whether students will “cheat” with books open, but whether the system will finally reward them for thinking beyond the commonly asked questions, and solving complex questions not directly available in books.
As we watch this policy unfold in classrooms across the country, one thing is certain: India’s assessment narrative is finally changing.
See Also: Coaching for class 9