New Delhi: In a major move since the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) ended the 10th standard board examinations and adopted the grading system, the Board has delivered on its assurance to take the extra-curricular performances of a student into account while grading them.

From now on, students studying in classes IX and X are entitled for an increase in their grade in one or two academic subjects if they fare well in their extra-curricular activities.

The new concept introduced by the CBSE called the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) promotes extra-curricular activities among students so that they are encouraged and are moulded into a confident individual in their field of interest.

According to this new rule, a student stands to gain upto 42 grade points while being assessed in both his academic and non-academic achievements.

A child scoring between 34 and 42 grade points in extra curricular activities stands a chance to be raised to the next levels in two academic subjects while those scoring between 19 and 33 points stand for a grade improvement chance by one level in one academic subject.

The principal of Springdales School, Ameeta Wattal, who is also a member of CCE, says that this new policy in grading would help provide a certain amount of dignity to a student's extra-curricular achievements.

The co-curricular activities that will be taken in to consideration for the up-scaling of grades are physical education, participation in clubs promoting cultural activities and also attitude towards fellow students and teachers.

The CBSE had mentioned in their Circular 39 that there will be no class X board examinations with effect from 2011. However, there is still confusion among some school authorities as to whether the current class X students will have to give the boards or not.

Nonetheless, several schools are preparing their X standard students for the boards as they feel that the students will be able to have a choice whether to give the board examination or not.

Circular 39 also mentions that students who wish to leave the CBSE system after their X standard will have to appear for the Board's External Examination, which can be written or online.

Another point clarified by the circular is that "students who wish to assess themselves vis-a-vis their peers or for self-assessment will be allowed to appear in an On Demand (written/online) Proficiency Test."

While Ameeta Wattal reasons that it is not possible for a student to appear for both summative assessment and the Boards, Anand Swaroop, principal of Air Force Bal Bharti School says that students would have a choice to decide whether they want to sit for the boards or not.

"I am confident students would have a choice about giving the Boards. This is because if a student might decide to change his school and sit for the Boards but later decide not to."

However, CBSE officials have maintained that the Circular 39 states clearly that students of X standard will be assessed only according to the CCE guidelines.