Understanding CBSE’s Relative Grading System: Grades Reflecting Performance, Not Just Marks
For CBSE Class 10 and 12 students, exams are a high-pressure situation. But what if grades went beyond just marks? The CBSE’s relative grading system does just that, focusing on a student’s performance relative to their peers.
Moving Beyond Fixed Marks:
Unlike absolute grading with predetermined mark ranges for each grade (e.g., 91–100 for A1), relative grading assesses students based on their position within the group. Imagine a race: everyone competes, but the top finisher gets the gold, not necessarily the one who clocks the fastest time in absolute terms.
How It Works:
- Rank Order: After the exams, CBSE arranges all passing students in a subject based on their marks.
- Grade Distribution: This student pool is then divided into nine categories, with A1 being the top and E2 the lowest. Ideally, each category gets an equal share (around 1/8th) of the students. Minor adjustments account for ties.
Key Points to Remember:
- The same marks in two subjects might result in different grades. This is because the difficulty of the subject and overall student performance in that subject are considered.
- This system is only applied if more than 500 students pass a particular subject. For subjects with fewer students, grades are assigned based on a similar distribution pattern seen in other subjects.
Benefits of Relative Grading:
- Reduced Exam Pressure: Students may feel less stressed as the focus shifts from achieving a specific mark to performing well compared to their peers.
- Encourages Learning: The emphasis is on understanding concepts rather than just rote memorization for marks.
Understanding relative grading can help students and parents approach exams with a calmer perspective. It emphasizes that a good grade reflects how well a student performed compared to their peers, not just the raw marks they scored.
