The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has announced a major change in its evaluation system for the annual examinations scheduled for March 2025. The Board will implement step-wise marking, a new grading approach designed to enhance fairness in assessing students’ performance, particularly in essay and application writing.
Under this system, essays will be evaluated based on five distinct components: introduction, reasons for persuasion, message, suggestions, and conclusion. Students will receive two marks for each of these points, allowing them to earn marks even if they do not complete the entire essay. Similarly, application writing will follow a structured evaluation, with marks assigned for correct salutation, praise, and conclusion. Students will earn one and a half marks for both the salutation and ending, while the praise section will be worth three marks.
Dr. Major Vishal Sharma, Secretary of the Board of School Education, highlighted that teachers responsible for marking the answer sheets have undergone training to ensure consistent and accurate application of the new grading scheme. This step-wise approach will allow students to secure partial marks by addressing individual parts of questions, even if they cannot provide a complete answer.
The introduction of this marking system is expected to benefit students by providing a more structured way to demonstrate their knowledge. Those who struggle with writing full answers can still accumulate marks through this method. Additionally, the pattern of question papers will be altered to accommodate the new marking criteria, ensuring alignment with the step-wise evaluation system.
This change reflects the School Education Board’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of assessments and create a more equitable system for students across Himachal Pradesh.
