In a landmark educational shift, CBSE has approved the rollout of open-book assessments for Class 9, starting in the 2026–27 academic year, responding to board discussions held in June. This move aligns with NEP 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE), steering schools away from rote learning toward critical thinking, analysis, and real-world application.

The decision follows a pilot study that gauged the model's feasibility and found strong support among educators. While schools won’t be mandated to adopt it, CBSE plans to release guidelines and sample papers to help standardize and ease integration during internal term assessments.

Typically covering core subjects—such as languages, science, mathematics, and social science these open-book assessments are designed to shift focus from memorization to understanding, evaluation, and effective use of resources.

With this rollout, CBSE is ushering in a more thoughtful, NEP-aligned approach emphasizing learning as an active, resourceful process rather than a memory test.