No board exams till February next year

New Delhi: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank on Tuesday ruled out conducting board examinations for classes X and XII till February next year in view of COVID-19 situation.

The decision on when the exams to be conducted will be taken later after due consultations and assessment of the situation, he said.

"Keeping the current situation in mind, it has been decided that the board exams for classes X and XII will not be conducted till February 2021. A decision on the exam schedule will be taken later after assessment of the situation and more consultations," Nishank said in online interaction with teachers.

Usually, the practical exams are conducted in January and theory exams begin every year in February and conclude in March.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had earlier this month announced that board exams in 2021 will be conducted in written mode and not online.

Schools across the country were closed in March to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were partially reopened in some states from October 15.

However, a few states have decided to keep them closed in view of a spike in the number of infections.

The board exams had to be postponed mid-way in March. They were later cancelled, and results announced on the basis of an alternative assessment scheme.

The education minister had a live interaction with students on December 10 and answered questions about various concerns regarding the conduct of upcoming board exams. The Ministry of Education had also announced that JEE-Mains for admission to engineering colleges will be held four times a year starting 2021 to offer flexibility to students and a chance to improve their scores.