CBSE Syllabus and Curriculum Updates for Academic Year 2023-2024

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is one of India's main national boards known for its well-structured syllabus, important for students who want to excel in their higher studies and those who want to sit for national-level competitive exams. 

CBSE has recently released its secondary and senior secondary curriculum for the academic year 2023-24. As per the National Education Policy 2020, all boards have to reduce the content load and promote experiential learning among students. CBSE has incorporated this recommendation in its latest curriculum, reduced topics, and added various new concepts among different subjects.

Features of the 2023-24 CBSE Curriculum

CBSE has adopted the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage 2022 for its latest curriculum and has advised schools to adhere to the recommendations regarding curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and other areas. Each subject should be taught by combining various strategies such as art-integrated education, experiential learning, pedagogical plans, and more wherever possible.

CBSE has also provided sample papers on its official website to reflect the impact of the changes made in the curriculum so that students understand the exam patterns, question types, and marking schemes.  

Aims of the 2023-24 CBSE Curriculum

The 2023-24 curriculum lists several aims that CBSE hopes to achieve. Some of them are

• Provide students with an all-around physical, intellectual, and social development. 
• Eliminate the practice of rote learning and promote practical, 'constructivist,' analytical thinking.
• Promote competency-based understanding of concepts and their application.
• Promote 21st-century skills such as financial literacy, digital literacy, life skills, health and wellness, disaster management, citizenship, and more.
• Promote vocational learning and strengthen knowledge related to livelihood skills.
• Incorporate experiential, activity-centred, toy-based pedagogy, storytelling, gamification, and more in line with technological innovations to keep pace with global trends in various disciplines.

Rationalisation of Content

The National Education Policy has emphasised the need to reduce the content load on students and promote opportunities for experiential learning with a creative mindset. The pandemic also makes it necessary to reduce the burden on students. Thus, NCERT has decided to rationalise its textbooks across all classes. The rationalisation also ensures the Learning Outcomes developed by NCERT are considered.

The following types of content have been rationalised:

• Content that is similar to content included in other subjects in the same class.
• Similar content included in the lower or higher class of the same subject.
• Difficulty level
• Content that students can easily access and understand without requiring help from teachers. Concepts that they can learn via self-learning or peer learning.
• Content which is irrelevant in the present context.

Changes in the 2023-24 CBSE Curriculum    

CBSE has undertaken several changes in the latest curriculum for classes 9 to 12. Students can take a look at the detailed changes on the official website of CBSE. Some of the changes are:

• Reduction in Syllabus
  The syllabus has been reduced by 25-30%. Instead of removing entire chapters, CBSE has chosen to remove non-essential parts.
  
  
• Elements that Remain Unchanged
  For CBSE 9 to 12, there is no change in the course structure, unit-wise marks distribution, question paper design and typology of questions. The pattern remains the same as last year. Focus continues to be Competency-Based Questions.
  
  
• Addition of an Elective
  A new elective has been added to Group A called Applied Mathematics.
  
  
• Restoration of Single Annual Exam
  CBSE has decided to revert back to the pre-pandemic methods, and classes 10 and 12 will have to take a single annual board exam at the end of the year.
  
  
• Specimen Papers Released
  Specimen Papers for CBSE 10 and 12 for 2023-2024 have been released.
  
  
• Changes in the Class 12 Syllabus
  In Biology, the term 'Sacred Groves' has been added. A new book called 'Biology Supplementary Material' has also been prescribed.
  In Chemistry, 'Solid State' has been added as Unit 1. The sequence and names of some Units have also been changed. 'Cyanides and Isocyanides' has been removed. In Unit 15, new topics have been added in Polymers and Polymerization.
  In Chemistry practicals, some practicals have been removed, and the total number of practicals has been modified.
  In Physics, the number of practicals has increased to 6, and some portions have been removed.
  In Political Science, several new chapters have been added, and many chapters have been removed. Take a look at the revised syllabus on the official website to understand all the changes.
  
  
• Changes in the Class 11 Syllabus
  No changes have been made in the theory portion. The number of practicals has changed from 15 to 12.
  
  
• Changes in the Class 10 Syllabus
  Changes have been made in three subjects: English, Social Studies, and Science. The marks distribution has changed in Maths.
  In English, a new book 'Words and Expressions' has been prescribed. Some changes have been made to the marching scheme.
  In Social Studies, a new book called 'Learning Outcomes at the Secondary Stage' has been prescribed.
  In Science, a new book called 'Assessment of Practical Skills' has been prescribed.

FAQs

1. What are the changes in CBSE 2023 question pattern?

The latest CBSE board exams will give 40% weightage to MCQs, 40% weightage to subjective-type questions, and the final 20% weightage to competency-based questions.

2. Has CBSE reduced the syllabus for 2023?

Yes, CBSE has reduced almost 30% of the syllabus in major subjects from classes 9 to 12. This step was taken due to the pandemic, along with the approval of the Supreme Court.

3. What is the new rule of CBSE for the board exam 2023?

CBSE has decided to go forth with one yearly board exam. It has scrapped the term-wise examination pattern. Students will give annual board exams like before.

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