Polytechnic college exams to move on from long-format questions to short answers

CHENNAI: The Higher Education Department has introduced a comprehensive restructuring of evaluation practices in all polytechnic colleges, including self-financing institutions, to shift the focus from memory-based testing to multi-dimensional skill development.

"The existing assessment methodology relies heavily on descriptive, recall-based evaluations through long-answer questions. While this approach may have aligned with earlier curricular frameworks, it often fosters rote memorisation over conceptual clarity and practical application, thereby failing to adequately prepare students for the 21st-century workforce," noted a senior DoTE official, in a communique to all college principals.

The official noted that the current evaluation pattern suffers from several shortcomings, including limited content coverage, time-consuming correction processes, subjectivity in marking influenced by handwriting and clarity of expression, and a tendency to encourage rote learning over analytical thinking. It also fails to assess higher-order thinking skills, increases student anxiety under time pressure, and lacks alignment with industry-relevant skills, thereby affecting employability.

"To address these concerns, a comprehensive overhaul of evaluation practices has been formulated, shifting the emphasis from memory-based testing to multi-dimensional skill development," the official said.

Explaining the newly designed question paper structure, the official said it would include short-answer (2 and 3-mark) questions and reduce the weightage for descriptive components, placing greater emphasis on conceptual understanding and application.

"Theory papers will now incorporate practical demonstrations, simulated activities, and experimental assessments to test real-world application and industry relevance," the official added. Regular assessments will be conducted through class tests, quizzes, oral exams, case studies, mini-projects, group discussions, and portfolio-based evaluations to ensure comprehensive learning outcomes.

All assessment tools will be mapped to course outcomes to ensure demonstrable competency. "Faculty appraisal systems will now include question-wise mark analysis and course-level result metrics," the official said. The new framework will be implemented from the current academic year.