The key point related to competency-based assessment in India is promotion of Vocational Education and Skill Development. Through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the government has been actively promoting skill development and vocational education to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of skilled workers in various industries looking at the future demands. Competency-based assessments (CBA) plays a crucial role in assessing and certifying the skills of individuals, which are essential for their employability. The National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) has been created to develop a skilled workforce and boost job opportunities for the youth.

Competency-based assessments are designed to assess a learner's knowledge, skills, and values in a specific domain or field. These assessments aim to provide a comprehensive and objective understanding of the proficiency level of the learner and her/his ability to perform various tasks. Through these assessments, strengths and weaknesses of the individual can be identified. This information can be used to highlight areas where the individual excels and areas, they may require further development and learning. The outcomes of competency-based assessments can be used to design personalized training and development plans and making it more relevant to the world of work. It also serves as benchmarks to measure progress over time, allowing individuals and organizations to track growth and improvement. Overall, the expected outcomes of competency-based assessments revolve around making informed decisions, fostering growth, and aligning individual capabilities with organizational needs. These assessments can play a vital role in talent management, career development, and overall performance improvement for creating a workforce aligned to the requirements of the future.

NEP 2020 in para 4.41 envisages that PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be a standard-setting body that fulfils the basic objectives of setting norms, standards, and guidelines for student assessment and evaluation for all recognized school boards of India, guiding the State Achievement Survey and undertaking the National Achievement Survey , monitoring achievement of learning outcomes in the country, and encouraging and helping school boards to shift their assessment patterns towards meeting the skill requirements of the 21st century in consonance with the stated objectives of this Policy. This Centre will also advise school boards regarding new assessment patterns and latest research, promoting collaborations between school boards. It will also become an instrument for the sharing of best practices among school boards, and for ensuring equivalence of academic standards among learners across all school boards. The session would deliberate on the expected outcomes under the said preface.

1.1 Expected Outcomes of the Session

• Formulating new and innovative methods to engage and empower teachers in using competency-based assessment in ‘School Based Assessments’ with an enhanced use of technology in documentation and it’s use in improving teaching-learning.
• Deliberate on the implementation of various initiatives such as Holistic Progress Card (HPC), large scale assessments/surveys, school-based assessments and other best practices adopted to promote competency-based assessment in overall education system.
• Deliberate on the need for Equivalence of Boards in the context of competency-based assessments, the National Credit Framework and operationalization of Academic Bank of Credit.

1.2 Roadmap for Institutes

• Roles of PARAKH:At the National level, PARAKH needs to strengthen and support the implementation of Competency-Based Assessments which would involves the following steps:
  
  1. Curriculum Design: Need to collaborate with educational experts and stakeholders to design competency-based curricula. These curricula would define the specific competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes) students are expected to demonstrate by the end of each grade or educational level.
  2. Competency Based Assessment Framework: The competencies are then organized into an assessment framework that outlines the progression of skills and knowledge from one grade level to the next. This framework provides a clear pathway for students to develop their abilities and skills.
  3. Learning Outcomes: Clear learning outcomes are defined for each competency, describing what students should be able to do to show proficiency in that area.
  4. Assessment Design: PARAKH to design assessments that would assess students' competencies at the Foundational, Preparatory, Middle and Secondary stages. These assessments can take various forms, including performance tasks, projects, portfolios, etc.
  5. Teacher Training: PARAKH will organize training programmes for the teachers to understand the competency-based approach and how to design and administer assessments that align with the defined competencies and learning outcomes.
  6. Student-Centric Learning: With CBA, there is often a shift toward more personalized and student-centric learning. Thus, enabling students to progress at their own pace and removing the learning - burden.
• Roles of SCERTs:
  
  1. Curriculum Development: SCERTs play a crucial role in designing the competency-based curriculum for the state. They work with subject matter experts, educationists, and teachers to define the competencies and learning outcomes for each grade level.
  2. Assessment Framework: SCERTs are responsible for developing the assessment framework, which includes guidelines for designing competency-based assessments. It needs to be ensured that the assessments align with the defined competencies and accurately measure students' proficiency.
  3. Teacher Training and Support: SCERTs should organize workshops, training programs, and seminars at the district level for teachers to help them understand the new competency-based approach. They need to provide resources and support to teachers to effectively implement CBA in their classrooms.
  4. Quality Assurance: SCERTs need to monitor and evaluate the implementation of CBA in schools across the state. They should conduct quality assurance checks to ensure that the assessments are fair, unbiased, and effectively measure student competencies.
• Roles of DIETs:
  
  1. Teacher Training: DIETs would engage in building teachers' capacity to implement competency-based teaching and assessments effectively.
  2. Classroom Support: DIETs to work closely with BRCs, CRCs and teachers in classrooms to provide support, resources, and guidance in implementing CBA in their day-to-day teaching practices.
  3. Feedback and Improvement: DIETs collect feedback from teachers and schools regarding the implementation of CBA. They identify challenges and areas for improvement and communicate this information to the SCERTs and other relevant authorities.
  4. Monitoring and Evaluation: DIETs may also play a role in monitoring the progress of CBA implementation at the district level and reporting back to the SCERTs.

The successful implementation of Competency-Based Assessments requires collaboration, communication, and ongoing support from all stakeholders involved in the education system.

1.3 Best Practices

With the advent of the NEP 2020, the competency-based assessment has gained popularity amongst States and Union Territories (UTs) as an alternative to traditional examination systems. Some of the best practices include a change in the focus to assess and validate a learner's skills, knowledge, and values in a more comprehensive and practical manner. Another is the ongoing discussions with an emphasis on skills and real-world applications, providing students with situations to develop life skills that they can apply in various contexts. There would be a shift from rote memorization and theoretical knowledge to a more hands-on and problem-solving approach. A shift from a ‘one shot examination’ to regular assessments is being embraced in some States and Union Territories during the learning process to provide feedback and identify areas where students need additional support. Incorporating flexibility and adaptability in the assessment processes is another off shoot of NEP 2020, which states that the functioning of the boards should be decentralized. There are multiple ways to be flexible with assessments while challenging students, maintaining rigor, and continuing to provide the needed structure. Many format variations can be offered to encourage and support students’ individual passions and strengths, such practices may be incorporated in the functioning of the different school boards.