Pune: The Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has issued revised assessment guidelines for students from Classes 1 to 8 for the 2026-27 academic year, retaining the existing continuous and comprehensive evaluation system while introducing specific assessment requirements for new subjects under the revised curriculum.
According to a circular issued by SCERT under the state School Education and Sports Department, the guidelines follow the phased implementation of the new curriculum, which began with Class 1 in 2025-26 and extends to Classes 2, 3, 4 and 6 in 2026-27. The circular clarifies how existing assessment rules will apply to subjects whose names or course structures have changed.
The circular states that subjects whose names remain unchanged, as well as those continuing under the old curriculum, will follow the assessment method prescribed under the government resolution dated Aug 20, 2010. Subjects that have been renamed will also retain their earlier assessment pattern.
For instance, the renamed subject 'Our Surroundings Parts 1 and 2', corresponding to the earlier Environmental Studies subjects, will follow a formative and summative assessment ratio of 60:40 in Classes 3 and 4, and 50:50 in Class 5. The existing assessment process for compulsory Marathi in schools with other mediums of instruction will also continue.
The circular further states that annual examinations, supplementary examinations and assessment procedures for Classes 5 and 8 will follow the provisions of the government resolution dated Dec 7, 2023.
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A key change concerns vocational education, introduced as a new subject from Class 6. According to the guidelines, it will be assessed entirely through formative assessment, following the pattern previously prescribed for Work Experience. The subject Work Experience has been renamed Work Education and will be taught up to Class 5, with 100% formative assessment continuing under the existing framework.
The circular also lays down specific requirements for Art Education. For Classes 3, 4 and 6, schools must use at least five of the eight assessment tools prescribed under the 2010 government resolution for formative assessment. However, presentation and written tests have been made compulsory. The assessment will cover visual arts, theatre, music, dance and movement, with students evaluated on practical performance, creativity, use of materials, confidence and theoretical understanding.
For Class 6 vocational education, the accompanying guidelines prescribe a 75:25 weightage for practical and written assessment, respectively. Each term will carry 100 marks. Students must complete three projects during the academic year, covering living-based activities, machine and material-based work, and human-service-based activities. Assessment will include written tests, projects, activity books, practical examinations and one additional tool such as field visits, surveys, role-play or interviews.
The circular also clarifies that the Holistic Progress Card (HPC), currently being implemented on a pilot basis in some schools, will continue to be governed by existing assessment procedures until further instructions are issued regarding its statewide implementation.
The revised instructions will apply to the 2026-27 academic year, SCERT Director Mangesh Joshi stated in the circular.
