The Central Board of Secondary Education CBSE moves a step ahead of academics to work on the aptitude of its students. In a pilot project, the CBSE has initiated a Global Aptitude Test for students of standard 10.

Unlike the other developed countries where aptitude plays a prominent role in shaping on is career, the Indian students are tested on aptitude at a much later stage. To help its students pick up the right career path, the CBSE has launched this program. About 90 affiliated schools across the country are to conduct the test this year.

In the Indian education system, the aptitude of any student is assessed when the student faces an entrance for taking up a professional course. Experts, however, feel that the aptitude of the students should be judged at the school level which would then help choose the right career path.

If the subjects are taught vis-à-vis aptitude, we will avoid wastage of human resources, said the CBSE spokesperson Rama Sharma.

Explaining further Sharma said, Most of the times, the students are not aware about their own aptitude levels. They opt for disciplines which they are actually not meant for. Many students who opt for sciences at the higher secondary level give it up and pick up humanities or commerce at the under graduate level.

Rama further said that if the students are aware of their aptitude at the secondary level itself, they will be able to make the right move in the career.

The Global Aptitude Test has been started as a pilot project and the CBSE feels that it is still testing the waters. This is the second year when the students will take the test. This test is optional for the schools to adopt. The board feels that to begin with, it is important to convince the parents and the students about the importance of knowing one is own aptitude.

The challenge here is to bring the teacher students and the parents all on one broad dialogue. In the present scenario, a normal Indian parent does not understand the importance of aptitude and reasoning, said Sharma. Sharma also felt that it is time that people start discussing aptitude and understand its importance in framing the career path of the students.

About 10,000 students across 90 CBSE schools, including both Government and public, will take the test this year in February. The Psychometric Aptitude test has been designed and customised for the Class 10 students of the CBSE. The board will also initiate an aptitude training program for the teachers of its affiliated schools to help teachers get a better understanding before they train their students in the same.