Here's what surprises almost every parent about open-book exams. They're not easier.
When CBSE confirmed open-book assessments for Class 9 from the 2026–27 session, plenty of households laughed with relief. No more mugging up whole chapters at midnight. Ask a teacher, though, and you'll get a more careful answer, usually followed by a small smile. This year's Class 9 batch is the first to go through it, which makes them the test group for everyone else.
If you're comparing CBSE schools in Bhubaneswar right now, how a school handles this change says a lot about how it teaches the other 300-odd days of the year. So let's talk about what's actually going on.
What has changed
The short version, as the board announced it and as it applies to every one of the CBSE schools in Bhubaneswar:
• CBSE's governing body approved open-book assessments for Class 9 in June 2025, to begin with the 2026–27 session.
• They cover language, mathematics, science and social science.
• They sit within the three pen-and-paper assessments each term, not as a separate extra exam.
• Students can consult textbooks, class notes and approved reference material.
• The idea came out of a 2023 pilot where teachers backed the format, and the stated aim is to cut down on rote learning.
Exact schedules and how many of the assessments are open-book can vary, so check your school's circular rather than a WhatsApp forward. (There are a lot of those going around.)
Why open doesn't mean easy
Picture the old question: “State Newton's second law.” Any child who has crammed can write it down. With the book open, that question is pointless, so no one asks it.
The new question sounds more like this. A loaded cart and an empty cart are pushed with the same force. Which one speeds up more, and why? The book can't answer that for you. It can give you the law, but you still have to know which idea applies and how to explain it. A child who's never really understood the chapter will spend the exam flipping pages and running out of time.
And time is the quiet problem. Looking things up costs minutes. So the student who wins in an open-book paper is rarely the one with the thickest notes. It's the one who already knows where the idea lives and uses the book only to double-check.
Old habits, new habits
What we're doing in class
We don't claim to have this perfectly worked out. Neither do most CBSE schools in Bhubaneswar, honestly, in the very first year. But a few things are already part of how we teach Class 9.
We've leaned into questions that start with “why” and “what if”, because those are the ones a textbook can't just hand over. We show children how to build a one-page chapter map instead of a ten-page summary. And we try to let them practise with the book open in class, so that the first open-book paper isn't the real one.
What helps at home
Parents ask us what they can do, and they're probably asking at every CBSE schools in Bhubaneswar right now. Mostly, less than you'd think, and nothing expensive. Skip the extra guide books.
Try ten minutes a day. Ask your child to explain one idea from today's lesson without looking at anything. Then let them open the book and check. The gap between what they said and what the book says is their study plan for the day. It's a little humbling, and that's fine.
One more thing. Some children relax too much with open-book papers, and some panic because there's nothing to hide behind. Watch which one yours is. The fix is different for each.
What this means when you choose a school
When you visit CBSE schools in Bhubaneswar this season, ask how they've prepared Class 9 teachers and students for the change. A good answer will mention changed questions, practice with real reference material, and honest conversations with parents. A vague answer will mention the circular and not much else.
A closing thought
Open-book exams won't fix everything that's wrong with school assessment, and we'd be wary of anyone who promises they will. But they do push in a sensible direction. Understanding the idea is finally worth more than remembering the sentence.
If you'd like to see how we're approaching it, visit ODM Public School or call 1800-120-2316. You can also write to admission@odmegroup.org. We'd be glad to talk it through with you, whether or not you end up choosing one of the CBSE schools in Bhubaneswar we're so often compared with.
FAQs
1. When do open-book exams start for Class 9?
They begin with the 2026–27 session, as part of the term assessments, so this year's Class 9 students are the first batch.
2. Which subjects are covered?
Language, mathematics, science and social science. Please check your school's circular for how many assessments follow the open-book format.
3. Can students use any material they like?
No. Students can consult textbooks, class notes and approved reference material. What counts as approved is set out in the school's guidelines, so confirm the specifics with the school.
4. What should I ask CBSE schools in Bhubaneswar about open-book assessments?
Ask how teachers have changed their questions, whether students practise with real reference material beforehand, and how the school keeps parents informed.
5. Does this change the Class 10 board exams?
Open-book assessments apply to Class 9 term assessments. CBSE conducts the Class 10 board exams separately, and Class 9 is where students build the habits for them.
