CBSE, NCERT to help classes IX, X students shortlist career options

CHANDIGARH: To facilitate schools in helping students make informed career choices, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, have developed ‘Tamanna’, an aptitude test for senior school students (classes IX and X). So far aptitude tests were mainly conducted by private bodies that charged students heavily. The move has been welcomed by school teachers and parents, especially of government schools who could not afford private aptitude tests.
The aptitude test has been developed under the aegis of the Union ministry of human resource development for senior school students to enable stakeholders know the aptitude of students of classes IX and X.They will also be coming up with online version of the test soon.

As per the authorities, aptitude is a psychological dimension that refers to the ability to acquire skill or knowledge in a particular area. “The information related to aptitude can guide the student, parents and the school to take decisions regarding a student's educational and career-related choices. It may also motivate students to broaden their horizon about the world of work and undertake new explorations according to their ability profile.”
A portal has been created for ‘Tamanna’ that provides details about Tamanna, documents to guide stakeholders and various career choices available. The seven dimensions measured in the aptitude test include language aptitude (LA), abstract reasoning (AR), verbal reasoning (VR), mechanical reasoning (MR), mumerical aptitude (NA), spatial aptitude (SA), and perceptual aptitude (PA).
Each dimension tests a student for a different ability and suggests that in which career he or she can excel.
The CBSE has also clarified that many students may not score high in any of the seven sub-tests that does not mean that they lack the ability to pursue further education or training in courses to choose a career. Such students need assistance to understand themselves through self-exploration and encouraging participation in school activities of their interest, in addition to subjects of study. To help such students, educational and career planning sessions may be organized and they may also be referred to school counsellor for career counselling, authorities have stated.
Scoring, analysis and interpretation may be done as per the details provided in the guide for teachers and parents.