Many CBSE schools in the city are replacing traditional grades with emojis or stars to assess students' performance, in line with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and CBSE guidelines.

This change, introduced in the current academic year, aims to create a more “holistic report card” for students from kindergarten to Class II. The focus is on activity-based learning, moving away from traditional written exams, as reported by TOI.

In Kochi, some CBSE schools have taken this approach further by replacing grades with emojis or stars on tests for students in kindergarten to Class II.

Meanwhile, senior students are already imagining a future where emojis might be used for grading across all classes. Perhaps one day, a "Face with Tears of Joy" could symbolize an “A+,” and a “Skull” might represent an “F.”

The new system emphasizes skill development and overall well-being, assessing students on communication, active learning, and emotional health.

Traditional exams are being replaced by project work, inquiry-based tasks, quizzes, and group activities designed to evaluate cognitive, social, and physical skills. The initiative also includes multiple feedback mechanisms, where students not only receive teacher evaluations but also conduct self-assessments and get input from peers and parents.