Examination reform in traditional universities: a few steps forward,many steps back

After a brief discussion of the historical background, this article examines national attempts to reform the examination system in India. Reform attempts are discussed under eight categories: syllabus review and revision; increased frequency of public examinations; introduction of internal assessment; development of question banks; changeover to a grading system; semesterisation; improving the efficiency of the public examination bureaucracy, and, creation of autonomous colleges. Most of the impetus for reforming the examination system came from the availability of Western experts at very little cost to India and admiration for American and British practices among Indian higher education authorities. The failure of most of the reforms provide salutary lessons regarding educational borrowing for reform. The concluding pages discuss the theoretical issues related to the reform effort.First published inHigher Education Reform in India, eds. Philip G. Altbach and Suma Chitnis (New Delhi: Sage Publications India P.T. Ltd.).