Minister of State for Human Resource and Development, D Purandeswari, on Monday informed the Lok Sabha that Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has proposed to make the Class X board exams optional and to replace it with an internal assessment, which would adopt a similar pattern of questions to those in the board exam.

Purandeswari also said that to ensure that quality of education is maintained, CBSE would ask schools to maintain course of study of Class IX and X as per the Board's scheme of studies and follow prescribed textbooks.

She added the schools would conduct internal examinations on the basis of curriculum prescribed by the CBSE and the pattern of question paper would be similar to that in the board exam.