The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will scrap its Class 10 Board examination from 2011 and introduce in its place a grading system, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said.

From 2011, the evaluation of the students would be based exclusively on a grading system which will be introduced this year."This academic year, there will be both a Board examination and a grading system," the minister said.

Sibal had last month announced that the government would do away with the Class 10 Board exams and make it optional from this academic year. But on Monday he clarified that his ministry did not want to burden the students with something new in the middle of the academic session.

"There will be no (Board) examination but students who want to evaluate themselves can take an examination on demand. "Students who take the examination will get a certificate from CBSE. But I believe a majority will not like to go for it.

"If a student wants to shift to a different Board other than CBSE or wants to join pre-university degree (junior college), he or she can take an examination by demanding it through his school. The certificate thereafter can be used for the above purpose," Sibal explained.

Referring to Class 10 exam for this academic year, he said though there will be an examination, students will be graded on a nine-point scale. The system, he said, would have A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, D, E1 and E2 grades.

A1 grade will be considered "exceptional", A2 will be "excellent", B1 "very good", B2 "good", C1 "fair" and C2 "average".

Grade D students will be classified "below-average" and those graded E1 will get a "needs improvement" label. Those at the bottom of the pile will get an "unsatisfactory" remark on the certificate.

According to the authorities, the "exceptional" grade will be equivalent to a score of 91-100 percent in the conventional exams.