Competency Based Questions

 Competency Based Questions

Understanding the Shift from Knowing to Doing

NCF Education suggest

"Competencies are learning achievements that are observable and can be assessed systematically. These Competencies are from the Curricular and are to attained by the end of a Stage.'  NCF-FS 2022 and NCF-SE 2020

 

“Learning is not complete when a learner knows something;

it becomes meaningful when the learner can use it.”

 

The nature of school education and assessment is changing. The focus is gradually moving from rote learning and reproduction of information towards understanding, application, reasoning, problem-solving, creativity and communication.

 

This shift is strongly reflected in the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) and competency-oriented assessment initiatives associated with PARAKH.

 

What is Competency?

In the context of school education, a competency refers to a learner's ability to use acquired knowledge, skills and understanding effectively to perform a task, solve a problem or respond appropriately to a situation.

 

The NCF-SE describes competencies as measurable and observable learning achievements aligned with curricular goals.

 

In simple classroom language:

Competency = What a learner can DO with what he/she has LEARNED.

-A student may know a grammatical rule. That is knowledge.

-A student may explain the rule. That demonstrates understanding.

-But when the student can use the rule correctly in a real communication situation, the learner is demonstrating competency.

 

For example:

1. Knowledge:
A learner knows what a formal letter is.

 

2. Understanding:
The learner knows the structure and conventions of a formal letter.

 

3. Application:
The learner can write an appropriate formal letter to the school authorities requesting a change in a school facility.

 

The third stage demonstrates the ability to use learning purposefully.

 

What is a Competency-Based Question?

A Competency-Based Question (CBQ) is a question designed to assess whether a learner can apply knowledge, skills and understanding in a meaningful context.

Instead of asking only:

‘What did you learn?’

It asks:

‘What can you do with what you have learned?’

 

A CBQ may be based on a real-life situation, unfamiliar situation, passage, dialogue, advertisement, notice, visual, data, problem or practical situation. The purpose is to obtain evidence of the learner's ability to transfer learning to an appropriate context.

 

 

Competency-Based Questions in English

English provides excellent opportunities for competency based assessment because language is not simply a subject to be memorized. It is a tool for communication and expression.

 

Reading Comprehension:

Conventional Question

Where did the boy go after school?

This mainly checks whether the learner can locate information in the passage.

 

Competency-Based Question

The boy decided not to return home immediately after school. Based on the passage, what can you infer about the reason for his decision? Give evidence from the text.

 

Vocabulary:

Conventional Question

Give the meaning of determined.

 

Competency-Based Question

Rekha failed twice in the school selection trial but continued practicing every evening. On the third attempt, she was selected.

Which word best describes Rekha’s attitude? Explain your choice with reference to the situation.

 

Possible response:

Rekha is determined because she continued practicing despite failing twice.

The learner is not merely recalling vocabulary. The learner is using contextual evidence to select an appropriate word.

 

 

Grammar:

Conventional Question

Change the sentence into passive voice:
‘The students planted fifty trees.’

 

Competency-Based Question

Your school is preparing a report on its environmental campaign. Rewrite the following sentence using the passive voice so that it is appropriate for the formal report: ‘The students planted fifty trees during the campaign.’

 

The expected response is:

‘Fifty trees were planted by the students during the campaign.’

Here the learner applies the grammatical structure within a specific communication purpose.

 

Writing:

Conventional Question

Write a paragraph on ‘Cleanliness’.

Although useful, this task may not necessarily assess competency in a meaningful context.

 

Competency-Based Question

Your school is planning a ‘Clean Campus Week’. Write a short appeal to students encouraging them to participate. Mention two benefits of keeping the campus clean and suggest one action that students can take.

 

The learner must consider:

Purpose + Audience + Content + Organization + Language

The learner is using English to communicate effectively in a real-life situation.

 

Poetry:

Conventional Question

What does the poet mean by ‘hope’?

 

Competency Based Question

The poet presents hope as something that continues even during difficult times. Which situation from everyday life best reflects this idea? Explain how the situation connects with the poet's message.

The learner transfers the idea from the poem to an unfamiliar real-life context.

 

 

Ultimately, the success of competency-based assessment lies not in how unfamiliar or complicated a question appears, but in whether it gives the learner a genuine opportunity to demonstrate learning in action.

 

“A question should not merely ask what the learner remembers.

It should reveal what the learner can do with what the learner knows.”

 

That is the essence of Competency-Based Questions and an important step towards a more meaningful, learner-centred and future-ready education system.