Delhi schools revise Class 9 assessment rules, make vocational education and third language compulsory
Schools across Delhi will follow a significantly revised academic and assessment structure for Class 9 students from the 2026-27 session, with the Directorate of Education bringing vocational education and a third language into the core framework.The changes are aimed at moving Class 9 assessment beyond conventional textbook-based learning and towards a broader system that includes skills, languages, practical learning and higher-order thinking.
Six subjects to determine promotion to Class 10
Under the new system, Class 9 students will study six main subjects, Language-1, Language-2, Mathematics, Science, Social Science and Vocational Education, also referred to as Kaushal Vikas.These six subjects will form the basis for determining whether a student is promoted to Class 10. Vocational Education has been made compulsory to give students early exposure to skill-based education and workplace-oriented abilities.The move is in line with the broader emphasis of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 on vocational learning and practical skills at the school level.
Third language made compulsory from Class 9
The Directorate has also made a third language, referred to as R3, compulsory for Class 9 students. Students will continue with the same three-language combination that they studied in Class 8. One of these languages will be taken as the third language for Class 9.However, R3 will not carry the same weight as the six main subjects. It will be treated as a qualifying subject and assessed at the school level.The marksheet will record only whether a student has qualified or failed to qualify in the third language.A student who fails to qualify in R3 will not immediately lose promotion to Class 10, provided all other promotion requirements are met. However, the student will have to clear the Class 9 third-language assessment while studying in Class 10.Importantly, such a student will not be allowed to appear for the Class 10 Board examination until the third-language requirement has been cleared.
Advanced Mathematics and Science assessments introduced
The revised framework also creates an additional academic route for students who want to go beyond the prescribed Class 9 syllabus.All students will appear for the regular Mathematics and Science examinations. Those seeking a greater academic challenge can separately opt for Mathematics Advanced, Science Advanced or both.The advanced examinations will be for 25 marks and will have a duration of one hour. The questions will focus primarily on higher-order thinking and the application of concepts rather than routine learning.The marks obtained in these examinations will not be included in promotion decisions or the overall aggregate.Students who score at least 50 per cent in an advanced examination will have the achievement recorded on their marksheet.
Class 9 Mathematics Basic and Standard system discontinued
The Directorate has also scrapped the existing Mathematics Basic and Mathematics Standard examination structure for Class 9 students from the 2026-27 academic session.The existing arrangement will, however, remain applicable to Class 10 students during the 2026-27 session. This effectively creates a different assessment structure for the new Class 9 batch while avoiding an immediate change for students already studying in Class 10.
Art, physical education and social learning brought into curriculum
The changes are not limited to examinations. ‘Individuals in Society’, Art Education, and Physical Education and Well-Being have also been made compulsory curricular areas. These components will be assessed at the school level.Computational Thinking and Artificial Intelligence will also be introduced through structured modules across schools during 2026-27.The department has said that CT and AI will become a compulsory subject from the 2027-28 academic session.The move signals a clear attempt to introduce technology-related learning before students reach higher classes, rather than treating artificial intelligence as an optional or specialised area.
New promotion criteria laid down
The Directorate has also specified clear minimum requirements for promotion.Students must secure at least 33 per cent separately in internal assessment or practical components and in the external examination in each of the six main subjects.They must also obtain at least 25 per cent in the annual examination to remain eligible for promotion.The rules retain the provision of grace marks and compartment examinations.A student who fails in up to three of the six main subjects will be allowed to appear for a compartment examination.Those who do not meet the conditions for either promotion or a compartment examination will be classified as ‘Essential Repeat’ and will have to repeat Class 9.
Delhi moves towards skill-based and multidisciplinary schooling
The revised Class 9 framework represents a substantial shift in the way schools in Delhi will assess students.Instead of placing the entire focus on conventional academic subjects, the new structure gives formal space to vocational education, additional language learning, artificial intelligence, physical education, art and advanced academic assessments.The Directorate has linked the changes to the National Education Policy, 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education, 2023, both of which call for competency-based, multidisciplinary and skill-oriented education.For students entering Class 9 this year, the changes will mean more than a new set of examinations. They will have to navigate a wider curriculum in which language proficiency, vocational exposure, practical learning and academic performance will all have a defined place.
