What is Choice Based Credit System (CBCS)?

A “cafeteria” type approach in which the students can
take courses of their choice,
learn at their own pace,
undergo additional courses,
acquire more than the required credits, and
adopt an interdisciplinary approach to learning.
Transformation from the traditional teacher-centered education to a student-centered education.
CBCS provides greater flexibility with multiple exits, multiple pathways, vertical mobility.

Why CBCS?

The main objectives of CBCS are:
To provide broad based education;
To provide students with greater flexibility in choice of courses;
To provide students multi-disciplinary curriculum;
To enable students to choose courses at basic/advanced level/inter-disciplinary;
To enable students to acquire job-oriented skills;
To enable students to progress at their own pace;
To enable highly motivated students, gain extra credits; and
To bridge the gap between professional and social exposure to provide a holistic education.

Importance of CBCS in the Process of Learning

Choice enables a learner to pursue any area of knowledge domain depending upon his / her interest.
Choice also widens the horizon of learner’s intellectual insight.
Rigidity of present system does not allow pursuit of areas of interest as well as widening the educational horizon of the learner, and Provision of choice is an essential condition for broad-based learner’s profile across areas of knowledge.

Definitions of Key Words in CBCS:

Academic Year Two consecutive (one odd + one even) semesters co institute one academic year.
Semester: Each semester will consist of 15-18 weeks of academic work equivalent to 90 actual teaching days. The odd semester may be scheduled from July to December and even semester from January to June.
Programme: An educational programme leading to award of a Degree, diploma or certificate.
Course: Usually referred to, as ‘papers’ is component of a programme. All courses need not carry the same weight. The courses should define learning objectives and learning outcomes. A course may be designed to comprise lectures / tutorials / laboratory work / field work / outreach activities / project work / vocational training / viva / seminars / term papers / assignments / presentations / self-study etc. or a combination of some of these.
Choice Based Credit System (CBCS): The CBCS provides choice for students to select from the prescribed courses (core, elective or minor or soft skill courses).
Credit Based Semester System (CBSS): Under the CBSS, the requirement for awarding a degree or diploma or certificate is prescribed in terms of number of credits to be completed by the students.
Credit: A unit by which the course work is measured. It determines the number of hours of instructions required per week. One credit is equivalent to one hour of teaching (lecture or tutorial) or two hours of practical work / field work per week.
Grade Point: It is a numerical weight allotted to each letter grade on a 10-point scale.
Credit Point: It is the product of grade point and number of credits for a course.
Letter Grade: It is an index of the performance of students in a said course. Grades are denoted by letters O, A+, A, B+, B, C, P and F.
Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA): It is a measure of performance of work done in a semester. It is ration of total credit points secured by a student in various courses registered in a semester and the total course credits taken during that semester. It shall be expressed up to two decimal places.
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): It is a measure of overall cumulative performance of a student over all semesters. The CGPA is the ratio of total credit points secured by a student in various courses in all semesters and the sum of the total credits of all courses in all the semesters. It is expressed up to two decimal places.
Transcript or Grade Card or Certificate: Based on the grades earned, a grade certificate shall be issued to all the registered students after every semester. The grade certificate will display the course details (code, title, number of credits, grade secured) along with SGPA of that semester and CGPA earned till that semester.

Courses under Choice Based Credit System:

Core Course (C): A course, which should compulsorily be studied by a candidate as a core requirement is termed as a Core course.
Elective Course: Generally, a course which can be chosen from a pool of courses and which may be very specific or specialized or advanced or supportive to the discipline/subject of study or which provides an extended scope or which enables an exposure to some other discipline/subject/domain or nurtures the candidate’s proficiency/skill is called an Elective Course.

Discipline Specific Elective (DSE) Course: Elective courses may be offered by the main discipline/subject of study is referred to as Discipline Specific Elective. The University/Institute may also offer discipline related Elective courses of interdisciplinary nature (to be offered by main discipline/subject of study).
Dissertation/Project: An elective course designed to acquire special/advanced knowledge, such as supplement study/support study to a project work, and a candidate studies such a course on his own with an advisory support study to a project work, and a candidate studies such a course on his own with an advisory support by a teacher/faculty member is called dissertation/project.
Generic Elective (GE) Course An elective course chosen generally from an unrelated discipline/subject, with an intention to seek exposure is called a Generic Elective P.S.: A core course offered in a discipline/subject may be treated as an elective by other discipline/subject and vice versa and such electives may also be referred to as Generic Elective.

3. Ability Enhancement Courses (AEC): The Ability Enhancement (AE) Courses may be of two kinds: Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC) and Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC). “AECC” courses are the courses based upon the content that leads to knowledge enhancement; i. Environmental Science and ii. English/MIL Communication. These are mandatory for all disciplines. SEC courses are value-based and/or skill-based and are aimed at providing hands-on-training, competencies, skills etc.

Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC): Environmental Science, English Communication/MIL Communication.
Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC): These courses may be chosen from a pool of courses designed provide value-based and/or skill-based knowledge.

SCHEME FOR CHOICE BASED CREDIT

SYSTEM IN B.A/B.Sc./B.ComHONOURS

Course Components	B.A.		B.SC		B.COM
Course Components	Honours	General	Honours	General	Honours	General
Core Course	14	8	14	12	14	8
Ability EnhancementCompulsoryCourse(AECC)[Core]	-	4	-	-	-	4
Discipline specificElective (DSE) Course	4	4	4	6	4	4
Ability EnhancementCompulsory Course(AECC)	2	2	2	2	2	2
Generic Elective (GE)Course	4	2	4	-	4	2
Skill EnhancementCourse (SEC)	2	4	2	4	2	4