In 2018, the then Primary and Secondary Education Minister N Mahesh announced the potential introduction of an ‘Open Book Examination’ system, with a few schools experimenting with the concept. Initially, some schools conducted 25-mark tests for Class 5 to 10 students, allowing them to refer to textbooks during the one-hour test. The question paper format was modified to ensure that understanding the basics of a lesson was essential for finding answers even with reference materials.