At a glance
SAFAL – Structured Assessment For Analyzing Learning – is the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE’s) competency-based, diagnostic assessment of what students have learned by the end of Grades 5 and 8. It checks core concepts, application of knowledge, and higher-order thinking rather than rote memory, and gives each school a confidential report on where teaching needs more support.
Introduced on the first anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, it follows the policy’s call for assessments in Grades 3, 5, and 8. It is meant to track learning without additional examination pressure on students, and schools pay no fee.
The latest cycle, SAFAL KSA 2025–26, was held in digital mode from 10 November to 2 December 2025, and no 2026–27 cycle had been announced (as of October 2026).
Objectives
Core objectives of CBSE SAFAL
CBSE states 3 purposes for SAFAL.
Competency-based learning
Motivate the school system to move towards competency-based learning, testing understanding and application rather than rote memory.
School performance on key competencies
Measure how each school performs on key competencies, using a formal protocol to collect valid and reliable data.
Areas for academic support
Identify the areas where schools need academic intervention, support, or management attention, so that teaching and resources can be directed where they are needed most.
Source: Central Board of Secondary Education (SAFAL portal; SAFAL Handbook, July 2021).
