Continuous AI Assessment and FICCI-EY Report, India (Dec 28, 2025)

The traditional academic model of high-stakes “one-shot” final exams is rapidly dismantling across Indian institutions. A groundbreaking year-end report by FICCI-EY-Parthenon, released on December 28, 2025, confirms that Continuous AI Assessment is now the preferred evaluation method for leading universities. Specifically, this policy shift empowers educators to move beyond stress-inducing final papers and embrace real-time, data-driven student tracking. Consequently, this transition marks a pivotal moment for academic integrity and student success rates.

Report Highlights

The Shift: From Autopsy to Biopsy

Educational experts often describe the traditional final exam as an “educational autopsy”—you only find out what went wrong after the course is dead. In contrast, Continuous AI Assessment acts as a “biopsy,” providing live data while there is still time to intervene. The FICCI-EY report highlights that Indian institutions are adopting this model to align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for competency-based evaluation over rote memorization.

How It Empowers Teachers

The transition to automated continuous tracking solves two of the most significant challenges educators face: grading burnout and late intervention.

Automated Tracking and Grading

Evaluating 500 final papers in a “panic mode” window is historically the most stressful period for faculty. Continuous AI Assessment eliminates this bottleneck.

• Real-Time Analysis: AI tools analyze daily quizzes, forum participation, and draft revisions instantly.
• Draft Evolution: Instead of just grading the final submission, the system tracks the evolution of a document, awarding credit for the revision process itself.
• Workload Reduction: Routine grading is automated, allowing professors to focus on qualitative feedback for complex assignments.

Early Warning Systems

Traditionally, a teacher might not realize a student is failing until the mid-term or final exam. By then, it is often too late to recover.

• Predictive Dashboards: Teachers now receive a “risk score” for every student weeks before major deadlines.
• Intervention Triggers: If a student’s engagement drops or quiz scores dip below a threshold, the system alerts the instructor immediately.
• Personalized Support: Educators can reach out with targeted resources exactly when the student begins to struggle, drastically reducing dropout rates.

Impact on Academic Integrity

The shift to continuous assessment inherently neutralizes AI-facilitated cheating. Since the grade is built upon weeks of small, low-stakes interactions and in-class participation, a student cannot simply generate a final essay using AI to pass the course. The system values the trajectory of learning over the final product. Therefore, consistent effort becomes the primary metric for success.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Continuous AI Assessment?
It is an evaluation method where AI tools track student performance (quizzes, participation, drafts) daily throughout the semester, rather than relying on a single final exam.

How does this help with the “grading burden”?
AI automates the grading of routine tasks and formative assessments, significantly reducing the manual workload for teachers during exam seasons.

Does this mean final exams are being banned?
Not necessarily banned, but their weight is significantly reduced. They are becoming just one data point among many, rather than the sole determinant of a grade.

Is this policy mandatory for all Indian universities?
While not yet mandatory for every college, the FICCI-EY report indicates that top-tier institutions are aggressively adopting it to align with NEP 2020 standards.

How does it prevent cheating?
It makes “last-minute cheating” ineffective. Since grades are accumulated daily through tracked behaviors and drafts, generating a single final answer with AI will not secure a passing grade.