Spiking of marks in class 10 and 12 class board exams will stop from next year. The human resource development (HRD) ministry has issued an advisory to all states and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to stop the practice. However, school boards will continue with a moderation policy to grant marks for papers with “difficult” or “ambiguous” questions in exam papers and offer a level playing field to all students in the evaluation process. An HRD ministry advisory on the matter has been issued to all states by school education secretary Anil Swarup. The practice of awarding grace marks will continue for students who need just a few marks to pass their exams, but this information has to be disclosed on the school and state board's websites.