The Yogi government is all set to organise the Nipun Assessment Test (NAT) from September. This comprehensive test aims to assess students from classes one to five in language and mathematics subjects. For the effective implementation of the 'Nipun Bharat Mission', students from classes 6 to 8 will undergo assessments in mathematics and science subjects. A notable aspect of these examinations is that they will be conducted through the innovative 'Saral App,' and, for the first time, students will provide their responses on Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets.

To ensure transparency and fairness in conducting NAT, clear instructions have been issued to principals of Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) and the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) across all districts. Additionally, teachers have been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring 100 percent attendance through community engagement and home visits. Following the completion of assessments, teachers will use the 'Saral App' to scan students' data from the OMR sheets.

The sheets must be filled out using black ballpoint pens, and students in grades four to eight will be provided with these pens through a composite grant, with a maximum cost of Rs 5 per pen. Once the examination papers have been evaluated, report cards will be prepared and distributed to all students. In an effort to maintain integrity and prevent cheating during the assessments, flying squads have been established at the development block level, and district-level officers, including those from the Basic Education department, have been tasked with monitoring and ensuring cross-vigilance.

Dedicated control rooms for examinations have been set up in district project offices. The examination duration will be capped at a maximum of 1 hour and 30 minutes, and teachers are expected to complete the scanning process within one hour, depending on the number of students. During the examination, up to eight students in classes one to three can be assessed on a single OMR sheet, whereas one OMR sheet will be allocated per child in classes four to eight. Additionally, teachers will fill in the student ID numbers on the OMR sheets for students in classes one to three. Teachers will pose questions as per the provided question paper and record students' responses on the OMR sheet accordingly.

Also, to further eliminate errors in sheet-filling, students in classes four to eight will receive explanations and examples on how to complete question papers and OMR sheets before the examination commences. Correct answers will be filled in using a black ballpoint pen, while incorrect responses will be left blank. Students must note that the utilisation of black ballpoint pens for filling out OMR sheets is mandatory.