High Order thinking Skills moves away from general knowledge type skills to thinking skills like synthesizing, analyzing, reasoning, analyzing and comprehending. Rather than emphasizing the repetition activities, the focus is on problem solving involving higher order thinking skills. High Order Thinking Skills is designed to develop and increase cognitive development.

With a focus on testing higher order thinking skills (HOTS), the CBSE has introduced changes in the examination system and curriculum for Classes X and XII for the academic session 2008. Now the students of Class X and XII will take their exams that includes HOTS that will put to test, their application skills.
The new format will focus on subjects, including mathematics, social science and science and technology for Class X and accountancy, economics, business studies, chemistry, biology and mathematics for Class XII.

The examination pattern for Classes X and XII is set to change from this year and will be easier. The new pattern has more very short answer type questions to test the conceptual understanding rather than rote learning. This would be focusing on the overall development and skills of students.
Ashok Ganguly, CBSE chairman said that 'The true ability of the child cannot be assessed on academic grounds only. Hence, from this session it would be more of comprehensive evaluation where the assessment would be based on determining multiple skills.'

The lengthy answers will give way to short answer type questions with multiple choice. There is a reduction in the number of high marks questions to minimize subjectivity and increase in short answer type questions. Similarly, the number of sub-parts in a question have been reduced, introducing more internal choice questions. Internal evaluation of the students would be re-introduced, under which 20 per cent assessment would be added with 80 per cent external assessment. This assessment requires credibility on the part of teachers. These are introduced in subjects like social studies, maths and science.
The question paper is designed in such a way that students should be able to answer all the questions within the stipulated time, besides revising them. Further they will be given an additional 15 minutes so that they get sufficient time to read the questions carefully. Internal evaluation in Maths, Social Science and Science subjects and oral testing in languages will be introduced for Class I to X.

This time there will be a paradigm shift in typology and pattern of questions. It will require the students to interpret, think, analyze and synthesize for answering the questions. There may be a paragraph and the students may be asked to read and answer certain questions based on it. On new subjects for Class 12, it will be more skill-based. These include creative writing and translation. There will similar questions that can actually test the understanding of the students. New method of marking these questions is also being introduced as the answer cannot be copied from any textbook and will be based on a student's knowledge.
An innovative step HOTS method will help gauge students ability to reason, justify, analyze, process and evaluate information and knowledge rather than a simple rote learning based exercise.