TL;DR: A holistic report card shows how a child learns, works with others and grows across a year, while a marks sheet shows what the child scored on particular days. Under NEP 2020, India’s Holistic Progress Card is meant to replace a marks-only report with descriptive, competency-based feedback across several areas of a child’s development[1], according to an undated guide by the school-software firm Edacify. Level words differ by board, state and stage, so read any card against the school’s own key. Read for patterns first, then the teacher’s comments, then your child’s own trend across terms, and treat a middle level as a position on a path rather than a poor grade. The step that changes anything comes afterwards: specific questions for the teacher and one or two habits to work on.
What does a holistic report card show that marks don’t?
A holistic report card is a record of a child’s progress that describes learning, behaviour, social skills and physical and creative work, not only test scores. Marks answer one narrow question: how did the child do on this paper, on this day? The holistic card adds the questions parents bring to a PTM: is the understanding secure, how does the child work in a group, and what should happen next term?
Even report systems built on grades recognise the gap. Mathnasium, a US tutoring franchise, wrote in its September 2026 parent guide that a grade tells you how a child did on tests in a given window, not whether the understanding is secure[2], and that scores miss persistence, curiosity and growth. That guide is American and maths-focused, yet the point carries to any Indian classroom: a percentage measures a performance, and it does not describe the learner.
In practice the card differs from a marks sheet in three ways. Edacify’s guide lists them as levels and comments instead of percentages, the child’s, peers’ and parents’ input alongside the teacher’s, and evidence drawn from across the year[3]. Marks are incomplete, not useless, and a good holistic card puts more evidence beside the score instead of hiding it.
NEP 2020 asked for a 360-degree record of progress, not a list of percentages
The Holistic Progress Card comes from a single line of national policy. According to Edacify, NEP 2020 asked for a report card that is a holistic, 360-degree, multidimensional record of progress, and PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), set up under NCERT, turned that line into the Holistic Progress Card. NCERT has since published formats for the foundational, preparatory and middle stages, with guides telling teachers how to fill them in.
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC)
- India’s report card format under NEP 2020, which records a child’s progress with levels and descriptive comments across several areas of development instead of percentages alone.
For the early years, a January 2025 Burlington English India webinar summarising the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage describes the HPC as a multi-dimensional report reflecting each learner’s progress and uniqueness across cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains[4]. The same webinar notes that CBSE adapted NCERT’s foundational-stage card as a reference for its schools.
Why do the sources disagree on what the card covers?
The published summaries do not agree on the card’s domains. Burlington English India reports three, Edacify lists five (cognitive, social-emotional, physical, creative and ethical), and an AI Ready School blog lists four. Edacify explains why: the exact level names and domains vary between NCERT’s prototype, CBSE’s adapted version and state adaptations[5].
Whether the card is compulsory is a separate question, and these sources give no single national switch-over date. Which classes use it depends on the board’s latest circular and, for state-board schools, on the SCERT; Vapstech, another school-software firm, describes CBSE-affiliated schools as adopting the framework gradually[6]. No published figure in these sources says how many Indian schools use the card in 2026, and every description here is a secondary summary of the NCERT, PARAKH and CBSE documents, not the documents themselves. Nothing in this research measures whether holistic cards improve learning or well-being either, so the case for them rests on design intent, not outcome data.
Which level words replace percentages at each stage?
Holistic cards record progress with level words instead of scores, and the words depend on the child’s stage. Edacify’s stage-by-stage summary of the CBSE and PARAKH formats[7] gives the following picture.
| Stage | Classes | How progress is recorded | Who contributes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational | Balvatika to Class 2 | Teacher observation; CBSE’s manual places each competency at Beginner, Progressing or Proficient | Teacher, parent, simple child self-reflection |
| Preparatory | Classes 3 to 5 | Activity-linked descriptors for each learning outcome, plus portfolio evidence | Teacher, student, peers, parent |
| Middle | Classes 6 to 8 | PARAKH’s card uses Stream, Mountain and Sky levels with descriptive feedback | Teacher, student self-assessment, peers, parent |
| Secondary | Classes 9 to 12 | PARAKH has published a secondary-stage document; board exams continue alongside | Teacher, student, parent |
These summaries give the level names but not what each level means in detail. Those definitions sit in the CBSE and PARAKH documents and in your school’s own key, which is the page to read before any rating.
The middle stage asks the most of the child. Edacify describes PARAKH’s middle-stage card as including the student’s own reflection on motivation and curiosity, classmates’ feedback on collaboration and the parents’ observations[8]. Classes 6 to 8 are therefore the point where a child’s view of their own learning appears on paper beside the teacher’s.
Each section of a Glentree report card answers a different question
Glentree Academy, a group of three CBSE schools in Bangalore at Whitefield, Sarjapur Road and Bannerghatta Road, reports four kinds of evidence that a marks-only sheet leaves out: Subject Enrichment Activities, Multiple Assessment activities, a Learning for Life Quotient and co-scholastic grades. Read them as a set, because the most useful information usually sits in the gap between two of them.
Subject Enrichment Activities (SEA)
Subject Enrichment Activities are tasks that take a subject beyond the textbook into practical or applied work. Glentree marks SEA on rubrics, and a rubric is a scoring guide that describes in words what the work looks like at each level. Glentree’s Class 8 Science work on expansion of matter shows the kind of task a rubric reads well: students explained why a fuel tank should not be filled to the brim in summer, then made an awareness poster in Canva. A mark records whether the answer was right, while a rubric can show whether the explanation, the reasoning or the poster was the weak part.
Multiple Assessment (MA)
Multiple Assessment is the practice of assessing a subject through several methods across a term instead of a single written paper. Glentree marks MA activities on rubrics too. As Vapstech describes it, holistic assessment draws on observations, projects, presentations, portfolios and practical tasks as well as written tests[9]. A child who does well in MA but less well on papers may understand the subject and struggle with exam conditions, and the reverse pattern can point to memorised answers that have not yet become understanding.
Learning for Life Quotient
The Learning for Life Quotient is the part of a Glentree report card that reads a child’s sociability and Learning for Life (LFL) skills. Glentree built Learning for Life (LFL) in-house on CBSE learning outcomes and NCERT resources, and it shapes how children engage with and apply what they learn. This is the section where a quiet child becomes visible: a child who rarely speaks in class can score well on a test and still go unnoticed on a marks sheet. Glentree’s published material does not say how the quotient is scored, so ask the class teacher what a high or low reading rests on.
Co-scholastic grades
Co-scholastic grades record work outside the main academic subjects. At Glentree every student takes Taekwondo, Art, PE, Yoga and Coding, plus one of Dance, Music or Theatre, and joins one weekly club such as Debate and Quizzing, Eco Warriors or MUN. Ask which of these the grades on your child’s card cover. A strong co-scholastic grade beside an average subject result is information, not a consolation prize; in a June 2024 webinar for teachers, Mathews K Thomas described one aim of the card as highlighting each child’s strengths instead of only recording where they fell short[10].
Read the card in this order: key, patterns, comments, trend, strengths
Reading a holistic card well is mostly a matter of sequence, because a parent who starts with the lowest level on the page tends to spend the PTM on one entry. Starting with the key and the patterns keeps the meeting on what matters.
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Start with the key. Find the note that explains your school’s level words before you read a single rating. Edacify warns that parents used to percentages tend to read a middle level such as “Progressing” as a bad mark[11], when it describes where a child currently stands against one competency.
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Look for patterns across sections and terms. A single low level can reflect one difficult week; the same level across SEA, MA and the Learning for Life Quotient points to something real. Any remark that returns term after term with nothing done about it is the most important line on the card.
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Read every rating with the comment beside it. Whatever descriptor scale a school uses, Mathnasium’s guide advises reading each rating alongside the teacher’s comment, because the comment often changes what the rating means[12]. A stock phrase such as “not working up to ability” names a symptom, not a cause, so treat it as a reason to ask what the teacher actually saw.
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Compare your child with their own last card. Movement from one level to the next matters more than where classmates sit, and the card is not designed for ranking. Look for the area that moved most since last term, even if it is still not the strongest.
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Finish with strengths, and say them first at home. Name what went well before raising what did not. Starting there keeps the conversation on something your child recognises as true.
Which questions should you ask the teacher afterwards?
Glentree parents can raise questions through the Glentree Parent App, which carries announcements and chat with teachers, as well as at PTMs and open house. Four questions tend to get specific answers:
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“What did you see that led to this level?” A teacher who can describe a moment in class is reading from evidence. If the answer stays general, ask for one example from the term.
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“What does the rubric for this activity look for?” The criteria show what the level was measured against and what moving up would require. Edacify notes that two teachers can rate the same behaviour differently unless the school uses shared rubrics and moderation[13], so it is fair to ask how teachers across sections agree.
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“Is this remark new, or has it come up before?” A remark that repeats for years, often a stock phrase written in a hurry, needs a plan rather than another mention. Ask what will change this term, and whether Glentree’s individual mentoring or additional support periods apply.
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“Is there anything you would tell me in person that is not on the card?” Some concerns get raised face to face and never reach the written card. This question gives the teacher room to say them.
Then follow up at home. Mathnasium’s guide suggests a reflect, plan and monitor sequence: talk the report through with your child, pick one or two specific habits to work on rather than a target grade, and check in with the teacher after a few weeks[14]. “Read for ten minutes before bed” is a habit a child can practise, while “get Proficient” is only a hope.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Holistic Progress Card compulsory for CBSE schools?
- The sources reviewed here do not show the Holistic Progress Card as compulsory for every CBSE school. Which classes use the Holistic Progress Card depends on the board’s latest circulars and, for state-board schools, on the SCERT. CBSE-affiliated schools are described as adopting it gradually, and no published figure shows how many do.
- What does “Progressing” mean on a report card?
- “Progressing” on a report card describes where a child currently stands against one competency, not a poor result. In CBSE’s foundational-stage format, each competency is placed at Beginner, Progressing or Proficient from teacher observation. The exact meaning of “Progressing” sits in the school’s own key, so check that key first.
- Does a holistic report card still include marks?
- A holistic report card changes how progress is recorded, but it does not end exams. In Classes 9 to 12, board exams continue alongside the Holistic Progress Card. Whether a school’s holistic report card also shows subject marks in earlier classes depends on that school’s format, so ask for a sample card.
- What is the Learning for Life Quotient on a Glentree report card?
- The Learning for Life Quotient is the part of a Glentree Academy report card that reads a child’s sociability and Learning for Life (LFL) skills. LFL is Glentree’s in-house framework, built on CBSE learning outcomes and NCERT resources. Ask the class teacher what evidence the Learning for Life Quotient rests on.
- Why do report card level names differ between schools?
- Report card level names differ because NCERT’s prototype, CBSE’s adapted version and state SCERT adaptations use different wording. CBSE’s foundational format uses Beginner, Progressing and Proficient, while PARAKH’s middle-stage card uses Stream, Mountain and Sky. Always read a report card against the key the child’s own school provides.
- How should parents talk to a child about a holistic report card?
- Parents should open a talk about a holistic report card with the strengths it records, then turn to the one area that moved least. Agree one or two specific habits to practise, not a target level, and check in with the teacher after a few weeks. The holistic report card is the start of that plan.
Sources
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC): A Guide for Indian Schools (2026) | Edacify Edacify ↩
- What Your Child’s Report Card Really Means: A Parent Guide Mathnasium (blog) ↩
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC): A Guide for Indian Schools (2026) | Edacify Edacify ↩
- Introduction to Holistic Progress Card (HPC): A Comprehensive Approach to Assessing Student Progress – YouTube Burlington English India (webinar) ↩
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC): A Guide for Indian Schools (2026) | Edacify Edacify ↩
- What Is a Holistic Report Card? | Everything You Need to Know Vapstech (Vaps Technosoft Pvt Ltd) ↩
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC): A Guide for Indian Schools (2026) | Edacify Edacify ↩
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC): A Guide for Indian Schools (2026) | Edacify Edacify ↩
- What Is a Holistic Report Card? | Everything You Need to Know Vapstech (Vaps Technosoft Pvt Ltd) ↩
- HOLISTIC PROGESS CARD- 360 DEGREES ASSESSMENT – YouTube Mathews K Thomas (YouTube webinar for teachers) ↩
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC): A Guide for Indian Schools (2026) | Edacify Edacify ↩
- What Your Child’s Report Card Really Means: A Parent Guide Mathnasium (blog) ↩
- Holistic Progress Card (HPC): A Guide for Indian Schools (2026) | Edacify Edacify ↩
- What Your Child’s Report Card Really Means: A Parent Guide Mathnasium (blog) ↩