BOEX Standards & Policies

– Awarding Bhakti Sastri Degrees

– Awarding Bhakti Vaibhava Degrees

– Awarding Bhakti Bhakti Vedanta Degrees

– Standards applicable to closed-book assessment sessions

– Guidelines for closed-book exam supervisors

– Standards for Online Bhakti Sastri and Bhakti Vaibhava Degree Assessment

– Policy on Cheating and Penalties

Examination Center Approval

Any ISKCON center or other ISKCON institution may apply to become an Approved Bhakti Sastri Degree Center. Such centers should then conduct programs according to the guidelines given below.

Apply to Become an Approved Bhakti Sastri Degree Center here:   (Provide Link)

Admission Policies

Candidates meet the following requirements:

1. The candidate must certify that s/he chants 16 rounds of japa daily and follows the four regulative principles. {Not required for students in ISCKON authorized Gurukula programs}.
2. The candidate must have been recommended by an ISKCON authority who knows the candidate well, certifying that the candidate is engaged favourably in the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu for at least the previous twelve months.
3. It is recommended that every applicant for admission into a Bhakti Sastri course be pre-qualified. Some of the questions for pre-qualifying the candidate could be:
   • a) What is your understanding of Srila Prabhupada’s mood and mission?
   • b) What is your objective in taking the BS course?
   • c) Describe your previous study of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
   • d) What ISKCON seminars / courses have you taken / completed till date?

Individual centers may have their own additional admission policies and procedures for admitting a candidate for the Bhakti Sastri degree.

Program Administration Policies

1. Bhakti Sastri program administrators must take responsibility for the quality of instruction and must make sure that all standards are being met. They shall appoint a qualified Lead Instructor to oversee the assessment. The minimum qualification for a Lead Instructor is the successful completion of the Bhakti Sastri course and VTE courses Teacher Training Part 1 and Bhakti Sastri Teacher Training, or equivalent courses as certified by the BOEX. Exceptions to this rule shall only be permitted by special resolution of the BOEX. It is recommended that all teachers involved in the program have taken Teacher Training Part 1.
2. The BOEX may assess each approved center’s program to ascertain if the learning outcomes are being satisfactorily achieved. The Board retains the right to discontinue certification should it determine that the program has been significantly deficient.

Assessmen

Assessment Area	Minimum Passing Level	Remedy for Failure
Open book assessment	60% in each unit (see also Note 1 below)	Failed papers may be resubmitted
Closed book assessment	65% in each unit (“)	The student can again sit for a (different) test. However, where student’s scores are less than 50% they should retake the classes and closed book assessments for the unit.
Sloka assessment	65% in each unit (“)	The student may apply for a time extension at the discretion of the Lead Instructor.
Personal Behavior	Adequate	None
Attendance	75% for each unit (see also Note 2 below)	Retake the unit
Weighted aggregate	None specified (see also Note 3 below)	At discretion of center.

Note 1: The following are the “units” for Bhakti Sastri:

• Sri Isopanisad
• Nectar of Instruction
• Nectar of Devotion
• Bhagavad-gita broken into two or three units. Either chapters 1-9 and 10-18 or chapters 1-6, 7-12, and 13-18.

Certification

The names of successful candidates should be forwarded to the Secretary of the MOE, (office@iskconeducation.org) who supplies the digital certificates which can be printed by the Exam Center. Hard copy certificates may also be provided at additional cost.

Any ISKCON center can apply for recognition by the Board of Examinations as a Bhakti Vaibhava degree-awarding center provided the center certifies that it will conduct its program according to the minimum standards specified below. The application must be accompanied by a description of the planned program that includes the following information as a minimum:

• The devotee community to be served. (From where, as a general rule, the enrolled students will come.)
• The language of instruction.
• The time frame of the course. (How many weeks or months of instruction, how it will be broken into modules, how it will be interspersed with breaks, how much total time from the beginning to the end of the course, and the various attendance options that will be offered to the students, if any.)
• The instructor(s) and their qualification.
• The administrator and his/her qualification.
• Physical location(s) where the students will attend.
• The admission, instructional, assessment, and other methods and policies to be followed by the center that meet the requirements spelled out below in this standard. (This document does not include standards for online courses or distance learning. Such standards will be spelt out in a separate document at a later date).

I.  Admission

Individual centres shall have their own admission policies and procedures for admitting a candidate for the Bhakti Vaibhava degree. Such policies shall require, at a minimum, that all candidates meet the following requirements:

1. The candidate must have a Bhakti-sastri degree. It is recommended that they have demonstrated practical application of the Bhakti Sastri degree through at least one year’s practical service before enrolling in the Bhakti Vaibhava course.
2. The candidate must be dedicatedly following Srila Prabhupada’s teachings under supervision of an ISKCON authority. It is recommended that the center correspond directly with the ISKCON authority for confirmation. First initiation before enrolment is strongly recommended. However, if not first initiated before enrolment then the enrolee must be initiated before the degree may be awarded.
3. The candidate must certify that s/he chants 16 rounds of japa daily and follows the four regulative principles.
4. The candidate must have been recommended by an ISKCON authority who knows the candidate well as per the recommendation form prescribed by the BOEX, certifying that the candidate is engaged favourably in the preaching mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu for at least the previous three years.

II.  Learning Outcomes to be Assessed

1. Knowledge, understanding, and application of the philosophy contained in Srimad- Bhagavatam Cantos I to VI.
2. Knowledge and memorization of at least seventy verses found in Srimad-Bhagavatam Cantos I to VI.
3. Competence as a Bhagavatam speaker and preacher.
4. Personal behavior that reflects the principles and values found in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
5. Competency in evaluating peers and receiving evaluation from peers in regard to the above-mentioned outcomes.

III.  Course Assessment

In order to ensure a basic minimum standard and at the same time allow a degree of flexibility, approved centres may establish their own assessment policies within the following boundaries:

Open book questions assessing students understanding, application and values in respect to the themes and content of the first six Cantos of the Srimad- Bhagavatam, requiring either essay answers or else answers of at least several paragraphs. The sum of the minimum required words for the answers should be at least 20,000. [Care must be taken by the centers to explain in their local curriculum descriptions that this 20,000 words will be divided up between various papers and essays.]	25-40%
Closed book tests requiring: The answering of at least two hundred short-answer questions.Being able to recite from memory with proper pronunciation the original Sanskrit text and approximate English translation of at least seventy verses from Bhagavatam cantos I to VI, which may include Brahma-samhita verses quoted by Srila Prabhupada in the purports to cantos IV to VI.	30-40%
At least four oral presentations of a minimum thirty minutes each	20-35%
Personal Vaishnava behaviour, punctuality, sadhana, extra-curricular service, co-operative mood, and ability to function as part of a team.	5-10 %

The following shows the minimum requirement standard for being deemed as passing the course. Centers can set their minimum requirement for passing higher than this if they so desire:

Assessment Area	Minimum Passing Level	Remedy for Failure
Open book assessment	60% in each unit (see also Note 1 below)	Failed papers may be resubmitted
Closed book assessment	65% in each unit (“)	The student can again sit for a (different) test. However, where student’s scores are less than 50% or where the answers represent a serious lack of clarity in the subject matter, they should retake the classes and closed book assessments for the unit.
Sloka assessment	65% in each unit (“)	The student may apply for a time extension of up to 18 months from the date of initial assessment for achieving a passing level, which may be granted at the discretion of the lead instructor.
Presentations	65% aggregate score for the four presentations	Presentations that are scored below 65% may be reattempted at the discretion of the local center.
Personal Behavior	Adequate	None
Attendance	75% for each unit (see also Note 2 below)	Retake the unit
Weighted aggregate	None specified (see also Note 3 below)	At discretion of center.

Note 1: “Units” for the Bhakti Vaibhava degree shall be determined and notified in advance by the examination center and shall be no more than 10 chapters of Srimad Bhagavatam each.

Note 2: This attendance requirement may be waived for senior devotees with the permission of the Board of Examinations.

Note 3: Weighted aggregate is not essential for pass/fail considerations under this scheme since minimum passing levels are given for each component. However, centers may have a required weighted aggregate level, either by unit or for the whole course, if they want. But even if weighted aggregate for the whole course is not used as part of the pass/fail determination of a candidate, it does give a useful indication of course performance in a single number. Thus it should be calculated and, at a minimum, provided to the candidate and to the BOEX for its permanent records of certificates issued.

Approved Bhakti Vaibhava centers may also opt to provide facility for senior devotees who are engaged in active preaching and service such that they are unable to attend the course directly to also qualify for Bhakti Vaibhava certification. The following rules will apply:

1. The center must get special approval from the Board of Exams for each such devotee to be enrolled in the program.
2. The center must provide a study guide, including a question bank.
3. The enrollees must be required to obtain and hear the recorded lectures from the Bhakti Vaibhava course.
4. The enrollees should give temple classes and send in video recordings.
5. The enrollees will need to come at least one time to the examination center venue for an assessment process.

IV.  Other

There will not be any gradation within the Bhakti Vaibhava award. Local centers may issue their own certificates designating honors and high honors if they so desire, but these will not be reflected on the certificates from the Board of Examinations.

The Board of Examinations may assess each approved center’s program to ascertain if the learning outcomes are being satisfactorily achieved. The Board retains the right to discontinue certification should it determine that the program has been significantly deficient.

Any ISKCON center can apply for recognition by the Board of Examinations (BoEx) as a Bhakti- vedanta degree-awarding center provided the center certifies that it will conduct its program according to the standards below. The course can be conducted in any regional language and all the assessments are carried out in that language.

1.  Who can enroll?

1. The candidate must certify that s/he chants 16 rounds of japa daily and follows the four regulative principles for at least 10 years.
2. The candidate must have the Bhakti-śāstri and Bhakti-vaibhava degree certificates or should have been assessed as successful in the completion of an approved Bhakti-vaibhava program, awaiting the formal issue of the degree.
3. The candidate must have been recommended by an ISKCON authority who knows the candidate well, certifying that the candidate is engaged favorably in the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu for at least the previous 6 years, participating in direct preaching activities.
4. All students should be registered in the Ministry of Education institute database before the commencement of the course.

Srila Prabhupda Disciples, GBC Members, Initiating Gurus Senior Preachers & Leaders

Approved Exam Centers are authorized to award Bhaktivedanta Degrees to Srila Prabhupda Disciples, GBCs or Initiating Gurus, with Bhakti-śāstri and Bhakti-vaibhava degrees, who complete selected components of assessment, at the discretion of the Exam Center. Senior Preachers & Leaders who fulfil the criteria below, can also be given the same facility:

• Senior preaching/leadership responsibility for minimum of 15 years
• At least 50 years of age (recommended).
• Or with other extenuating circumstances, i.e. illness, etc.
• With the approval of the BOEX.
• With endorsement from a ISKCON 2nd initiated brahmana , in good standing, and one of the following:GBC member, GBC Minister, ISKCON Sannyasi, ISKCON Diksa guru, Zonal or Regional Secretary, Global Duty Officer, Zonal Supervisor, Temple President or Temple Board.

2.  Learning Outcomes to be Assessed

1. Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the philosophy and pastimes contained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Cantos I to XII, and the Bhakti-śāstri texts.
2. Knowledge and memorization, with adequate pronunciation, of at least 70 verses found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Cantos VII to XII.
3. Expertise as a speaker and preacher of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
4. Personal behavior, evaluative skills, wisdom, and maturity reflect principles consistent with Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

3.  Teaching Standards

1. The Bhakti-vedanta teacher must have studied complete Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhakti-śāstri books at least two times and must have the experience of teaching/preaching these subjects several times, summing up to at least 750 hours of teaching/preaching.
2. Bhakti-vedanta classes need to be conducted for at least 150 hours (either on-site or online or a combination of both) with –
   • a) Detailed explanations on the philosophical episodes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Cantos VII to XII.
   • b) Highlighting principles of practical application in Vaiṣṇava dealings from the pastimes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, while summarizing some well-known pastimes.

Note: Because those who enrol for Bhakti-vedanta degree have already studied the first six Cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Bhakti-śāstri books, and have at least a decade practicing Krishna consciousness and contributing directly or indirectly for preaching activities, and also because the number of philosophical episodes and technical topics in Cantos 7-12 are less in comparison with Cantos 1-6, it is not mandatory to conduct a detailed verse-by-verse classes for long hours on all chapters of Srimad Bhagavatam Cantos 7-12, especially for the well-known pastimes. So the class time can be more utilized for discussing the philosophical episodes in detail, while well-known pastimes can be summarized or discussed briefly.

4.  Course Assessment

To ensure a basic minimum standard and at the same time allow a degree of flexibility, approved centers may establish their assessment policies within the following boundaries:

Assessment Categories

A1. Open Book Essays/ Articles [20-40%]

• The candidates need to write open book essays or articles numbering in total 20,000 words on pertinent themes in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, quoting relevant references from Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, and the Bhakti-śāstri texts.
• Their articles / essays should not be just a write-up on a topic, but a well-researched material presented with logic and comprehensive philosophical analysis, suggesting practical application perspectives, relevant for the devotee community of ISKCON and beyond.

A2. Thesis [10-20%]

• The candidates need to write a thesis or publish a booklet of about 7,500 to 15,000 words on a pertinent theme in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, quoting relevant references from Bhagavad-gītā and the Bhakti-śāstri texts.
• The work should not be just a write-up on a topic, but a well-researched material presented with logic and comprehensive analysis, suggesting practical application perspectives, relevant for the devotee community of ISKCON and beyond, and should serve as a ready reference material on that topic.
• The students need to choose a mentor, provided by the Exam Center, under whose guidance they would be writing the thesis.
• The candidate should consult their teachers, and propose a concept note of about 750 words for approval.

The thesis is to be defended in the presence of 3 BoEx approved teachers.

Note: Students who find it too difficult to write a thesis can skip A2 and write extra articles/open- book essays as a part of A1, as recommended by their teachers.

A3. Closed Book Exams [10-15%]

• Answering at least 100 short-answer questions.
• Experienced teachers can answer just 20 questions.

A4. Sloka Assessment [8-10%]

• Being able to recite from memory, with adequate pronunciation, the original Sanskrit text and approximate English translation of at least 70 verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam cantos VII to XII.

A5. Classes/ Seminars [20-25%]

• At least four presentations of a minimum of one hour each (these presentations have to be evaluated by the teachers/ program administrators/ a jury panel)
• Two presentations on tattva from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Cantos VII to XII.
• Two presentations on līlā from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Cantos VII to XII) highlighting core vaiṣṇava principles.
• Should have given at least 20 hours of classes either in temples, festivals, yātrās, workshops, and so on.

A6. Conduct / Behaviour [10%]

• Personal vaiṣṇava behavior, sādhana, extra-curricular service, cooperative mood, and ability to function as part of a team, as acknowledged by seniors and peers.
• There will not be any gradation within the Bhakti-vedanta award.
• A student may change to another approved center, and transfer all previous study accomplishments for reasons such as the first center becoming inactive, having to change physical location because of work or service. This can be coordinated by the respective Exam centers.

• Students should approach the closed-book assessment in a mood of loving devotional service to Krishna and Srila Prabhupada without a spirit of false competition, enviousness, or the desire for prestige.
• No notes, computers, cell phones, student handbooks or sastric texts may be accessed during the closed-book assessment. Computers and cell phones must be turned off at all times.
• Students found to be accessing notes, computers, cell phones, student handbooks, sastric texts, or communicating in any way with others during the closed-book assessment, will be subject to penalty according to the policies established by the ISKCON Board of Examinations in the accompanying document, “Policy on Cheating and Penalties”.
• Students may consult dictionaries during the closed-book assessment.
• Students for whom the language of the exam is not their native language may be allowed extra time.

• Photocopied exam papers must be kept strictly confidential before the exam.
• Arrange seating in such a way that there is sufficient distance between students to ensure that students cannot view each others’ papers.
• Display the Standards Applicable to Closed-Book Assessment Sessions and the Policy on Cheating and Penalties in the classroom well in advance of the assessment session and review them with the students before commencing.
• Before beginning, remind students to approach the exam in a mood of devotion.
• Students may consult dictionaries during the exam. Randomly check dictionaries being used for any concealed notes.
• Ensure that a supervisor is present during the entire exam session. The supervisor must vigilantly ensure that Standards Applicable to Closed-Book Assessment Sessions are maintained.
• The supervisor may take questions from the students, but only to clarify any questions on the paper.
• All question papers must be collected and not taken away by students, and then destroyed. A single copy may be retained under lock and key in the permanent files of the center.

Hearing and Study Requirements

The number of students participating in online classes should not exceed 24.

• Total hours of live streaming and recorded classes, and private study, must be within
  i. Bhakti-sastri: 100 to 200 hours.
  ii. Bhakti-vaibhava: 400 to 600 hours
• Real time interactions in the form of online discussion, break-out groups, question and answer sessions, and personal tutoring must be within
  i. Bhakti-sastri: 30 to 150 hours.
  ii. Bhakti-vaibhava: 100 to 400 hours

Assessment Minimum Requirements

• Closed book short answer questions
  i. Bhakti-sastri: 60 Questions
  ii. Bhakti-vaibhava: 200 Questions

• Closed book short essay questions
  i. Bhakti-sastri: 2500 Words
  ii. Bhakti-vaibhava: 10000 Words
• Open book essays
  i. Bhakti-sastri: 5000 Words
  ii. Bhakti-vaibhava: 20000 Words
• Presentations
  i. Bhakti-vaibhava: 4 Presentations of 45-60 Mins
• Slokas for Memorization
  i. Bhakti-sastri: 45 Verses
  ii. Bhakti-vaibhava: 70 Verses

Facilitators should issue Questions and Presentation Topics from the BOEX Bhakti-sastri & Bhakti-vaibhava degree question banks.

Closed Book and Sloka Assessment Options

1. Individual students, or student groups in a local area, may arrange for a responsible devotee to invigilate the closed book assessments. The invigilator supervises the assessment within the specified time, wherein students cannot consult books or devices, or each other. The invigilator sends scanned copies of the completed papers to the facilitator.
2. The facilitator can conduct oral examinations of individual students via live-streaming video.
3. Facilitators can directly observe a candidate via two live-streaming cameras, providing view of both the student and the student’s screen. The facilitator would then send the question paper to the candidate, to be visible on the student’s screen. The student would write answers with pen and paper and submit a scanned copy of the completed paper to the facilitator.
4. Facilitators can arrange to directly observe a candidate via live-streaming camera together with the use of software such as Google Classroom that guarantees that the computer user cannot switch windows until the completed paper is submitted to the facilitator. The facilitator would then send the question paper to the candidate to be filled up on the student’s screen.

Oral Presentation Assessment Options

1. The student gives the presentations live in view of the facilitator on Zoom/ Skype/ Webbed, etc., followed by questions and answers.
2. The student video-records the presentation and uploads the unedited video file, with a question and answer session on a subsequent call.
3. The student gives presentations at an appropriate location in the presence of the facilitator or a qualified assessor, followed by questions and answers.

It is recommended that wherever possible the other students in the class also hear the presentations and participate in the question and answer sessions.

Note: If due to current Covid-19 pandemic conditions it is necessary for existing classroom-based programs to complete the course online, then the relevant portions of the above shall be applicable. Alternatively, closed book exams and presentations for such programs may be postponed until appropriate circumstances are available whereby assessments can be conducted according to the existing BOEX guidelines for on-site assessment.

Type of Cheating	Category of Offense	Penalty for First Offense	Penalty for Second Offense
Open Book Assessment Paraphrasing significant material from another student’s / author’s paper	One	▪ Rewrite specific papers ▪ 20 percentage points marks reduction on open book grade for unit. ▪ Submission of an additional essay based on the bhakti sastras on the topic of integrity and honesty as a quality of a vaisnava.	▪ Expelled from course ▪ Record of cheating to be made available to all approved examination centers.
Open Book Assessment Copying verbatim from another student’s / author’s paper	One	▪ Rewrite specific papers ▪ 25 percentage points marks reduction on open book grade for unit. ▪ Submission of an additional essay based on the bhakti sastras on the topic of integrity and honesty as a quality of a vaisnava	▪ Expelled from course ▪ Record of cheating to be made available to all approved examination centers.
Closed Book Assessment Communicating with another student during a closed book test (signaling / whispering)	One	▪ Sit for another closed book test ▪ 20 percentage points marks reduction on closed book grade for unit. ▪ Submission of an additional essay based on the bhakti sastras on the topic of integrity and honesty as a quality of a vaisnava.	▪ Expelled from course ▪ Record of cheating to be made available to all approved examination centers.
Closed Book Assessment Passing notes between students during closed book test	Two	▪ Expelled from course ▪ Record of cheating to be made available to all approved examination centers.	▪ Expelled from course ▪ Banned from participating in Board of Examinations -approved programs.
Closed Book Assessment Smuggling notes or electronic devices into closed book test	Two	▪ Expelled from course ▪ Record of cheating to be made available to all approved examination centers. ▪ Five year ban on participating in Board of Examinations – approved programs	▪ Expelled from course ▪ Banned from participating in Board of Examinations -approved programs.