Assessment

• Bhakti Sastri Assessment
• Bhakti Vaibhava Assessment
• Bhakti Vedanta Assessment (Coming Soon)
• Bhakti Sarvabhauma Assessment

• Standards for Online Bhakti Sastri and Bhakti Vaibhava Degree Assessment

• Open Book Assessment Essay Writing Guidelines
• Sample Open-Book Assessment Answers

Bhakti Sastri Assessment

All assessment questions should be selected questions from the BOEX Question Bank.

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: A unit should comprise of approximately 10-15 lessons.

See the suggested lesson schedule Clique aqui para acessá-los.

Bhakti-sastri Verses for Memorization (Total 45 Verses)

Sanskrit and English translation of the following verses are required for memorization. Verses will be orally assessed at the end of each Module. All verses will be assessed for Unit 5. This is an optional selection of verses. Centers can select another one at their discretion.

Unit-1 – Bhagavad-gita (Chapters 1-6)
2.7, 2.44, 2.13, 2.20, 3.27, 4.2, 4.8, 4.9, 4.34, 5.22, 5.29, 6.47

Unit-2 – Bhagavad-gita (Chapters 7-12)
7.5, 7.14, 7.19, 8.5, 8.16, 9.2, 9.4, 9.14, 9.25, 9.26, 9.27, 9.29, 10.8, 10.10

Unit-3 – Bhagavad-gita (Chapters 13-18)
13.22, 13.23, 14.26, 15.15, 15.7, 18.54, 18.55, 18.65, 18.66

Unit-4 – Nectar of Devotion
1.1.11, 1.1.12, 1.2.234, 1.2.255

Unit-5 – Sri Isopanisad and Nectar of Instruction
ISO – Invocation and Mantra 1, NOI – Texts 1-4

Bhakti Vaibhava Assessment

All assessment questions should be selected questions from the BOEX Question Bank.

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 30 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.

Bhakti Sarvabhauma Assessment

All assessment questions should be selected questions from the BOEX Question Bank.

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

1. Admission

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

1. The candidate must have a Bhakti-sastri degree, must have a Bhaktivaibhava degree certificate, and must have been assessed as successful in the completion of an approved Bhakti Vedanta program.
2. The candidate must have received Second Initiation before enrolment.
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, certifying that the candidate is engaged favourably in the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu for at least the previous five years, with a past record of participation in direct preaching activities.

2. 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:

Writing a thesis on one of the themes developed in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, The sum of the minimum required words for thesis should be at least 20,000 words.	25-40 %
Closed book tests requiring: The answering of at least two hundred short-answer questions. Being able to recite from memory, with adequate pronunciation, the original Sanskrit text and approximate English translation of at least seventy verses from Sri Caitanya Caritamrita.	30-40 %
At least five seminar presentations of a minimum one hour each	25-40 %
Personal vaishnava behaviour, punctuality, sadhana, extra-curricular service, co-operative mood, and ability to function as part of a team	10-15 %

The percentage marks required for passing grade will be at the discretion of the local center.

However, the minimum level of attendance required for achieving a passing grade shall be at least 75% attendance at the classes of each module and 75% overall attendance at student seminars.

1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

OPEN BOOK ASSESSMENT ESSAY WRITING GUIDELINES

Students should keep in mind the following guidelines when writing answers to open book questions. Open book assessment answers should be approximately 600 words each.

1. Presentation and Style

• Leave Room on the page for comments.
• Divide the essay into sections and paragraphs.

(Optionally give headings)
(Bullet Points are acceptable)

• Follow a sequential development of concepts.
• Include introduction and conclusion.

2. Focus

• Write a focused and concise response responding to the questions.
• Avoid additional irrelevant philosophical information.
• Do not exceed the word limit.
• Open Book Assesment Guidelines

3. Quotations

• Quote, with exact reference, to support your points.
• Explain the significance of the quotes.
• Quote specific phrases from verses, purports and lectures.
• Do not include long quotes without any explanation.

Srila Prabhupada on Writing

“Write your realization—what you have realized about Krsna. That is required. It is not passive; always you should be active. Whenever you find time, write….Sravanam, kirtanam—writing or offering prayers, glories—this is one of the functions of a Vaisnava]. You are hearing, but you have to write also.”

Srila Prabhupada Lecture
1968, Los Angeles.

Sample Open-Book Assessment Answers

Open-Book Assessment (Preaching Application)

Present how a pure devotees’ passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service with reference to Krsna’s statements in Bhagavad-gita Chapter 8.

The following paper is an example of a poor response. Note the areas which should be improved (For each paragraph, notes are left in bold and italic):

Sample Answer 1:

Anyone who quits his body in Krsna consciousness is at once transferred to the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the purest of the pure. Therefore anyone who is constantly Krsna conscious is also the purest of the pure. The word smaran (“remembering”) is important. Remembrance of Krsna is not possible for the impure soul who has not practiced Krsna consciousness in devotional service. Therefore one should practice Krsna consciousness from the very beginning of life. If one wants to achieve success at the end of his life, the process of remembering Krsna is essential. Therefore one should constantly, incessantly chant the maha-mantra—Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Caitanya has advised that one be as tolerant as a tree (taror iva sahisnuna). There may be so many impediments for a person who is chanting Hare Krsna. Nonetheless, tolerating all these impediments, one should continue to chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, so that at the end of one’s life one can have the full benefit of Krsna consciousness. (Up to this point, the student has simply copied verbatim from Prabhupada’s purport to 8.6. This is unacceptable. One should present philosophical points in one’s own words, to reveal ones understanding.)

Of all the 8 questions asked by Arjuna, Krsna dedicates almost the entire part of Chapter 8 to answer Arjuna’s 8th question: How can those engaged in devotional service know You at the time of death? This chapter brings us to gross reality of life – we cannot stay in this body forever. Therefore we must consider where we are going next. That is intelligence. Time is breaking us down in this material world and yet our heads are full of dreams. We don’t seem to take our life seriously and we glide from one sensory experience to another. (Good)

When we read of Pariksit Maharaj in Bhagavatam that he had only 7 days to live, we feel sorry for him. Prabhupada always pointed out we don’t even know if we have 7 minutes. Krsna being the doctor is giving us instructions how we don’t have to subject a period for birth and death. How can I die in a proper state of mind is the intelligent question asked by Pariksit Maharaj. Sukadeva Goswami glorified this question as the essence of all questions. The tendency to live and live (since the soul is eternal) is so deep which makes us think we will never die. In real human civilization we understand the present moment is the product of the past. According to the consciousness of our past life we now have our present mentality and our present situation. Therefore what we are thinking now will lead to the future situation. (Here the student is getting off the point of the question (guaranteed passage to the supreme abode) and preaching in general, with reference to texts beyond the scope of the question.)

We have to be intelligent to shape our life. We have to be careful where we are heading. We have to understand where we came from. The Lord explains that our consciousness now and our life situation is the result of our previous death. If we have to truly focus our present moment then we have to think of our previous death. People say the magic of the moment. Actually the version of “the now” is the result of our past death. That is how relevant our past death is. Where am I going to be trained for the best possible life in the next birth? A devotee realizes this hard core reality and therefore cultivates and shapes his mind in such a way that at the time of death our mind is in the highest peak possible. The highest possible level is thinking of Krsna consciousness. Through the mysticism of His pastimes, Krsna liberates the whole world. (A vague quote…. The student should include exact references to the 8th Chapter. All or part of the relevant verse can be included.)

Training the mind is the most important obligation. Our mind can finish us off. That same mind can act so wonderfully to take us back home back to Godhead. Sastras explain we are imprisoned in this material nature through the mind. Devotees take up the process of fixing their mind at His lotus feet. That easy process of fixing the mind at the Lord’s lotus feet is made very simple. (Vague quotes without solid references.)

My Guru Maharaj said in a class once: “We should practice in our life to remember Krsna always and in that way we are always prepared for death….” (This is an unverifiable reference. The question requests reference.)

The key below indicates the specific marks the student received for the answer shown above.

Column A	B	C
Present how a pure devotees’ passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service.	2.0	0.3
Gives reference to Krsna’s statements in Bhagavad-gita Ch 8.	3.0	0.7
Total Mark		27%

Explanation of marking Key
Column A: The particular component of the question.
Column B: The students grade (out of 10) for that particular component.
Column C: The value of that component in the question overall.

Total Mark
The student’s component grades are multiplied by the component values and the aggregate is calculated.

Overall comments
The student has conviction about the value of human life, and its consequences. The student, however, has neglected to address the question, how a pure devotees’ passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service, and has given only vague references to the 8th Chapter.

Sample Answer 2:

The following paper is an example of a good response. Note the points which score high grades (For each paragraph, notes are left in bold and italic):

The pure devotee of the Lord, ananya bhakta, is always preoccupied with thoughts of Krsna, ca mam eva smaran, he always remembers Krsna by chanting His holy name. By this practice he can certainly remember Krsna at the time of death yah prayati sa mad-bhavam and thus his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service. In fact Krsna Himself guarantees this, yati nasty atra samsayah ”of this there is no doubt”. (BG 8.5) (The student analyzes parts of the verse which are particularly relevant. The student, from the beginning of the answer, focuses on the main point of the question.)

 “If one is transcendentally absorbed in Krsna’s service, then his next body will be transcendental (spiritual), not material. Therefore the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the best process for successfully changing one’s state of being at the end of one’s life.” The example of Maharaj Bharat attaining the body of a deer is given by Prabhupada. (BG 8.6 purport.) (The student includes relevant examples and analogies from the purports to 8th Chapter.)

A pure devotee carries out his prescribed duties thinking about Krsna. He engages his mind and intelligence in Krsna and carries out his duties just for the pleasure of the Lord. (BG 8.7) The mind is fickle, and therefore it is necessary to engage the mind by force to think of Krsna. For example, the caterpillar thinks of becoming a butterfly and so is transformed into a butterfly in the same life. Similarly, if we constantly think of Krsna, it is certain that at the end of our lives we shall have the same bodily constitution as Krsna. (BG 8.8, purport) (The student includes relevant examples and analogies from the purports to 8^th Chapter.)

The process of thinking of Krsna is very easy. The devotees know that Lord is purusa, a person—we think of the person Rama and the person Krsna and His various attributes. (BG 8.9) For practitioners of other yoga process there are various rules and regulations, but a devotee does not have to think about all this because he is engaged in Krsna consciousness, and at the time of death he can remember Krsna by His grace. A pure devotee is not concerned about the specific circumstances under which he leaves his body. (BG 8. 24-27) (Succinct summary of additional relevant texts)

The pure devotee always remembers Krsna without deviation, ananya-cetah satatam yo mam smarati nityasah (BG 8.14), thus his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed, tasyaham sulabhah partha nitya-yuktasya yoginah, Krsna says for them I am very easy, sulabhah, to obtain. In fact Prabhupada explains in the purport to 8.14 that one who is practicing pure devotional service has already reached the supreme abode, “a pure devotee can live anywhere and create the atmosphere of Vrndavana by his devotional service. (The powerful conclusion shows the students thorough study of the text.)

Column A	B	C
Present how a pure devotees’ passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service.	8.5	0.3
Gives reference to Krsna’s statements in Bhagavad-gita Ch 8.	9.0	0.7
Total Mark		89%