CBSE Storytelling Competition
by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
CBSE Participation & Merit Certificate
National video storytelling competition from CBSE for Class 3 to 12 students, judged on oral narration, creativity and expression across school, regional and national levels.
Mode
Online
Fee
Free
Participation format
Individual
Duration
Storytelling video of 2 to 4 minutes depending on class category
Time needed
Depends on the time taken to make the entry
Eligibility
Open to students of Class 3 to Class 12 in CBSE-affiliated schools across India, grouped into four class-level categories (Preparatory, Middle, Secondary Phase 1, Secondary Phase 2). Students record a storytelling video in Hindi or English on a topic of their choice, submitted only through the school.
- Grade level
- Grade 3 to 12
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
- Academic requirement
- Currently studying in Class 3 to Class 12 in a CBSE-affiliated school
- Prerequisites
- Enrolled in a CBSE-affiliated school
- Able to narrate a story on video within the duration prescribed for the class category
See if your child qualifies.
Rewards and recognition
Certificate
CBSE participation & merit certificate
Every student whose entry is submitted through the school receives an online certificate of participation, and entries that advance to the regional and national levels earn an online Merit Certificate on their registered email address.
Recognition
National-level CBSE recognition
Skills your child builds
How to apply
- 1School conducts its own storytelling competition internally across all four class categories
- 2School selects one best entry per category to represent it at the regional level
- 3School registers the selected student on the CBSE Storytelling web portal
- 4School obtains parental or guardian consent before uploading a student's video
- 5School uploads the student's storytelling video to YouTube and submits the link on the CBSE Storytelling portal
- 6Regional and national-level committees evaluate the submitted entries digitally
Rules and guidelines
- Entries must be submitted only through the CBSE-affiliated school, not directly by the student
- Video duration must match the limit prescribed for the student's class category
- The story must be narrated in Hindi or English on one topic chosen from the prescribed list
- Parental or guardian consent is mandatory before a student's video is uploaded
- Each school forwards only one entry per category to the regional level
- The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence is entertained regarding results
Technology requirements
- Smartphone or camera to record the storytelling video
- Internet access for the school to upload the video link on the CBSE Storytelling web portal
About this opportunity
The CBSE Storytelling Competition is a national oral storytelling contest organised by the Central Board of Secondary Education for students of CBSE-affiliated schools across India, conducted entirely through video submissions rather than a live stage performance.
Students from Class 3 to Class 12 take part in four class-level categories, each with its own video duration limit. Each student chooses one topic from CBSE's prescribed list and narrates a story in Hindi or English during the school's own recording round. Entries are submitted only through the CBSE-affiliated school, not directly by the student.
Every entry submitted through the school earns an online certificate of participation, and entries that advance to the regional and national levels earn an online merit certificate. Participation can also be credited to a student's portfolio as part of internal assessment.
The competition runs through school, regional and national levels, with a CBSE-constituted committee of experts evaluating shortlisted videos on creativity, fluency, content delivery, coherence and expression. There is no participation fee, and entries are submitted through a dedicated CBSE storytelling web portal.
Rounds and format
The school level is conducted internally by each CBSE-affiliated school, which selects one best entry per class category. The regional level is conducted digitally through the CBSE Storytelling portal, where each CBSE region selects the top 10 entries per category. At the national level, the regional entries are evaluated digitally by a committee of experts, and winners receive an online Merit Certificate.
How entries are judged
Entries are assessed on creativity, fluency, content delivery, coherence and expression, as specified by CBSE for the storytelling video.
Selection process
Each school selects one best entry per class category to advance to the regional level. Each CBSE region then selects the top 10 entries per category to be evaluated at the national level.
Academic details
Difficulty: Mixed Levels
Frequently asked questions
How can a storytelling video stand out among thousands of entries?
Judges assess creativity, fluency, content delivery, coherence and expression rather than production quality, so a clearly structured narrative delivered with confidence matters more than elaborate editing or props.
What if a student is nervous about being recorded and evaluated on video?
Since the school records and reviews the video internally before wider submission, students get a low-pressure setting to rehearse and re-record until the delivery feels natural, unlike a single live on-stage attempt.
How does this competition differ from a written story competition?
This competition evaluates spoken narration, pacing and expression on video, while CBSE's written story programmes assess prose, structure and language on the page, so the two reward different skills.
Does participation carry academic value beyond the competition result?
CBSE allows entries in this competition to be credited toward a student's portfolio as part of internal assessment, giving participation a recognised academic use regardless of the contest outcome.
What typically helps an entry advance from the school to the regional level?
Since each school forwards only one entry per class category, clear articulation, staying within the prescribed video duration and confident narration of a well-chosen topic tend to matter more than story complexity.
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