The landscape of education is continuously evolving, with a growing emphasis on skills beyond rote memorization. In India, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a significant shift towards fostering critical thinking, creativity, and holistic development. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes self-directed learning, encouraging students to take ownership of their learning and develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills. It promotes a shift away from rote learning towards a more holistic, experiential, and personalized learning approach. NEP 2020 aims to foster the development of not just cognitive skills but also social and emotional intelligence, character building, and overall well-being. 

This paper aims to compare the students writing skills based on – impromptu essays and traditional exam assessment writing – and elucidate how their respective strengths and limitations align with, and are reformed by, the transformative vision of NEP 2020. We will specifically consider impromptu essays for evaluating higher-order cognitive and communicative skills.