PO Transition from 12 to 11 POs: What Every Engineering Institute Must Fix Before Their Next NBA Visit as per Revised NBA SAR 2025
- Dr. Deepessh Divaakaran
- Apr 10
- 11 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
NBA updated the POs. But no one told you how to shift. This is your complete transition playbook — with logic, templates, and truth. This is Applicable for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 Institutes.
Contents in this Article
Why the PO Shift Under Revised NBA SAR 2025 Can’t Be Ignored
Let’s not sugar-coat it.
Most engineering institutes in India are still running on copy-paste POs from 2013.
The same 12 outcomes, the same mapping logic, and the same outdated language—despite major changes in the world of engineering, technology, and societal expectations.
With the launch of the Revised NBA SAR 2025, that era ends.
This is not just a cosmetic reduction from 12 to 11 POs.
It’s a structural realignment of engineering education outcomes to reflect:
Global frameworks like the Washington Accord
Current industry expectations (sustainability, ethics, inclusivity)
Integration with Knowledge and Attitude Profiles (WKs)
And the demand for real assessment, not symbolic compliance
Ignoring this PO transition isn’t just a missed opportunity.
It’s a risk — one that could derail your next accreditation attempt.
Because when assessors walk into your campus under the Revised NBA SAR 2025, they won’t just check if you’ve reduced the PO count from 12 to 11.
They’ll ask:
How did you make the shift?
Was it approved by BoS?
How did you manage attainment continuity?
Is your curriculum truly aligned with the new expectations?
If you don’t have clear answers to those questions — you’re not compliant.
That’s why this PO shift under the Revised NBA SAR 2025 can’t be ignored.
It’s not optional.
It’s not theoretical.
It’s operational.
And it affects every department, every batch, and every future accreditation cycle.
Understanding the Logic Behind the 12 to 11 PO Realignment in Revised NBA SAR 2025
Most institutes saw the update from 12 to 11 POs and thought—"One PO less.
Easier to manage. "But that’s a surface-level view.
This change is not about making things easier.
It’s about making them more aligned, globally relevant, and intellectually honest.
So, what really changed?
The Washington Accord, which NBA aligns itself with, outlines a clear framework for graduate attributes — known globally as Graduate Attributes and Professional Competencies (GAPC 4.0).
These are supported by Knowledge and Attitude Profiles (WKs) — a powerful structure that defines not just what an engineering graduate should know, but how they should behave and apply that knowledge in the real world.
The old 12 PO system lacked this integration.
It was fragmented.
It mentioned "Ethics", but never "Inclusion".
It addressed "Environment", but treated it separately from "Society".
It talked about "Communication", but didn’t link it to diverse and inclusive audiences.
NBA realized that if Indian engineering graduates are to compete and collaborate at a global level, we can't continue with generic outcomes written a decade ago.
The Realignment Fixes That
Here’s what the Revised NBA SAR 2025 did:
Merged PO6 (Engineer & Society) and PO7 (Environment & Sustainability) into a single, powerful PO6:"The Engineer and The World"
Reworded PO8 to PO12 to focus more on:
Ethical decision-making
Inclusive teamwork
Global communication
Tech adaptability
Lifelong learning in an evolving tech landscape
Why this matters to you
This isn’t a language update.
This is a shift in how we define an engineer’s role in the world —not just as a problem solver, but as a responsible, inclusive, sustainable contributor to society.
Revised NBA SAR 2025 now expects institutes to show this shift in:
Curriculum language
CO–PO mapping
Project themes
Student reflections
Faculty training
PO attainment models
This isn’t about reducing numbers.
It’s about increasing clarity, compliance, and credibility.
When to Implement the New POs as per Revised NBA SAR 2025: A Year-by-Year Breakdown
If there’s one thing that’s causing the most confusion on campuses right now, it’s this: "When exactly do we shift to the new 11 POs?"
Some colleges are waiting for the SAR deadline.
Some have already changed their POs without any formal process.
And some are still unaware a change even happened.
Let’s clear the air.
Rule of Thumb
The new 11 POs must be implemented for all courses taught in your Current Academic Year (CAY), as per when you apply for accreditation under Revised NBA SAR 2025.
But if you're smart, you'll start one year before.
Because real academic systems aren’t built in the year of submission — they’re shaped before it.
Batch | Current Year (AY 2025–26) | POs to Follow | Remarks |
2021–2025 Batch | PASSED OUT | Old 12 POs | Continue with old mappings. No remapping needed. |
2022–2026 Batch | FINAL YEAR | Transitional | Ideal time to start 11 POs if BoS has approved. Map 4th Year Courses to New POs. Use Transition Matrix for attainment of Years 1–3. |
2023–2027 Batch | THIRD YEAR | New 11 POs | Mandatory to implement 11 POs if applying in Oct 2025 or later. Map 3rd and 4th Year Courses to New POs. Use Transition Matrix for attainment of Years 1–2. |
2024–2028 Batch | SECOND YEAR | New 11 POs | Should already be aligned with Revised SAR 2025. Map all COs to new PO structure. |
2025–2029 Batch | FIRST YEAR | New 11 POs | Must begin with the 11 PO + WK-aligned curriculum from Semester 1. |
Note: No need to remap older batches’ COs. But attainment must be shown as per new PO structure using the transition matrix logic.
The Official PO Transition Matrix Every College Needs for Revised NBA SAR 2025
When the Program Outcomes (POs) changed from 12 to 11, NBA didn't release a clear strategy on how to re-align old curriculum structures or calculate attainment across batches.
That left a huge void.
And in that void, many consultants started guessing and manipulating, leaving colleges confused — or worse, misled.
Let’s fix that.
Below is the only standard-aligned and academically justified transition matrix you need — built with both logic and compliance in mind.
Old PO Code | Old PO Title | New PO Code | New PO Title | Mapping Type | Mapping Flow | Comment |
PO1 | Engineering Knowledge | PO1 | Engineering Knowledge | Direct | PO1 → PO1 | No change |
PO2 | Problem Analysis | PO2 | Problem Analysis | Direct | PO2 → PO2 | No change |
PO3 | Design/Development of Solutions | PO3 | Design/Development of Solutions | Direct | PO3 → PO3 | No change |
PO4 | Conduct Investigations of Complex Problems | PO4 | Conduct Investigations of Complex Problems | Direct | PO4 → PO4 | No change |
PO5 | Modern Tool Usage | PO5 | Engineering Tool Usage | Expanded | PO5 → PO5 | No change |
PO6 | The Engineer and Society | PO6 | The Engineer and The World | Expanded | PO6 → PO6 | Expanded to include sustainability |
PO7 | Environment and Sustainability | PO6 | The Engineer and The World | Realigned | PO7 → PO6 | Merged under PO6 with sustainability focus |
PO8 | Ethics | PO7 | Ethics | Realigned | PO8 → PO7 | Expanded to include diversity & inclusive behaviour |
PO9 | Individual and Team Work | PO8 | Individual and Collaborative Team Work | Realigned | PO9 → PO8 | Minor wording change |
PO10 | Communication | PO9 | Communication | Realigned | PO10 → PO9 | Focus on inclusive and effective communication |
PO11 | Project Management and Finance | PO10 | Project Management and Finance | Realigned | PO11 → PO10 | No change |
PO12 | Life-Long Learning | PO11 | Life-Long Learning | Realigned | PO12 → PO11 | Expanded to include adaptability and tech awareness |
Key Rules You Must Follow
No CO remapping is needed for previous years.
But PO attainment calculation must shift using this matrix.
If a CO is mapped to PO1 to PO5, there will be no Change in the mapping as such.
If a CO was mapped to both PO6 and PO7, average the correlation and attainment values and assign to new PO6.
Old PO8–PO12 attainment will directly carry over to new PO7–PO11.
This matrix is designed to avoid confusion.
To avoid mistakes.
And to finally give Indian engineering institutes a clean framework for the transition.
It’s not about hacking the SAR. It’s about building with clarity, evidence, and truth.
Important Advisory for Colleges
As the scope of several POs has broadened, you may need to relook at CO–PO mappings across your syllabus.
Some POs (like PO6 and PO11) now include broader dimensions like sustainability, adaptability, and inclusivity.
So don’t just update the PO table.
Rethink the curriculum alignment.
Use the transition logic above only for the current years in CAY — as per the batch-wise breakdown in the previous section.
And for fresh batches, start with the new POs and WK framework from Semester 1.
The Big Gap: Why NBA Failed to Support Colleges During This PO Shift in Revised NBA SAR 2025
For a reform this significant, silence from NBA was the loudest noise.
The transition from 12 to 11 POs isn’t just a cosmetic change —it reshapes course mapping, attainment formulas, and curriculum frameworks.
Yet, there was:
No official transition matrix.
No year-wise implementation plan.
No clarity on how assessments will be interpreted during the switch.
Colleges were left guessing. And in that vacuum, guess who stepped in?
Consultants. Agents. Middlemen.
They saw the opportunity. And they sold confusion disguised as compliance.
Copy-paste templates. Fake CO–PO tables .And a mess that no real educator should ever endorse.
This article — and the entire 9-Part Series — is my response to that vacuum.
We don’t need more consultants. We need clarity.
And we need academic leaders to take back control.
Real reforms demand real responsibility — not rented documentation.
How to Recalculate PO Attainment After the Shift in Revised NBA SAR 2025
The shift from 12 to 11 POs doesn’t just affect documentation.
It hits your data, your formulas, and your NBA compliance.
Here’s the truth: If you don’t recalculate your PO Attainment properly,
your entire SAR can fall apart — even if the teaching was top-notch.
So how do you do it?
Step 1: Identify Your Transitional Batch
For most colleges applying in 2025–26, this will be:
2022–2026 Batch (Final Year)
2023–2027 Batch (Third Year)
These are your key transitional cohorts.
Step 2: Use the PO Transition Matrix
Refer to the official matrix I shared above.
If a CO was mapped to PO7, it must now reflect under PO6
If a CO was mapped to PO8, it now becomes PO7…and so on.
This is your base.
Don’t change COs — just re-align the mapped PO.
Step 3: For COs Previously Mapped to PO6 and PO7
You’ll now calculate the average of those CO attainments and Correlations, and map that to New PO6.
Let’s say:
CO3 mapped to both Old PO6 and PO7
Attainment for PO6 = 80% = 3 (As per Target Slab - No Change Needed)
Attainment for PO7 = 60% = 2 (As per Target Slab - No Change Needed)
New PO6 Attainment = (80 + 60) / 2 = 70%
New PO6 Attainment = (3 + 2) / 2 = 2.5
Do this only where such dual mappings existed.
Step 4: Apply Mapping for Each Current Year
Use your CAY, CAYm1, and CAYm2 batches to calculate PO attainment using new mappings.
→ Old PO8 attainment becomes New PO7
→ Old PO9 becomes New PO8
→ Old PO10 becomes New PO9
→ Old PO11 becomes New PO10
→ Old PO12 becomes New PO11
You’re not changing the past —You’re just recalculating its impact through a new lens.
Pro Tip: Ensure the course files, faculty attainment records, and SAR statements clearly mention the transition.
Step-by-Step Method to Consolidate Attainment Across Academic Years under Revised NBA SAR 2025
Your PO attainment isn’t judged based on just one year.
NBA wants to see 3 years of consistency —CAY, CAYm1, and CAYm2.
But with the PO shift from 12 to 11,how do you consolidate attainment across academic years when some are under the old PO model and some under the new?
Here’s the practical, academically sound way to do it.
Step 1: Keep Year-wise PO Attainment in Their Original Format
CAYm2 & CAYm1 → Compute attainment as per Old 12 PO model
CAY (Current Academic Year) → Compute attainment as per New 11 PO model
Do not re-map COs retroactively.
Step 2: Apply PO Transition Matrix
Now use the PO Transition Matrix to realign old PO attainments into the new structure.
Document Everything: What NBA Will Expect in PO Transition Evidence Under Revised NBA SAR 2025
Old PO | New PO | Action for Attainment Calculation |
PO1 | PO1 | Direct carry forward |
PO2 | PO2 | Direct carry forward |
PO3 | PO3 | Direct carry forward |
PO4 | PO4 | Direct carry forward |
PO5 | PO5 | Direct carry forward |
PO6 | PO6 | Average with PO7 if both were mapped to same CO |
PO7 | PO6 | Average with PO6 if both were mapped to same CO |
PO8 | PO7 | Direct carry forward |
PO9 | PO8 | Direct carry forward |
PO10 | PO9 | Direct carry forward |
PO11 | PO10 | Direct carry forward |
PO12 | PO11 | Direct carry forward |
Now all 3 years of attainment will be in new 11 PO format, and ready to consolidate.
Step 3: Compute Consolidated Attainment
Once you've converted all attainments from CAYm2, CAYm1, and CAY into the new 11 PO structure, use the following formula for each PO:
New PO1 Attainment = (PO1_CAYm2 + PO1_CAYm1 + PO1_CAY) / 3
New PO2 Attainment = (PO2_CAYm2 + PO2_CAYm1 + PO2_CAY) / 3
...
New PO11 Attainment = (PO11_CAYm2 + PO11_CAYm1 + PO11_CAY) / 3
This ensures that your final consolidated PO attainment report is fully aligned to the Revised NBA SAR 2025 format, even when your earlier academic years used the 12 PO structure.
Step 4: Be Transparent in Your Justification
In your SAR, clearly explain:
Which academic years followed which PO structure
How the transition was handled
Where the transition matrix was applied
How consolidated PO values were calculated
Include a simple visual flow if needed.
This isn’t about manipulating numbers. It’s about maintaining attainment continuity without academic compromise.
How My Book Solves What Revised NBA SAR 2025 Leaves Unsaid
Let’s be honest.
The Revised NBA SAR 2025 brought some good changes —but also left a lot unsaid.
No handbook.
No implementation guide.
No support to help colleges actually apply the reforms.
And in that silence, most institutes are left guessing.
That’s exactly why I wrote my book: “Outcome-Based Education – A Practical Guide for Higher Education Teachers” long before even NBA Lunched the New Model in 2024.
What’s Inside That the SAR Doesn’t Cover:
How to Write Real, Measurable PEOs
Most colleges still write vague mission statements. I give you a format backed by logic, levels, and alignment with institutional vision.
How to Map COs to POs (and Now to WKs)
SAR 2025 expects this — but doesn’t explain how to do it practically. I do. With tables, templates, and real academic logic.
CO-PO Attainment Calculation (With Examples)
Not just the formula. The logic behind it. How to interpret the numbers. And how to report it to the NBA.
How to Create Smart Course Files That Speak Outcomes
No more decorative files. I show you how to build files that prove learning, not just fill folders.
Faculty-Level Understanding of OBE
This is crucial. If faculty can’t explain what they’re doing — NBA will mark it as non-compliant. The book helps you train your team.
And Many more with Relevant Case Studies and Practical Insights.
Already used by 1000+ campuses across India.
If you’re preparing for Revised NBA SAR 2025 and haven’t yet adopted it — you’re doing it the hard way.
Grab the book now and turn confusion into clarity, compliance, and confidence.
Final Words: Don’t Let the PO Transition Derail Your Accreditation in Revised NBA SAR 2025
Let’s be clear.
NBA isn’t just checking your paperwork.
They’re checking your intent.
And this PO transition is the first place they’ll look to see if you actually care about quality — or just compliance.
You don’t need perfection.
But you do need clarity, documentation, and academic honesty.
If your faculty can’t explain the PO shift…
If your SAR is still using old templates…
If your CO-PO attainment doesn’t match the new structure…
You’re not just risking accreditation —
You’re risking your institute’s academic credibility.
This isn’t about impressing assessors.
It’s about transforming outcomes, the way NBA actually meant when it revised the SAR.
So take this transition seriously.
Update your curriculum
Align your assessments
Train your faculty
Document your journey
And yes, use this guide as your compass — not a consultant with a recycled file
Because what you do now doesn’t just impact your SAR.
It shapes the kind of engineers your institution will send into the world.
Let’s not lose that bigger purpose in the rush for marks.
Fix the foundation. The accreditation will follow.
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