Representative image of a student appearing for an exam.
Credit: iStock photo
Class 10 boards will henceforth be conducted twice every year from the 2026 examination, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced, greenlighting a reform that is intended to ease the pressure of high-stakes testing on students.
The first exam, to be conducted in February, will be compulsory for all students. The second exam in May will be optional.
Students who wish to improve their performance in any three subjects out of science, mathematics, social science and languages can appear for the second exam. But the internal assessments will be conducted only once during the academic session, CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said on Wednesday.
Results of the two exams will be declared separately in April and June. “Students can choose to sit for the improvement exam after reviewing their scores in the first exam. The second exam is purely optional and additional in nature," Bhardwaj further explained.
The board has, however, clarified that it would be mandatory for all class 10 board students to appear in the first phase of the exams. And students who do not appear or fail in three or more subjects will be placed in the ‘Essential Repeat’ category and can take the main exam only in the next academic year.
“Whereas, students who do not appear or fail in one or two subjects will be placed in the 'Compartment' category and will be allowed to appear in the second [improvement] examination,” the Comptroller of CBSE examination said.
Holding examinations twice a year is part of the implementation of recommendations under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
According to the approved norms, Class 10 students from winter-bound schools will get the option to appear for the board exams in any of the phases.
The CBSE announced the draft norms in February, which were put in the public domain for stakeholders' feedback.