CBSE Plans Conducting Class 10 Board Exams Twice A Year From 2026. Details Here

Class 10 students will be able to take CBSE board exams twice in an academic session from 2026 or choose between the two editions--one in February and another in May.

The CBSE has approved the draft norms for conducting Class 10 board exams twice a year.

Source : PTI

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday announced a proposal conducting Class-10 board exams twice a year from 2026. The CBSE has approved draft norms which will now be put in the public domain and the stakeholders can submit their feedback by March 9 following which the policy will be finalised, officials said. 

The CBSE directive said that the same centres will be allotted for both the editions, adding that the examination fees will be increased. Under the new proposal, students will also have the option to appear for both examinations if they wish. 

Meanwhile, both the examinations will be based on the full syllabus. The first phase of examination will be conducted in February-March every year, while the second phase will be held in May the same year.

Both the examinations will be conducted on full syllabus and the candidates will be allotted the same examination centres in the two editions.

𝐂𝐁𝐒𝐄 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡.#CBSE | pic.twitter.com/x8kPh0lZRh

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"While the Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, the existing system of Board and entrance examinations shall be reformed to eliminate the need for undertaking coaching classes. To reverse these harmful effects of the current assessment system, Board exams will be redesigned to encourage holistic development; students will be able to choose many of the subjects in which they take Board exams, depending on their individualized interests," the CBSE directive read.

"Board exams will also be made ‘easier’, in the sense that they will test primarily core capacities/competencies rather than months of coaching and memorization; any student who has been going to and making a basic effort in a school class will be able to pass and do well in the corresponding subject Board Exam without much additional effort," it added.

The new National Education Policy (NEP) recommended that to eliminate the high stakes aspect of the board exams, all students will be allowed to take the exams on up to two occasions during any given school year.

The Board has clarified that no separate supplementary exams will be conducted under this system. Instead, the second session of the Board examination will serve as the supplementary exam for those who wish to improve their scores.

The list of candidates (LOC) will be finalised in September of the preceding year. This means that for the February 2026 exam, the list will be finalised by September 2025.

Meanwhile, no new candidates will be allowed to register for the May 2026 exam if they were not part of the September 2025 list, the official said.

Once the LOC is finalised, candidates will not be permitted to change their subjects. However, there is some flexibility in subject selection.

If a candidate wishes to modify their subject choices, they can skip a subject in the first examination (February-March) and opt for a different subject in the second examination (May). However, if a candidate completes all subjects in the first exam, they will have to take the same set of subjects in the second exam if they choose to reappear, the official added.

The final passing certificate and marksheet will be issued only after the May examination. This document will include the marks obtained in both exam sessions as well as the best of the two scores for each subject.