From 2026, the students of Class 10 can sit for CBSE board examinations twice within one academic year or select either out of two options: a February or May session, the authorities stated.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday finalized draft guidelines that will be opened up for feedback from stakeholders. The policy would be framed upon receiving the inputs, with feedback to be sent by March 9.
Under the new system, students will have the option to appear for both exams if they so desire. They will also have the option to skip certain subjects in the second session if they are content with their previous scores or opt to attempt certain subjects only in the second session.
According to the draft rules, the first session of exams will be held from February 17 to March 6, and the second session from May 5 to May 20.
"Both the exams will have the entire syllabus, and candidates will be allotted the same exam centers for both sessions. Both attempts would be paid for at the time of registration," a top CBSE officer said.
The official also explained that the two board exam sessions will be used as additional exams, doing away with the need for retests in case of poor performance.
The new structure is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), which seeks to de-stress the high-pressure board exams by enabling students to appear for them twice in an academic year.
Under this format, the second session will be the retake exam for students who wish to obtain higher scores. The list of candidates (LOC) will be locked by September of the prior year—so that for the February 2026 exam, the LOC will be locked as of September 2025. No new registrations for the May 2026 exam will be taken if the student was not included in the September 2025 LOC.
Once enrolled, candidates cannot switch subjects. That said, there is some leeway—students can drop a subject in the February-March session and cover another subject in the May session. If a student attempts all subjects in February-March, they will have to reappear for the same subjects in May if they wish to reappear for the exam.
For internal and practical assessments, the evaluation will be done only once a year. Additionally, the final marksheet and passing certificate will be released only after the May session, including scores from both exams and showing the best score achieved in each of the subjects.
The new exam pattern divides subjects into seven categories: Language 1, Language 2, Elective 1, Elective 2, Elective 3, Regional and Foreign Languages, and Other Subjects.
Read also| Education is the Most Valuable Investment in Life, Says PM Modi
Read also| SC Rules Aspirants Who Dropped Out Between Nov 5-18, 2024 Eligible for JEE-Advanced
