CBSE Class 10 Board Exams to Be Held Twice a Year from 2026: Major Shift in Policy
CBSE Class 10 Students to Get Two Chances at Board Exams from 2026-27.
Second Exam Optional, Only for Those Who Pass First Attempt; Aims to Reduce Stress and Align with NEP 2020
New Delhi, June 25: In a landmark shift aimed at reducing academic pressure, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that students of Class 10 will be allowed to appear for board exams twice a year starting from the 2026-27 academic session. The first exam will be mandatory, while the second will be optional and limited to improving scores in up to three academic subjects — but only for those who pass the first attempt.
The move aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends eliminating the “high-stakes” nature of board exams by providing students with two exam opportunities in a given school year.
Optional Improvement Exam After First Attempt
According to CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh, the first exam will be held in mid-February and is compulsory for all students. Those who pass will be allowed to reappear in up to three subjects — chosen from Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and two language papers — in an optional second exam in May. The better of the two scores will be reflected in the final mark sheet.
“The second examination is purely optional and intended to give students a chance to enhance their academic performance,” Singh said.
Over 23 Lakh Students Appeared in 2025
In 2025, 23.72 lakh students appeared for the Class 10 board exams, with a pass percentage of 93.66%. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan called the latest reform a “laudable and much-needed step,” adding in a post on X that it will “reduce exam stress, provide flexibility, and foster a joyful learning environment.”
New Guidelines for Improvement and Compartment Exams
CBSE Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj explained that results for the first exam will be declared in April. The second (improvement) exam will follow in May, with results in June. Students can choose to sit for improvement exams in one, two, or three academic subjects after reviewing their performance in the first exam.
Currently, students are allowed to take improvement exams in only two subjects — including vocational ones. However, the new system will restrict improvement to three academic subjects. “Our data shows students already perform well in vocational subjects, but need flexibility in core academic subjects,” Bhardwaj said.
Strict Rules to Prevent Misuse
To prevent misuse of the second exam as a fallback strategy, CBSE has set clear boundaries. Students must appear for at least three subjects in the first board exam to qualify for the second attempt. Those who skip or fail in three or more subjects will be placed in the ‘Essential Repeat’ category and must retake the full board exam the following year. Students failing or skipping one or two subjects will be placed in the ‘Compartment’ category and allowed to reappear in the second exam.
From the 2026-27 session, compartment exams — traditionally held in July — will be merged with the second improvement exam in June, streamlining the academic calendar and eliminating the need for July retests. Subsequent compartment attempts will align with the following year’s main and improvement exams.
Flexibility for Special Cases
Students admitted to Class 11 on a provisional basis after failing one or two subjects will have their admissions confirmed upon passing the second exam. Results from the first exam will also be made available on Digilocker to facilitate faster admissions.
Special provisions will apply for students under sports quotas or those from snow-bound regions like Ladakh. They will be allowed to appear for exams during either session, depending on their availability or geographic constraints.
Conclusion
This new dual-exam structure not only aims to reduce stress but also introduces greater flexibility and academic choice, making the evaluation process more student-centric and globally aligned.
