CBSE Class 10 Exams To be Held Twice A Year From 2026, First One Mandatory

NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to introduce a new system allowing Class 10 students to appear for board exams twice in an academic year, beginning 2026.

AS part of the new structure, the first exam will be held in February and will be mandatory, while the second exam in May will be optional for students who wish to improve their performance.

This change is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends reducing the exam stress by offering students a second attempt within the same academic year.

“The first phase will be conducted in February and second in May. The results for the two phases will be announced in April and June, respectively,” media reports quoted CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj as saying.

“It will be mandatory (for students) to appear for the first phase while the second phase will be optional. Students will be allowed to improve their performance in any three subjects out of science, mathematics, social science and languages,” he said.

A major reform under #NEP2020!

CBSE would conduct Class X Board Exams twice a year from 2026.

This will reduce high-stakes pressure, ease the burden on students, offer flexibility, and promote joyful, stress-free learning.

It is a landmark shift towards competency-based…

— Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) June 25, 2025

For winter-bound schools, students will be allowed to appear in either of the two phases.

The internal assessment will continue to be held only once during the academic session.

The CBSE had released the draft norms in February and invited feedback from schools, teachers, and other stakeholders. The final approval comes as part of efforts to make board exams less stressful.

Last month, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that CBSE would conduct Class 10 board examinations twice a year starting in 2026, in a bid to create a more stress-free learning environment.

Scheme of two board examinations

• It is mandatory for all the students to appear in the first Board examination.
• All passed and eligible students will be allowed to improve their performance in any of the three subjects out of Science, Mathematics, Social Science and languages.
• If a student has not appeared in three or more subjects in first examination, then s/he will not be allowed to appear in the second examination.
• Such students will be placed in the “Essential Repeat” category and can take the examination only next year in the main examinations in the month of February next year.
• For students whose result in the first examination is Compartment, such students will be allowed to appear in second examination under Compartment Category.
• Additional Subjects will not be permitted after passing class X, students will not be allowed in stand-alone subjects.

Scheme for Special Category

• Sports students will be allowed to appear for second examinations in the subjects whose examinations have coincides with their sports event.
• Winter Bound Schools’ students may choose to appear either in first examinations or second examinations in offered subjects.
• The facilities extended to CWSN candidates will be extended in 2nd examinations also.

Internal Assessment

Internal assessment will be conducted only once before the main examinations.

Eligibility criteria for main (first) examinations

• Fresh students of Class X
• Second Chance Compartment
• Essential Repeat of previous year
• Improvement examination

Eligibility for second examination

• Improvement category up to 3 main subjects
• First/Third Chance Compartment
• Compartment + Improvement
• Improvement for the students passed by the replacement of the subject.

Syllabus and Scheme of Examinations

• Both the examinations will be conducted on the full syllabus meant for the year.
• The scheme of studies and scheme of examinations will remain the same.

Result declaration

• Result of First examinations will be declared in April.
• Result of First examinations will be declared in June.

Performance of main examination will be available in DigiLocker. This could be used for admission to class XI if the student does not wish to appear in 2nd examinations for improvement.

Passing document will be issued to all the students after the results of the second examinations.

Merit certificate will also be issued only after second examination.

Post Result Facilities

Facilities of photocopy, verification and re-evaluation will be available only after declaration of results of 2nd examination for both the examinations

Admission in Class XI

Students not qualified in the main examination will be allowed provisional admission in Class XI and based on the result of the 2nd examination, their admission will be confirmed.