CBSE 10th Exams 2026 to be held twice a year: First Attempt Mandatory, Second Optional

CBSE stated that the new format will begin with the 2026 Class 10 batch, aiming to promote a culture of continuous learning and performance enhancement.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially announced that Class 10 students will have the option to appear for board exams twice a year starting from the 2026 academic session. While the first exam will be mandatory, the second will serve as an optional attempt for improvement, with the best score retained for final evaluation.

As per a statement issued by the Board, this initiative is part of CBSE’s broader effort to make the board assessment process more student-friendly, flexible, and less stressful, and to curb the high-stakes nature of annual examinations.

CBSE- NEP 2020 Push for Flexibility

The NEP 2020, students must be provided with opportunities to improve their performance without being subjected to excessive stress. The policy encourages up to two board exam attempts in an academic year, enabling learners to perform at their best without the pressure of a single high-stakes test.

CBSE stated that the new format will begin with the 2026 Class 10 batch, aiming to promote a culture of continuous learning and performance enhancement.

Scheme of Two CBSE Board Examinations: Key Features

(i) General Conditions

All Class 10 students will be required to appear in the first board examination, which will be conducted in mid-February.

The second board examination will be conducted in May, primarily for students who wish to improve their scores in any of the main subjects: Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and Languages.

Students who fail in three or more subjects in the first exam will not be eligible to appear in the second exam. They will be placed in the “Essential Repeat” category and must appear for the board exam in the next academic year.

(ii) Eligibility Criteria for Appearing

First Board Exam: Open to fresh students, second-chance compartment cases, essential repeat students from previous years, and improvement candidates.

Second Board Exam: Open for students in the improvement category (up to 3 subjects), first/third chance compartment, compartment + improvement, and those who qualify through the replacement of a subject.

(iii) Special Provisions

Sports students, students from winter-bound schools, and CWSN (Children with Special Needs) will be allowed to appear in either the first or second exam as per convenience.

Internal assessments will continue to be conducted only once, before the main exam.

Result Declaration and Admission to Class XI

Main exam results will be announced in April, while second exam results will be declared in June.

Students will receive their passing certificates and merit certificates (where applicable) only after the second exam cycle.

CBSE will upload results on DigiLocker, and provisional admission to Class XI may be granted based on main exam results, later confirmed after the second attempt.

Post-Result Facilities

Facilities for photocopying, verification, and re-evaluation will be available only after the results of the second examination are declared.

This structural change by CBSE is expected to:

Reduce pressure on students from the "one-shot" board exam model.

Deter coaching-centric practices.

Encourage schools to adopt a more holistic, modular approach to board assessments.

The CBSE has emphasized that this move is part of a larger shift toward modular and flexible assessment systems, where performance pressure is minimized and students are given multiple chances to excel.

Students, parents, and schools can access the detailed policy document and schedule on the official CBSE website.