CBSE Board Exams to be Held Twice a Year: Education Ministry Reviews Implementation Plan

Under the new system, students will not be required to take both the CBSE Board exams, as appearing twice a year will be optional. Those who do not score well in the first attempt will have another opportunity within the same academic year, similar to the existing format of JEE Main.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a high-level meeting today to review preparations for conducting CBSE Class 10 and 12 board exams twice a year. The meeting, attended by the Secretary of School Education, CBSE Chairperson, and senior officials from the Ministry and CBSE, focused on implementing examination reforms aimed at reducing student stress.

Following the meeting, Pradhan reiterated that creating a stress-free learning environment for students has been a key focus of the government, and examination reforms are a crucial step in this direction.

Dharmendra Pradhan wrote on X: “Examination Improvement and Reform is a key step towards this. Taking this a step forward, held detailed deliberations with Secretary School Education, CBSE Chairperson and other officials of the Ministry and CBSE over Conduct of CBSE examinations twice a year. The draft schema of these deliberations will be placed soon for public consultation by CBSE.”

“This reform is another crucial step towards implementation of key provisions of NEP and will help mitigate exam related stress among students,” Education Minister writes on X.

The Ministry has already hinted that CBSE board exams will be held twice a year, and today’s discussions marked an important step in planning its execution. As part of these deliberations, the draft framework for conducting biannual board exams will soon be placed for public consultation by CBSE. Pradhan emphasized that this reform aligns with the key provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) and will offer students greater flexibility in attempting board exams.

Under the new system, students will not be required to take both exams, as appearing twice a year will be optional. Those who do not score well in the first attempt will have another opportunity within the same academic year, similar to the existing format of JEE Main. The two exams will be scheduled with a fixed gap between them, allowing students sufficient time for preparation.

While reports earlier suggested that CBSE might not be prepared to conduct board exams twice a year, the Board refuted such claims. In an official statement on X (formerly Twitter), CBSE clarified that it had not communicated any such concerns to the Education Ministry. The biannual board exam system is expected to be introduced from the 2025-26 academic session, providing students with added flexibility and reducing exam-related pressure. Further details will be finalized following public consultation.

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