New Delhi
In a major shift in the education system, CBSE has announced that Class 10 board exams will be held twice a year starting in 2026. Students will have the option to appear in either of the two exams—one in February-March and the other in May—or take both to improve their scores. The draft norms have been approved and are now open for public feedback until March 9, 2025. Once finalized, the new system will be implemented from the 2025-26 academic session.
How Will the New CBSE Exam System Work?
✅ Two Exams, Same Syllabus – Both the February and May exams will cover the full syllabus. This means no reduction in course content, but students will get an extra chance to perform better.
✅ Same Exam Centers for Both Attempts – Students will be allotted the same examination centers for both sessions, ensuring a smoother process.
✅ Increased Exam Fees – The new system will lead to higher examination fees, though the exact amount is yet to be announced.
✅ No Supplementary Exams – The May exam will serve as the supplementary exam, eliminating the need for separate retests.
Who Can Appear for the May Exam?
🔹 Only those students who are registered in September 2025 will be allowed to sit for the May 2026 exam. No fresh registrations will be accepted for the second session.
🔹 Flexibility in Subject Selection – Students can skip a subject in the first exam (February) and take it in May instead. However, if they appear for all subjects in the February exam, they must take the same subjects in May if they choose to reattempt.
🔹 Final Marksheet in May – The final marksheet and passing certificate will be issued only after the May exam, and it will include the best score for each subject out of both attempts.
Why This Change?
This decision is part of CBSE’s larger exam reform strategy under the National Education Policy (NEP). The goal is to reduce stress on students by allowing them two chances to perform well. The CBSE directive also states that exams will be redesigned to focus on core skills rather than memorization and coaching-based preparation.
CBSE has clarified that this system is aimed at making board exams less stressful while also giving students more opportunities to improve their scores without requiring additional supplementary exams.
What’s Next?
CBSE is currently seeking feedback from students, parents, and educators. Based on this, final guidelines will be announced before the 2025-26 academic session begins.
With this new system, students will no longer have just one shot at their board exams—instead, they will get a second chance within the same academic year. This change is expected to bring relief to lakhs of students across the country.
