From 2026, Class 10 students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be able to appear for board exams twice in a session. They will have the choice of two exam editions, one in February and the other in May, and the freedom to appear for either or both, as per their choice.
CBSE authorities have announced that the draft policy has been cleared and is to be made available for public comments until March 9. Once the suggestions are seen, the policy will be finalized for implementation. Under the proposed framework, students who are content with their marks in the first attempt may drop particular subjects in the second session. On the contrary, those who want to improve may reappear for individual subjects or the complete exam.
The first session of the board examinations will be from February 17 to March 6, while the second session will be between May 5 and May 20. The entire syllabus will be attempted in both the sessions, and the same exam center will be allotted to each student for both versions. Fee for the attempts will be paid at the time of initial application.
The revised pattern harmonizes with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which endorses dilution of the high-stakes burden of board examinations through multiple assessment opportunities. CBSE made it clear that no independent supplementary examination would be held; the second session would rather serve as an opportunity for supplementation in terms of improving scores.
The list of candidates (LOC) will be established in September of the previous year. For example, students sitting for the February 2026 exam should be registered by September 2025. New candidates will not be permitted to register for the May session only if they were not included in the initial LOC.
Subject changes after finalizing LOC are not allowed, but students are allowed to leave out a subject in the first attempt and pick a different subject in the second. If, however, the students write all the subjects for the first exam and choose to reappear, they will have to appear for the same subjects.
Internal and practical tests will be taken only once in an academic year, and no individual mark sheets or certificates will be given after the February test. The final marksheet released after the May test will carry marks of both sessions, and the best score for each subject will be seen in the final result.
The new framework classifies subjects into seven categories: Language 1, Language 2, Elective 1, Elective 2, Elective 3, Regional and Foreign Languages, and Other Subjects. The redesigned system is designed to offer more academic freedom and minimize exam anxiety, allowing students to excel to the best of their abilities without the pressure of a single high-stakes test dictating their future.
CBSE's decision is a groundbreaking change in India's education paradigm, promoting an even more student-centered approach with global best practice. With feedback from the people, stakeholders can now influence this revolutionary policy and ensure it suits the changing times of students as well as educators.
