The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced a significant change in the examination system for Class 10 students.
Starting from the 2025-26 academic session, CBSE plans to conduct board exams twice a year. The draft guidelines for this new system have been released, and the board is seeking feedback from stakeholders, including schools, teachers, parents, and students, by March 9, 2025.
This new proposal aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims to provide students with more opportunities to improve their performance in board examinations. According to the proposal, students will have two chances to take their board exams in a given academic year. The first phase of the exams is scheduled from February 17 to March 6, 2026, and the second phase from May 5 to 20, 2026.
In an official notice, CBSE stated that students who do not qualify in the first examination may still be allowed admission to Class 11, with their final admission based on the results of the second examination. Additionally, a merit certificate will be issued after the second exam, and students passing all five subjects will be declared as having cleared the board exams.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan chaired a meeting to discuss the plan before the draft policy was finalized for public consultation. CBSE has urged stakeholders to submit their responses to the draft policy by visiting its official website, cbse.gov.in.
This new system aims to reduce the high-stakes nature of board exams and offer students better chances to improve their scores and academic prospects.
