The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has recently confirmed that the CBSE class 10 exams will be conducted twice a year, instead of once. This will allow class 10 students to take the CBSE board exams twice a year in the academic session 2026. It marks a significant change in India’s school board examination structure.
From the 2026 academic year, all class 10 students will have to appear for the CBSE board exams for the first phase, which is to be conducted in February. However, the second phase, which will take place in May, will be optional. The second phase for the CBSE Class 10 will be conducted for students who wish to improve their performance.
CBSE Class 10 Board Exam 2026: What’s New?
As per the New Educational Policy, 2020, the CBSE officials have decided that students can appear for the CBSE exams in two attempts, with the first being mandatory. The first phase will be conducted in February, and the second in May. The CBSE Class 10 Results for the two phases will be declared in April and June. Highlighted below are the new updates related to the CBSE class 10 board examinations:
- First attempt is mandatory: The first attempt, which is scheduled for February, is compulsory for all students.
- Second attempt is optional: If any student is dissatisfied with their performance in the first attempt, they can appear for a second attempt to improve their scores.
How is it Different from the Current CBSE Format?
According to the current format, students of class 10 under the CBSE board must appear for the board exams only once. If their performance is unsatisfactory, the only option is to take the compartment exams. However, compared to the current CBSE format, the new CBSE format offers more opportunities for students to improve their scores within the same academic year. Some clear guidelines related to the CBSE class 10 new format are provided below:
- All students have to appear in the first phase of the exam.
- Only students who have appeared in at least three subjects in the first phase will be eligible for the second phase of the exam.
- Students can choose from Science, Mathematics, Social Science and Languages for improvement in the second phase.
- Both attempts will be based on the same CBSE Class 10 Syllabus.
CBSE 2025 Changed Format: Reasons and Advantages
The new format of the CBSE class 10 board examinations is designed to promote flexible learning and aims at reducing exam stress. It is more of a student-centric assessment model. It will also allow students to retain the best score from either attempt. CBSE has tried to remove the old-fashioned pressure of a single and final exam through this changed format.
The advantages of the changed CBSE Class 10 format are as follows:
- Students will not have to be stuck with one poor result. They will be given a chance to improve their score.
- Anxiety is likely to decrease with two attempts.
- This format aligns with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims to make education mode flexible and student-friendly.
- Students will be motivated to learn consistently throughout the year without taking stress for a single exam.
