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GUWAHATI, JUNE 26: In a path-breaking move to ease academic pressure on students, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has given go-ahead to a new examination pattern through which Class 10 students will get to appear in board exams twice a year from 2026. The decision is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which calls for a more student-friendly and flexible education and assessment approach.
Under the new system, the first exams will be conducted in February and will be mandatory for all students. A second set will be conducted in May, though attendance will be voluntary and for the purpose of students who may want to gain higher scores in some subjects. This two-exam format allows students to have a second chance to do better without the stress of a single attempt determining their final grade.
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CBSE Exams Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj clarified that students would be allowed to appear again in a maximum of three subjects, selected from science, mathematics, social science, and other language papers. February exam results will be announced in April, while May session results will be announced in June to provide time for college and higher education application.
For the convenience of students in areas where winters are severe, the board will provide the option of which exam session they would like to take. Even with the two-exam scheme, in-school internal examinations will remain once a year. This two-stage exam model was originally suggested by CBSE in February and made public for comments before getting official approval this week. The NEP 2020 recommends decreasing the high-stakes character of school exams by moving towards a less tense and lenient system.
