CBSE makes 75% attendance, 2-year study, internal assessment must for taking Class 10, 12 board exams in 2026

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued eligibility criteria to appear for the Class 10 and 12 board exams for the academic year 2026-27. The board stated that it is mandatory for the students to maintain a minimum 75% attendance to be eligible for the exams.

According to the guidelines, students should have studied all the subjects for 2 years to be eligible to appear in the board exams. It also said that in all the subjects offered by the CBSE, internal assessment is a ‘compulsory’ integral part, as per the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

“The following are the essential requirements for appearing in the Board examinations conducted by the CBSE : Class 10 and Class 12 are two year programmes comprising Class 9 and Class 10 and Class 11 and Class 12 respectively,” the board said in an official statement.

“The internal assessment is a two-year long process. If a student does not attend school, his/her internal assessment cannot be done. In the absence of performance in internal assessment, a student's result cannot be declared. Such students even if they are regular students, will be placed in the Essential Repeat Category,” it added.

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Schools must take permission for additional subjects

Students will be offered additional subjects in Class 10 and 12 . “In Class X, students can offer 2 subjects in addition to compulsory 5 subjects and in Class XII, only 01 additional subject can be offered. Students offering additional subjects will study the additional subject for 2 years,” the official statement reads.

In addition, if a school has not taken permission from CBSE to offer any subject and they do not have teachers, labs, among other facilities, students will not be given such subject as main or additional subjects, the statement adds.

“If a regular student has offered additional subject(s) in previous years and has been placed either in "Compartment" or "Essential Repeat" category, they can appear as a private candidate under compartment or Essential Repeat Category,” the board said.

Ergo, no student will be allowed to sit for the board exam if the above given criteria is not met.

The statement further added that there are two national school boards under the Ministry of Education. CBSE offers education through face to face mode, whereas NIOS offers education through Open and Distance Education Mode.