Twice-a-year board exams for Class 10 from 2026; Phase-1 mandatory, Phase-2 optional: CBSE

New Delhi: From 2026, Class-10 students will be able to take CBSE board exams twice in an academic session but it will be mandatory for them to appear for the first phase in February, officials said on Wednesday. The second phase scheduled in May will be optional for students who wish to improve their performance, they said.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has approved the norms for conducting board exams twice a year for Class-10, a move recommended in the new National Education Policy (NEP). “The first phase will be conducted in February and second in May. The results for the two phases will be announced in April and June, respectively,” CBSE Examination Controller Sanyam Bhardwaj said.

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“It will be mandatory (for students) to appear for the first phase while the second phase will be optional. Students will be allowed to improve their performance in any three subjects out of science, mathematics, social science and languages,” he added.

According to the approved norms, Class-10 students from winter-bound schools will get option to appear for the board exams in any of the phases. The internal assessment will be conducted only once during the academic session.

The CBSE announced the draft norms in February, which were put in the public domain for stakeholders' feedback. The NEP recommended that to eliminate the "high-stakes" aspect of the board exams, all students will be allowed to take the exams on up to two occasions during any given school year.